The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1922-05-11
"FIFTY-FIFTY" ONE BIG LAUGH
Audiences Fairly Convulsed at Side
Splitting Situations

6uU OVER b uUlluESU were pE0SSuLs
The play itself was up to all the
advance notices. One side-splitting
situation succeeded another with
scarcely break, and we have heard
Of more than one person who went
home and spent most Of the night
catching up with the laughs that lack
Of time and breath held in during the
performance. The play was not too
difficult for amateurs, while offering
many opportunities for the display Of
dramatic ability that have made it
worth while for professionals to pre-
sent it.
In addition to the choice of the
play, another factor that contributed
to the success Of the performance was
the wealth Of talent offered by the
record class Of the Cakes High to
date, from which to select the cast.
Several members of the class who
have proven their ability at various
times during their school careers, and
who would undoubtedly have taken
parts in the play just as successfully
as those who were chosen, had to be
left out Of the cast because there were
no more characters in the play. The
whole class, however, took active part
in caring for the various details of
the performances, and each member
contributed some definite part to the
success Of the play.
Roderick Liddell and Warren Fer,
ber took the principal parts, about
whom the action Of the whole play
10 Ut 10 ,sllfly
earn all the praise and appreciation
that was expressed by the hundreds
who heard the play. Lois McPhail,
especially in her impersonation of the
supposed Roxanna Wheatpitt, which
was such scream that the other
members Of the cast were nearly con-
vulsed at times, and lone Roberts, who
had part that was possibly more
difficult, because more serious, just
as ably took the chief feminine parts
of the cast.
Bernice Reko as Mrs. Podge, the
1andlady who was no gossip, but still
usually managed to tell all she knew,
kept the crowd in constant roar Of
laughter every time she came upon
the stage. Eva Kallestad as the su-
percilious Mrs. Hawley who started
the fifty-6fty pals on the road to sue
cess by buying the mahogany sea-
upside down, took her part in such a
finished manner that it was hard to
believe that she worked it up in only
four days. Verna Voight as Joseph
inc, with her fire and determination
to land her husband, helped to wind
up the final act with a rush.
Francis Brennan, possibly because
of his own ancestry, fitted most nat
urally into the part of O'Malley, the
Irish janitor, while George Buck, al
though Of course lacking a similar
ancestral qualification for the part,
fitted just as naturally into the part
of Smudge, the colored valet, .who
kept the crowd bowling with mirth
during most Of the final act. Law
renee Ditch as the wandering sea cap
tain rolled into port just in time to
,straighten out the tangle Of circum-
stances. His role was brief, but well
taken.
It was the judgment Of all who
heard the play that it fully maintain
ed the high standard Of previous class
plays, and there were enough who
pronounced it the best ever to make
the members of the senior class quite
chesty over their success. Superin-
tendent ]. c. Gould, who coached the
play, was naturally gratified over the
success Of his proteges, more espe-
cially since the class Of 1922 is the
first class to have completed it's whole
high school course under his admins
'tration. They started in as freshmen
when he came to Cakes four years
ago this fall. At the close Of the last
performance the class presented him
with fine gold chain and pen-knife
as a token Of their regard, and it is
said that for at least once in his life
the voluble superintendent was abso-
lutely speechless with surprise and
emotion.
. Besides the members of the class,
many others contributed no little to
the success. Of the play. Not the least
Of these was the high school orches-
ira, whose music before and after cur
tains was pronounced by many to be
worth the price Of admission. Miss
Edith Gross earned the gratitude 81
the class by making up the characters
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