i
j
Meredith College Librar^^
Raleigh, N. C.
Christmas
Features
Little Theatre
Play
Newspaper of the Students of Meredith College
Volume XXI
MEREDITH COLLEGE, RALEIGH, N. C., FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1946
Number 6
Meredith Little Theater Produces * Quality Street*
o
Nancy Jackson, Annie Ruth Ward, and
W. S. Bull Star in James Barriers Play
By MARGARET MOORE
iiiiii
Pictured above are the leads in “Quality Street’’: Annie Ruth Ward, who plays Susan; Nancy Jackson, who
plays the role of Phoehe; W. S. Bull, the male lead.
MEREDITH PLANS
HOLIDAY FETES
Although the whole month of
December on the Meredith cam
pus is crowded with activities
that breathe the spirit of Christ
mas, the holiday season is high
lighted by the annual formal din
ner given in the college dining
hall, Wednesday, December 18.
The dinner will be a Christ
mas party for the entire stude:
body with new faculty membe:
and non-resident students as
guests. The three major organi
zations on the campus, the Stu
dent Government, the Athletic
Association, and the Baptist Stu
dent Union, sponsor the Christ
mas dinner each year. Santa
Claus is expected to be there
with a present for everyone. An
after-dinner coffee for all guests
will be held in the parlors.
Still another major event oh.
the holiday calendar is the an
nual caroling trip, sponsored by
the Athletic Association, which
will occur on Thursday, Decem
ber 19, at 4:00 a.m.
ORATORIO SOCIETY
TO SING BACH MU
Friday evening.
at 8:15 p.m., t
torio Society -wji
Christmas
Church of,
tor; Mrs
and C
Barrie’s popular four-act cos
tume comedy, “Quality Street,”
will be presented in the college
auditorium by the Meredith Lit
tle Theater on two nights, Fri
day and Saturday, December 13
and 14, at 8:00 o’clock.
The production is under the
able direction of Catherine Hil-
derman, a newcomer to Mere
dith. Miss Hilderman is a grad
uate of W.C.U.N.C., where she
was active in Little Theater
work. She had further training
and experience at the Yale
Drama School before coming to
Meredith this year as head of the
dramatics department.
Another newcomer to Mere
dith is Nancy Jackson, who plays
the major role in this year’s fall
production. Nancy, a Junior,
came to Meredith from Albion
College, a Methodist co-educa-
jonal school, in Albion, Michi-
There she was an active
of the Albion Players,
dipg her home town
Highland Park,
s an assist-
amatics de-
chosen a
ational Thes-
to have
State
le star
has
Theater,
Animal.’
he starred in “Male
The action of the play takes
place during the period of the
Napoleonic Wars. The scene is
Quality Street, a quaint little
English town. In the words of the
author, “there is a satisfaction
about living in Quality Street
which even religion cannot
give.”
Nancy Jackson is starred as
“Phoebe Throssell,” whose activ
ities are the center of attraction
in the little country town in
which she lives. Phoebe’s youth
fulness sometimes shocks the la
dies of Quality Street, who are
not nearly so cunning as she.
When misfortune comes her
way, Phoebe loses the sparkle
of her youth, but she courageous
ly hides her sorrow under the
guise of an old-maid schoolmis
tress’ cap until her happiness is
restored.
fortuna
honor
kridwrr-snerctogg^rJby- all
ditfe=§t»dents
Special busses will carry the
students who wish to participate
in the trip to Dix Hill, the State
School for the Blind, the State
Penitentiary, Rex Hospital,
Mary Elizabeth Hospital, the
Methodist Orphanage, the Gov
ernor’s Mansion, the County
Home, and the homes of mem
bers of the faculty and of the
board of trustees.
erybody everywh;^
sonality is not (Jn?
members this tim^,^^f’t'
who has made a partiNjl;
for himself in the hearts a
and old at especially this tirhe^
year. You are right! It is none
other than old Chris Cringle
himself!
When I arrived at Santa’s
northern habitat, I was a bit hesi
tant because I was afraid I might
A winji fa twist of
**to know I had
dread,”
S^dypr,' just aSi-'the
W. S. Bull plays the role of
Valentine Brown, the local phy
sician, and the suitor of the lead
ing lady, Phoebe. Because of his
gallantry and sense of humor, the
ladies thought him quite dash
ing.
The part of Phoebe’s older sis-
f QY» _ - n-1 ,1 . 1 -,1, • H - ’
lo pi.ci^"ea' ■ jhtiiriie
Ruth Ward. Miss Susan, too, had
romantic ideas when she was
younger, but having been unsuc
cessful in her own love affairs,
Susan reconciled herself by
sharing in those of her sister.
