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Bryn Mawr College Yearbook. Class of 1906
Bryn Mawr College (author)
1906
serial
Annual
176 pages
reformatted digital
North and Central America--United States--Pennsylvania--Montgomery--Bryn Mawr
9PY 1906
Book of the class of 1906 : Bryn Mawr College.--
https://tripod.brynmawr.edu/permalink/01TRI_INST/1ijd0uu/alma99100332675...
BMC-Yearbooks-1906
Che Freshman Play
Though President Thomas quite forgot to mention the plot when she diseussed the
Freshman play in Chapel, yet we the authors must always look upon it as one of the most
memorable achievements of our lives. ‘Talk of the poet’s fine phrensy, it was nothing to
the emotion that stirred our souls as we walked to and from the Pike composing lyrics.
And the pride that filled us when we heard of the play’s acceptance will never be aroused
by any future laurels of our literary careers. But enough of the authors, we will leave
them to posterity.
Perhaps the most valuable effect of the rehearsals was to reveal Ninteen Six’s latent
histrionic ability. Who will ever forget the verve with which Sue exclaimed ‘Hack it
out!’ Or Grace Wade’s masterly declamation of a Freshman theme! Ruth Archbald,
as the gracious Prince Henry, undaunted by innumerable ditches, burst magnificently
upon a dramatic career which she afterwards pursued with ever-increasing glory. The
ingenious plot—which the President forgot to mention—was constructed with the
one aim and purpose and forethought of giving rise to a series of the most fairy-like dances,
executed by Nineteen Six with energy at least. Was this the germ of future Gilbert danc-
ing? Class-mates, can we claim this honor? ‘The heroines, when we have said this
we have said enough; although Ethel’s voice was reduced to a feeble creak and Jessie had
a painful partiality for ‘‘Mr. Dooley.’’ :
Yet all was not merry dance and song,—not to mention the plot. Some of our troubles
came in the preparation; when, for instance, the moon obstinately refused to shine through
Pembroke Arch and was only conquered, after a protracted struggle, by Adeline’s artistic
genius. Lectures, meals, sleep, had to be entirely discounted in the mad whirl of rehear-
sals. Alas and alas, the cut habit then engendered has not been entirely destroyed in
some of our noble band. Even the powers-that-be added to the burden; it was a stern
warden who stopped a generous young heart as she rushed from the dining-room conceal-
ing (?) in her Peter Thompson, a large slice of pumpkin-pie for the famished stage manager ;
we repeat, it was a stern warden who commanded ‘‘Miss Cruice, return that pie or pay a
dollar,” (N, B. I went hungry, A. W.N.) The night of the play—of which Miss Thomas
forgot to mention the plot—tuckily all went well, except for the trifling incident of the
back row disappearing precipitately in the last act.
But when troubles and fun alike were over, we felt a pang of real regret when we
thought that the Freshman Play was a thing of the past. Little did we realize how irre-
vocably it was gone. Luckily for them the classes that came after can never understand
the value of that first work and play together, which inspires the loyal class spirit and
which makes the Freshman Play one of the happiest memories of our college life.
ADELAIDE W. NEALL,
LouIsE N. CRUICE.
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