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VOL. XXXVIII, No 12. ANN ARBOR, 1\ICIIIGAN SUNDJAY, MARCH 1, 1928
PAGES SEVF-N TO TEN
JUN
GIRLS' IDL Y
OpAmjJLNS
TO RwtfwIRO
"For The Love of Pete," Twenty-Fourth Annual Production, to Have Week's Run at Whitney Theatr
Floating University Lends Novelty and Atmosphere to Musical Show
e---Setti'ng of
. ;
C"
,T.
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(i
BY Sylvia . Slone, 9
Leaving behind the tr'aditional canmpus setting,
the glamor of house parties, andl the romaiice of the
garden scene, the -24th annuial Junior Girls' :Flay,
"For the Love of Pete," will set sail on a floating
university in seaIrch of new 'ieals oral fresh ad-
venture.
Blut though it leaves behind the rolling green
of the campus, it still retains the delightful frankl-
ness, youth, and simplicity which ai-e part o" the
strong hold and backgroaund of Junior Girls' Plays.
It is a an au'siiig satire which ltas nio reverence for'
for'ms or conventions; yet it stays Wxithin the realin
of common-sense and good fun.
TPhe play, the 24th. produict ion o its kind, has
grown from a mere entertainrtent in hionor of senirr
wonien to a show which equals and even suripasse -
other campus prodluctions. Today it is onn~ of the
outstanding activit ies of womien <and serves ao un to
Junior women as no othier ('Ia*,'s ejitcrprise (1oes. Al-
though all University women lhare hen privilegedl
to-see it fcr numlber ofl years, it is only in the past
few years that the pyrforniance has been opined to
the general public. It is now g iv in a W,eek's run1
at the Whitney theWal er; six evening p.wrforn:ianCes
and ono Saturdlay matinee.
Withb the passing of years the project has also
gained in size and scope. It ha:s gr aduall y lost its
amateur tone while d istinc't lyreta1iing its fresh-
4psst. It is preducd in the spirit of fun for its own
sake, such finances as accru, havinig bean hre-
tofore turned over to the Leaguo ' i uildiug fund.
"For the Love of Pote" gives one a glimpse into
thed liver of lprofessor's outside' Mlreclassroom. It
treats in a sparkling and saftirical fashion with
tlhe folly of pure intellectualism ,s con1 0trstl with
Miss Lloyd Says-
ihe r ehears-al of th is year's., o o
Cirls' Play whic h I Nvit nessed this week
went oft with a great deal of zest and
showed evidence of faithful work and (c0-
operation with the director, Aiss Minna
?Miller, and with the mnembersof the conm-
mittee.
The play, which was fir'st given in 1904
has had .,,n interesting developinent fromt
one very informal1 performance given for
the aimusement o' tiho senior class to the
present weekly engiigeninnt: at the WVhitney
Theatre. It has lost sonie of the charn'
of its early informality, but it heas gained
in its effectiveness as an ertoertainiorent
which interests not just a stall iiniversity
group hut the community as* a whole.
'T'here is every reason to believe that
this year's play is upholding the fine spirit
which this p~articular activity has expressed1
in the past. The Junior Girls' Play has
come to be one of the finest of the Sludlent
offerings andl the result this year will, I
am sure, justify the hopes 01' its supporters
and well wishers.
Lef t-Elizabeth McCurdy
and Elaine Gruber, as Tom
and Sally, the modern type
of sensation seekers. The
play presents a satire on
their blase sophistication.
Center, chorus of Median
women.
"1
y
e
tit:.
:". l1 :::
cll;z p
%I.-rarr+r rrorrrrrrr r rr r o - --
Right-Geraldine Porter;,
Theodora Malo. , and Shir-
ley) King, as Nanc), Peter
and Clar-e, the leading char-
aciers; Below, Vera Johns-
[on who will give a specialty
dance in the form of a re-
prise.
:irininovat ion is inltrodluced this year in the
music'for the play. H eretofore, a p~rofessional or-
c'lwstria has sat in the pit. The~ music tis, year
will, lb' that of Edlna Mower's oirchiest ra,. Miss M ;ower
is chairman of the music committee, and with the
he lp (,of her committee has composed all of theo music
fog- the lplay.
Two muc'h praise cannot be given Minna Miller,
n.,wo, as direc'tor of the lolyhas shown sym-
1)21 by, pati ence, and untiring effort to make this
p~roduction truly "the best ever."
Pi VP nation for the p~lay has heel., :arked by
e(c (IlI(' t cooperation. The costume commrittee par-
t icn laxly is to he commended for its work unuder
1het dlirecition of H~ildla Mary Evans. The sale of ad-
vertising aind the corn-position of the programi was
tire work of Betty Smither's and her committee,
,whrile the general business of the play has been
handled by M~arie :Hartwig, business manager,
As c'hairman of the play, Elizabeth Welhman has
(lone sincere andl earnest work, b~acked by Jean
H at haway, assist ant. chairman. Cynthia Hlawkins
has had charge of properties and Ellen G rinnell,
with the aid of her committee, will be responsible
for tihe "make- up" of the c'ast. Publicity has been
hand led by June Marshall and her coumnitt le.
