A STORY WITH A MORAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 32, 1 November 1919, Page 4

A STORY WITH A MORAL

"•THROUGH THE COLLEGE LOOKING GLASS." Last evening a delightful and original enterlainmejt wits given in the WellingImi Girls' Cu) lege entitled "Through Hit College Looking Glass." The play am the words of the songs had been written by two of th« College girls, Misses Muriel Morgan and Eileen Adams, and it is to be hoped that those members of the College Board of Governors who were present have taken fclio moral of the play, as shown in the looliing : glass, to heart, and aro now duly repenting of thpir sins oi omission. One of the aims of the College staff is to encourage by all the means ii their power the creative faculty anions the girls, and, judging by the play, white Mns bright, clever, and incisive, there is talent and creative faculty which would well repay such encouragement. Before the play began, Miss M'Lean, the principal, made a brief speech, explaining that the girls were enhicly responsible for the entertainment save thai Miss Allan and Miss Kind had stagemanaged for them, and that the scenery had i.ven lent by the D.I.C. The story opens -upon ii meeting of t •• gods on high Olympus, with Jupiter enthroned in state. The minutes of tbeir ia.st meeting were being read when a loud noise and a knocking are heard, and their Olympian calm is broken by tli? entrance of a mortal, a woman who introduces !l!ei'.self lo them as the principal of the largest and most important girls college in a distant land below. She tells her hearers that although this college is so important Mid is attended by (iO-fi students its interests are wickedly ignored bv the Board of Governors. While t.iie Boys' College has fifty acres of land ■for the boys to disport themselves upon, the Girls' College has to put up with one acre and a quarter, and ill conscqneneo its athletics suffer. Three utterly inadequate buildings hnvc to house the llOfl, and in desperation the principal determined to appeal for assistance to •Tupiler. A discussion follows among the gods, Venus declaring that the neglect of the girls' interests was shameful. The noble Sixth lorni had to use the corridors us!i classroom, and worst enormity :of all, there wore jio looking glasses. How could the new ago come about when girls were being pushed on one side, and their interests sacrificed lor those of I lie boys? Home of the gods were for giving assistance, and some were not, among the latter being Pan, w;ho thought. (hat if the earth people would but return to tlio simple life all would be well. However, it was decided to give assistance. The next act disclosed the members of the college slalf at a tea party, and then followed an amusing interlude in which the characteristics and ways of tlio real college stall' were reproduced, and judging b.y Ihe shrieks of laughter from the audience, among whom were inniiy of the school girls, with immense success. The singing of "A Hundred Pipers" in tlio distance while the party is going on, announced arrivals of importance in the persons of Jupiter, Iris, ei ml Mercury, who have undertaken to punish the Board of Governors >as they deserve, accompanied by the lady principal. The gods and the latter are welcomed, and the gods are offered the hos--1 pi la lily of the college ill tlio way of soup and buns, this giving an opportunity of "talcing off" the domestic .science teacher. The gods are not enthusiastic over tlio fare. ,So that Jupiter might compare modern athletics with those of ancient Greece, a display of drill is given, this affording opportunities for further "taking off" some of Ihe little ways of another member of the real staff, to judge by the intense amusement which it caused. So impressed was Jupiter with the pupil*, (he teachers, the collcgc and its work, that his wrath ilamcd high and lie- pronounced the doom of the offending Board of Governors. They are to bo banished to Hades. The following act opens upon Hades with the imps dancing with great gusto, every now and again wails of anguish from unseen tortured souls adding to the terrors of the scene. Strango monsters threaten destruction, and leaping (lames in the background add tlio proper atmosphere to Hades. The shades rcminiscently singing of the joys of cartli arc interrupted by ,t'hO entrance of Jupiter and Plulo, the former telling tlio shades that "soon the Board of Governors you will see." I'luto also adds' encouraging remark which arc barely ended when the unhappy Board of Governors, iiveidressed for the occasion in black suits with top-hats, rush in and fall upon their knees before I'luto and Jupiter bogging for help—in vain. The last act showed the ideal college which had materialised for tho girls with a Board of Governors consisting of women. ■ Coeducation had been established (boys and girls), grounds that excelled all bounds belonged to the college as well a? a dancing luill, a rink, and unlimited spaco everywhere. The play ended with a pacn of triumiih and joy. Not only was the play bright and clever but tho acting was in many cases exceedingly good, and some of the little "take-offs'' of the teachers delightful, and of course recognised at once by those who were in close contact with them. Somo pretty dancing was to be pc<-n, each act beginning with a dance and chorus, and the songs further emphasised the points which the writers wishod to .make. It is to be hoped that tho lesson of the play bears fruit, for Hades was not at all a pleasant place. Tho various characters in the play were allotted as follow: Jupiter, Dorcen Clifford; Apollo. Eileen Adams; Pan I who also was the Janitor later on), "j'h'eo. Tiastsrfield; M«roury, Puselic; Cupid fa most charming little figure). Julie Maris, Juno. Muriel Morgan; Venus, Svlvia Darling; Diana and also Pluto, Eleri'Flux: Iris. Una Castle; Minerva, Mariorio Carr; Principal ot the College, Monica Thompson; members of the College staff', Eileen Paul, Elsbeth Bath, Edith M'Laren. Kathleen Slurer, Violet Mills, Muriel Morgan, Eno Bell, Gcorgina Dunning, Nora Houghton; the Tuck-shop man, Violet Wilson; CoL lego "irl«, D. Firth, K. Lucena, R. Ward and M. Hallidoy; two teachers on leave, Ella Newton ;ind Eileen Adams; the Board of Governors, M. Chalmers, 1. Eastertield, Ct. Collins, A. Crease, If, Beyer, M. Lee; College boys, E. Adams, K. Lucena and It. Ward. One of the sensations of the evening was the dancing of the fox trot by the Principal ot tho Colloge and her partner, who lepresented the Principal of a brother institution. Miss M. Wilson provided tlio incidental music and also the accompaniments.