Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-11-12
Legion Players Score Unquali-
lied Success With Splendid
) tt &c Presentation At
Armistice Night Entertain.
ment In City Hall-Three
Act Farce Followed by An
nual Armistice Dance

1T Pays to Advertise" was the
titie Oh the play presented Armistice
night at City Hall by James Fitz-
gerald Post, No. 2, American Legion.
ana with the addition of the state
lnent that quality is the best ad-
| vertisement," the reason for the lar
sest attendance and the most sue
cessIut occasion of this kind vet
staged by the local Legionairres is
Well stated. Twice before has this
same organization staged Armistice
Night entertainments, the first a very
iine play, the second even better and
This last the best of all.
Last evening over 1000 people at
tended the performance of this we'll
staged three act farce and at the
conclusion OF the performance it was
the unanimous belief that it was one
Oh the best II not the best of straight
comedies ever produced in this city
AT the conclusion of the three
humorous and interesting acts, the
auditorium floor was cleared and
aanclng was enjoyed by large
crowd. the dance continuing until
one o'clock.
Music before the play and between
the acts, as well as for the dance
winch followed was furnished by
douglas Melody Men, the well bal
anced team playing the latest dance
hlts IN a manner that drew hearty
applause from the large crowd pres
ent.
The play, which was George M.
conan success, brought before the
Augusta audience ~ Particularly
strong cast of amateur actors with a
professional flavor. Arthur S. Merrill,
who has taken leading roles in other
productions was at his best in the
play OF last evening, taking the part
| made famous by Mr.. Cohan, Smith
Dunnack, Donald c. Metcalf. Mrs.
Antoinette M. Gingras and Miss Lii
Liam c. Alberts had the other more
important roles and. each was well
suited to his or her part.
Mr.. Merrill played the part Of
most aggressive publicity man who
lived and breathed the value of ad-
vertising. His forceful characterize
ton and his clever comedy acting
was very brilliant and drew much APP
plause and many laughs.
Mr.. Dunnack in the role of a
young man, an idler who sets forth
to show father up and who, to
accomplish this end goes into bust
| ness and bucks his paternal par
VIZ . swap IL Oot, was iuGdlly east IOI
this part and carried the long dia-
logue through in most satisfac-
tory manner.
Donald Metcalf sporting a cane.
| a periodic attack of the govt, a pair
of spectacles attached to half a yard
of black ribbon and a harsh man
ner of speaking when the son was
around, carried through his part in
a very able manner and added much
to the interest of the production.
Mrs. Gingras as the young lady
engaged to the son, and jas the rea-
son for his sudden business activity.
proved, as the action of the play
| developed, that she had a long head
and that she was fully as wide
awake in a. business way as was the
| boy. Her work in this role was
! very fine.
Miss Alberts had a most difficult
| characterization to carry through,
! one in which she must change her
! entire bearing in the twinkling of
an eye. at one moment being to all
! appearances a French countess and
, the next "hard" young. lady living
| by her wits alone. This she was
! able to do with seeming ease and
/ she added much to the success OF
/ the play by her able work
! Other parts of lesser Importance
! but all of which were necessary to
! the proper presentation of the play
! and all of which were carried
! through with real ability by the
| PLAYERS were taken by Miss Eliza
! beth Hill, Mrs. Mary G.. Niles, Guy
I Reynolds, Frank r. Southland, Le-
! land w. Niles, Floyd A. Bagley and
! Audrey L. Goodheart.
The cast of characters was as fof-
! lows: Mary Grayson, Mrs. Antoinette
I H. Gingras: Johnson, Guy REYNOLDS;
| Comtesse de Beaurien, Miss Lillian @.
! Alherts; Rodney Martin, Smith Dun
] mack; Cyrus Martin, Donald c. Met
calf; Ambrose Peale. Arthur S. Mer-
rill: Marie, Miss Elizabeth M. Hill;
! William Smith, Frank L. Southland;
Donald McChesney, Leland w. Niles;
| Miss Burke. Mrs. Mary G. Niles; Ell
! lery Clark, Floyd A. Bagley; George
Bronson, Audrey L Goodheart.
The play vas coached by Arthur
Merrill, chairman of the committee of
five which had general oversight OF
the evenings entertainment. The other
members of the committee were Fred
Best. George Faulkner, Clarence Mich
OILS and Clarence Frye. Reuel Soule
acted as floor director for the dance.
Between the acts and during the
dance ice cream and punch were served
nv the ladies of the Legion Auxiliary,
who had a very attractive booth in the
hall and who were kept busy serving
the delicious refreshments.