Miss Susan is an entirely lov
able character; she is witty,
sweet, and thoughtful.
Christine Williamson plays
the part of “Patty,” the maid in
the home of the Throssell sis
ters. Patty is a lively character
and adds a great deal of color to
,;the play.
The parts of the Throssell’s
neighbors, Mary and Fanny Wil
loughby and Henrietta Turnbull,
are played respectively, by Ga-
Moore, Daphne McLaw-
!horne, and Frances Hollis. Typi
cal of most small towns. Quality
Street does not lack its “old
maids” who seem to thrive on
gossip; of such type are the
Misses Willoughby and Turn-
bull.
notice
it was
were getti
Christmas
find there a tall square building
The singers will assemble on modern lines and a 1947
Fayetteville Street at 5:30 a.m..
to broadcast over WPTF. Miss
Beatrice Donley and Dr. Harry
Cooper will direct the group in
singing Christmas carols.
Studebaker parked in a paved
drive. “Why, Santa might even
be wearing a zoot suit these
days!” I thought with horror.
Perhaps you agree with me that
disturb them, so I \^nt on up to
Santa’s door and rang the jingle
bells. Another funny-looking lit
tle character opened the door,
and when I had explained my in
tentions, ushered me into a long,
low-ceiling room filled with ev
erything from mama dolls to
loud flowered trees! Santa’s
DR. McCurdy becomes
FULL-TIME ADVISOR
The editorial staff of The Twig
has been very fortunate in se
curing Dr. Harold McCurdy,
head of the Department of Psy
chology and Philosophy, as ad
visor. Prior to this time he has
been advisor to the business
staff, and the editorial staff has
’'ot had one.
n asking my questions
raerly, but before long we were
both lost in a maze of ideas about
new kinds of toys for the little
people this Christmas. Santa, you
see, keeps up with all the mod
ern fads even if he doesn’t
change himself. He showed me
the newest thing in streamlined
electric trains, and brought out
all sorts of new plastic toys,
shiny new and in bright colors.
I questioned Santa as to his
home life, since that is about the
only part of his life with which
most of us are unfamiliar.
He and Mrs. Santa Claus are
workshop! Who would ever have
Santa" is" one "of the spirits of dreamed a Twig reporter would
America that cannot be modern-1 And her way into Santa’s work- tUpir LHIp
ized and still retain all the leg-!shop? Before my eyes had had;^heir little
’ ' time to take it all in, a peal home. For food Santa
the merriest laughter I had ever kills seals and other wild-life of
endary splendor that has come
down through the years. When I
walked up to the door, all my
worries left me, for there before
me was a big ice house some
thing like a cross between an
overgrown igloo and a big florist
greenhouse. Just to the right I
saw a big wire pen, and inside
were one, two, three. . . . Yes,
sir! They were all there, Santa’s
heard rose up from the midst of
it all, and there he was. Saint
Nick himself! He was dressed in
a heavy red leather coat,
trimmed in white polar bear fur
that just matched his long white
beard.
When I first walked up to
speak to Santa, I was ill-at-ease
the North Pole with a long spear
like stick called a harpoon. He
showed me how he cut little
holes in the ice and caught fish
with something similar to a hand
line. He also let me taste some
of their finest whale blubber,
(Continued on page four)
The parts of two un-named
figures in “Quality Street” socie
ty are played by Eleanor Jane
Andrews and Osee Mac Johnson.
Marjorie King is cast as Isabella,
a student of Phoebe and Susan.
Johnny Lawhon, son of Mrs.
Gladys Lawhon, a piano teacher
at Meredith, and Watson Burts,
son of Dean Charles Burts, play
the roles of Arthur Thomson and
William Smith.
Other guests from State Col
lege are Claude Kidd, who plays
the part of a sergeant, and John
Faulk and Gabe Holmes, who
play the roles of Ensign Blades
and Lieutenant Spicer, rivals for
the hand of Phoebe.
Heading the production staff
is Dorothy Loftin, President of
the Little Theater. Serving as
chairmen of the committees are
Dot Hennessee, Stage Manager;
Margaret Moore, n.usixi,ss Man
ager; Jennie Lou Newbold,
scene construction; Edith Camp,
scene painting; Mary Humphrey,
costumes; Genie Jo White, make
up; Dot Beland, lights; and Mary
Frances Keene, properties. The
scenery was designed by Mrs.
Lloyd Ream.