Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 126, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 May 1913 — GRADUATES SCORE BIG COMEDY SUCCESS [ARTICLE]

GRADUATES SCORE BIG COMEDY SUCCESS

Crowded Theatre Liberally Applauded Performers in “What * Happened to Jones.”' The success of the high school saying that it is a real dollar performance fbr only 35 cents. A home talent play was never received more cordially or home players given more individual applause than were those who took part in the very amusing comedy entitled “What Happened to Jones.” The stage setting was attractive,* being the drawing room in the home of Prof. Ebenezer Goodly. As the setting was not changed during the three acts it was possible to arrange it with more than ordinary attention to detail, and in every appointment it was attractive. “What Happened to Jones” is a real, wideawake n comedy, just enough drama being interwoven in the performance to carry the tinge of a plot. As might be surmised by the title, Jones is the central figure much of the time and the success of the play is consequently largely Up to Jones, and that part' was taken by Edwin Robinson, and had the playwright been looking for a star to carry the part he could not have hit upon a happier subject than Edwin. He was right there with manner so easy and graceful and glib as beally to have the appearance of a sport essaying the role of a bishop, which makes the ensuing situations a reel of rapid action that demands of all very able support and in this respect therfe was ‘no disappointments. The chara'cter old man. Prof. Goodly, who was induced “in the interest of -science” to attend a prize fight and who had to climb down a waterspout to escape the police, was well taken by Edson Murray. The part was difficult but he carried it admirably. Richard Heatherly, who* was engaged to the professor’s daughter, was a modern type of youth who was willing, to use a little deception' to win the girl without sacrificing any lun and it was he who induced her father to vary from the paths of rectitude and attend the prize fight, and Lezla Choate was quite pleasing in that role. The honors among the girls were evenly divided. AJleen Allman was a Swedish servant whose silence was purchased extravagantly and* she carried the dialect, the movement and the pose of the character splendidly. Mary Brown was the wiseacre of the professor’s house and was the first to discover that Jones was assuming the role of bishop. By the cleverest ruses she led Jones into a confession of his deception but she did not betray her discovery to others. Mjnnie as the professor’s wife, was very solicitous for his welfare and a slave to every wish of his presumed brother, Jones, the posing bishop. The two daughters, Nell Parker,* at Marjorie, and Florence Ryan, as Minerva, were busy in an effort to get the “bishop” to discuss his books with them and did not lose confidence in him, although his actions were queer, and Richatd urged that Marjorie should have nothing to do with her uncle. Josie Dexter was the spinster sister of Mrs. Goodly, Alvine Starlight, by name, engaged after a long correspondence to the Bishop of Ballarat. Accepting Jones as the bishop without question she engaged In some very amusing efforts to arrange for their marriage. While the plot was so thick already that there seemed no untangling, the mix-up was further complicated by the arrival of the (Continued on Page Pour.)