Tihe sets foer the play are the dlesign of Ruth
Merrick, xN ho has also been in char'ge of ushers.
The book itself was written by Mberle Raine. It, is
froll of the easy chatter of youth, andl particularly
college youth, but the conversation, nevqrthleless, ad-
vor'sthe (lirect action o' the play. Tfhe character s
for the most: part repiresent group types, although
a number of them are distinctly caricatures. The
Imnnor cf the lines is light and escapes the.4tudied wit
whichi is noticeable in many amateur productions.
Senior -Appreciation
Three plays in the past. and one nmor'e
to see is hamrdly gr oundl enough- to trace
nu evolution of the .Junior Girls' play. But
her'esay andl the old numbers of the .Ainniis,
magazine remind us that the play was
originally a stunt perfor'med by the junior
f'or the seniors at. an annual banquet. At
this first banquiet the sophomores, numbher-
ing 55, ser'ved. In 1916, : "E'd's andl Co," a
p~erformnance in the pr'oportion of a musical
(omedy was p~resent ed two nights and 11161
were admitted tire second night.
Btut as great oaks, circus elephants
and United States presidents grow fron
acorns, b~aby etlphants and baby p~residents,
so the JIunior girls' Play has gr'own into
"Castles in Spain," "Becky Behave," "Eight
Til Eight," and now, "For the Love oWIPete."
"Castles In Spain" remains in our minds
as a gorgeous affair in, red! andl yellows,
tangos danced to the tune of castinets andl
Gypsy maids flir'tirng wit il Gypsy meni.
"Becky Behave" was collegiate even to
having the first act in a book store and at;
least half o1' the c'anepus wvill remember
Minna Miller '27, thre present diirec(tor of
"!,ow the Love of' Pet e," as B~ecky.
Trhen the play grewv until the class of
'2S produced "Eight Tit Eight," with catchy
intelligence. The pathetically serious minded group
of faculty members affor'ds a striking contrast to
the student body, frank, critical, and exceed ingly
mnodern. Yet even in the latter giroup one find,,s
thle bookworm and the scape-goat, the conser'va-
tive and the r'adical elements.
Disciplinar'y measures of this floating university
(10 not escape the satire and quizzical humor' of
tire student body who soon discover' that they haze
their professors at their mercy. The pr'ofcssors,
too, r'ealize this fact and bewail their lost dignity
and power. Perhaps the most forceful example
ot' the folly of mere book-lear'ning without its sane
ap~plication to life is pr'esented in the prirne mirnister'
of Mledia, Alger'non Apperson Aspinwall, a former'
n;'-emher' of the staff of biology instructors, who one
(lay escapes to the island of Media, where lhe estabr-
lishes himself as ruler and determines to exclude
fr'om the land the so-called intellegencia. Ie has
andI 1 :rzx. The rle i(' ista3ken by Th eodora mlaloy.
Natncy, ats re01(2(1 by Glera Idine Port ci', is a ser'ious
anoldedgi-Ht. She is sweet andl att rac'ttive, and has
firm idealIs w i Ii regar'd to v'alIue in li fe. C'Tarme, «who
(omp lletes thle ente eniul rio l"t, is the modlern,
keell-ind~ed younlg womn. She is Witty, forcefrul
an(d eXi('ee(drigy well-poi'ued. TiE' part is played
by Slrir'lev kings.
Saliy sndt Toni, by\ lvElaine Gr-uber'anrd
Elizabeth A 'r'I;~iidy, per'son-I y a satire on the super'-
ficial, blase, sensationr hunting 1 ypc, Phoebe, Dor'othy
Ackerman, is a caric'atur'e o:'Itle typic'al blue-stock-
rrng. Alcibiadtes Pr'oury, Ithe ro(le assrumed by Jessie
Churclir, is the conric st rip tyvpe of hard-wvor'king
und~er n'ain ate.
Wtihr an blut erng og red roifssor, subser'vient andi
tookishi essist aiis, iand tire required leek hands,
the c'ast is coflplled.
An outstandinrig alt1r'action among tire dance
Phoebe. Even thre r'omantic element of1'thre play has
caurght thle sea. air' and is fresh andl invigor'at ing, after
the languishing nature of the usutal gar'den sconre.
"Pet er's Blue'' bids fair' to rival 'popiular' song hits,
both in music and dance performance.
Traditionally, the first perfor'mance of' the show
is played before a house of senioir wom'en, attired
foir the fir'st time in caps and gowns. Tlhe evening
is dedicated to them as Senior Nigh,". The senior
surpper' takes place on that night and inirmediately
fllowing the suipper, a line of march is formed to
the Whitney t~heatrec. This custom connrnemir'ates
the origin of the play as an entertainment by tire
juniors foir the senior' womren alone.
Friday night is for'mal night amid the Whitney
r'ecalhs to mindl the opera season, the bright gowns
of the ladies and severe male attir'e lending a. gay
and attractive note. For' the past two year's Satun'-