DRAMATIC RECITAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 299, 6 September 1918, Page 6

DRAMATIC RECITAL

SOME CLEVER: CHILDREN,

The second performance given by tho pupils of Mr. and Mrs. J. Culford Bell in aid of the funds of tho Navy League drew an audience which filled every seat in the Concert Chamber last evening. The programme consisted of a. number of little plays and sketches designed for juvenile players, recitations, monologues, and scenes from plays, all calculated to draw upon tho elocutionary and protean faculties of young aspirants to the amateur stage, and perhaps'encouraging in them a love of art and letters. A group of very small children undertook the fairy play, "Tho Gift of Gold," the pretty moral of which is embodied in tie quotation "Kind hearts are more than coronets. The various parts were played by Eva, Clay, Lovedy Chisholm, Gladys Meier, Bessie Hunter, Mavis Chatfield, Nita, Eggers, Edith Brokcnsha, and Kempton. Smyth. Another incursion into the haunts of the fairies was the playlet "Princess Tenderheart," in which the debonnair and sprightly Prince Cutnndi'ied, a forward stripling, breaks tlie biscuit china heart of the Princess. Competitors are invited to mend it, the hand and repaired heart of the Princess being offered as the prize. .The required euro is produced by Tenderheart s adoring page, much to tho chagrin of the Prince. Willie Knox made a bold, bright Prince, and Fanny Hyman lisped her lines with becoming dignity. Jack Neale was the over-smiling King, and Doris Neale the lucky, page. "Tho Ladies' Academy" was quite an ambitious little comedy, in which a couple of' the girls under discipline trick tho mistress by dressing up and posing as their own mothers. Miss Iris Wilkinson's manner and mode of speech as Madame do Portment were distinctly good, and tho wayward girls were vivaciously played by Pearl Jacobs and Leah Hyman, tho latter particularly boing a girl with some histrionic promise. "Courago," a Dutch play, was also a diverting bit of comedy, and Mr. V. Evans and Sylvia Udy essayed the difficult quarrel scene from "The School for Scandal" with fairly successful results. Mr. Theo. Hills recited "Clarence's Dream" (from "Richard 'IV') with sound understanding, Tho musical monologue "Through the Smoke, recited by Miss G. Hurt, had a wartime flavour, and "The Fool," by Miss Wemyss, also expressed in eifectivo verse the glorious heroism of our young soldiers 011 the battlefront. Miss Wjlio recited tho somewhat lachrymoso poem, "The King of Denmark's. Ride, and Miss Freda Bushel! recited ' J he Little Crossing-sweeper." Miss Ethel Sullivan cave the humorous sketch, Taking tho Elevator," and Miss Ashwood recited "Joe and I at Play." Mr. and Mrs. Bell are entitled to much credit for amusing such excellent programmes for tiro cause all hold so dear.