Delightful Entertainment

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXIV, Issue 128, 3 November 1930, Page 2

Delightful Entertainment

ROMANCE, SONG AND STORY

HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS’ EFFORT

An unusually good entertainment was given at the Municipal Theatre, Waipukurau, on Friday night when the local High School girls, who are pupils of Mr. A. Stanley Warwick presented “Dante and Beatrice,” and “Titania falls in love with an Ass,” to a large and appreciative audience. Variety was given to the programme by two choruses by the school girls, a fairy ballet by a bevy of' tiny tots who are pupils of Miss Constance Macdonald and songs by Messrs. E. G. Stevenson and Hugh Hobbs, of Napier.

In addition to teaching the High School girls their parts Mr. A. Stanley Warwick also arranged the whole programme, supplied the dressing and superintended the stage management. A worthy effort indeed, especially as the whole performance was of- outstanding merit. The performers were splendid and showed clearly that they had been soundly taught, not only in enunciation and memory training, but also in stage appearance and deportment. At times it was hard to believe that the majority of the girls were appearing before a public audience for the first time. There was an almost entire absence of anything approaching stage fright and it is remarkable that on no occasion was prompting necessary. Hearty congratulations are extended to Mr. Warwick and his pupils on the excellence of the entertainment which bore the hallmark of careful and thorough tuition, combined with enthusiasm and a faculty to grasp the essential parts.

The programme opened with “The Gipsy Chorus” (Weber), which was tunefully sung by the school girls each of whom was appropriately dressed. Then followed the romantic play, “Dante and Beatrice,” which is founded on incidents in Dante’s “Vita Nuova.” The difficult part of Dante, the Florentine poet and lover of Beatrice, was ably portrayed by Muriel Goodeve. This young performer showed undoubted ability and her acting, as well as her clear speaking voice, were a dfelight to all. The dignified part of Beatrice, a Florentine lady, was delightfully interpreted by Elsie Hastie. The balance of the cast, each of whom was splendid, included the “Spirit of Love,” (Winnie Lourie), “Tessa,” (Jessie Doube), “Primaverra” (Helen Monteith), Giovanna (Gladys Goughian), Guido, the friend and brother-poet of Dante

(Maurine Coughlan), Casella, a

musician and dancer (Esther Ganderton), while the attendants included Sheila McLaughlan, Dorothy Marfell, Eunice McLean, Molly Cheer, Joan Nicholls and Kathleen Longley.

The play opens with a tableau showing Dante’s second meeting with Beatrice, followed by scene two, which shows Dante’s chamber wherein he has his first vision of Love’s appearance. The scenes follow in quick succession until the eleventh, which reveals Dante on his sick-bed, watched by ladies to whom he relates his dreams, while the funeral procession of Beatrice passes outside. The climax is reached with a striking tableau depicting Dante’s vision of the Glorified Beatrice.

Apart from the beauty of the drama the dressing of the cast as well as the music and stage mountings were all contributing factors to the undoubted success which was attained, and the audience showed its warm approbation in no uncertain manner.

Following the play Mr Hugh Hobbs, of Napier, sang very acceptably the “Song of the Clock,” and as an encore he was equally successful with his rendition of “The Sergeant Major.” Mr Warwick, who is always a firm favourite with Waipukurau entitled “When it’s (h) up it’s (h) entitled “When it’s (b) up it’s (h) up,” and in response to a vociferous encore he recited “Things that isn’t true”.

A rare treat was given the audience by Mr. E. G. Stevenson, also of Napier, who is the possessor of a particularly pleasing tenor voice. His first number was “Your eyes have told me so,” while for a recall he was splendid in the song “The Road to the Isles.” The audience demanded still more from this artist, and he selected for his third number

a pretty little song entitled “Our little home.”

The second half of the programme was opened by the school girls singing “Old King Cole,” to the traditional tune. The children made the most of this popular old ditty and their pretty voices and appropriate costumes harmonised perfectly.

Tt/n followed an/ amusing and clever sketch entitled “Titania falls in love with an ass.” Once again the high school girls distinguished themselves and the scene was very welldone. The cast included Oberon, King of the Fairies, Maurine Coughlan; “Titania,” Queen of the Fairies, Winnie Lourie; Puck, Oberon’s attendant, Gladys Coughlan; First Fairy, Esther Ganderton; Cobweb, Jessie Doube; Mustard Seed. Helen Monteith; and last but not, least the Ass, Mr Warwick. In the course of the scene dainty fairy ballets were danced by Isabel Chambers, Betty Keir, Cherry Raymond, Kathleen Dillon, Nola Mathieson, Marjorie Urquhart, Mary Hales, Betty McLean and Nancy Ward, who are all pupils of Miss Macdonald. These clever little dancers added greatly to the charm of the scene which had an amusing though happy ending. Reference to the entertainment would be incomplete without paying a sterling tribute to Mr. A. C. Rowe, who undertook the arduous duties of accompanist.

The object of the entertainment was to raise funds for the purchase of’"a gramophone for the school and as a result a substantial sum will be available.