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WINNETKA TALK Students Display Talent at Stage Designing Photo by Lehle Above are illustrated a wide variety of stage settings, all of which have been done in miniature by the pupils in the art department of New Trier High school under the direction of Miss Olive Grover. Scenes depicted are: upper left to right, "R. U. R," "Riders to the Sea," and Garden of Paradise"; lower, in the same order, "Kismet," "As it was in the Beginning," and "A Night at an Inn." i HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS PROVE REAL ARTISTS Art Classes Achieve Remarkably Effective Results in Miniature Stage Set Designs As long ago as the second year of New Trier, the custom was established of giving at least one play every year. In the beginning, these were given on the very tiny stage, or platform, in the Assembly hall, with a few draper- ies tacked to the wall to simulate win- dows, and the doors to the stage ior entrances, no other setting being possi- ble. The next step was to go to the theater at Ravinia, at that time used for many performances given by ama- teur groups; equipped with marvelous painted sets, both interior and ex- Bargains in Vacant Winnetka -- Hubbard Woods -- Glencoe Remarkable investment. Rare opportunity. 120 feet of beautifully wooded grounds by 230 feet in depth for only $16,000--divisible into two fine lots or usable intact for one large home. Worth between $20,000 and $25,000. per foot. 720 Elm St., Winnetka Wonderful 75 foot lot near Skokie Country Club, surrounded by beautiful homes; only $85.00 per foot; worth $100; soon worth $150. Buy now and build in a year or two and let the unearned increment help pay for your home. Superb homesite--27% acres of high ground in Winnetka's finest resi- dential district--for one home only. Probably worth $40,000. Owner will sell to a person who will make the right neighbor for $25,000. Best 100 feet of frontage in Glencoe's business district for only $800 Worth $1,000 per foot. REALTY CO. Phone Winnetka 254 terior. There, also, were held the Commencement exercises for a number of years. Then the new Manual Arts building supplied the school with an embryonic gymnasium, and here was arranged a stage rather interesting to look back upon, because, with nothing but a platform, two actual wndows in the back wall draped with chintz, and a green denim curtain across the front. that worked rather lamely, as is the habit with such curtains, a fairly real- istic setting was accomplished for two plays. It seems a far cry from these early beginnings to the rather finished per- formances of today; but it has been most interesting to watch the develop- ment of both the acting and the pro- duction ends of the drama at New Trier. When the auditorium was built, with a comfortable stage back of a ten-foot apron, it seemed the proper thing to do to purchase two sets of scenery, of the scenic studio variety, a so-called woodland set, long since consigned to oblivion, and an all-round utility set, as inoffensive as could be found, for use as living or sitting room, kitchen, cottage or palace. Of course there was no such thing, but by careful elimina- tion of as much over-decoration as possible, a fairly simple set was ob- tained. These, with a later addition, to be used for library or dining room, but familiarly dubbed the "kitchen set" by the stage crews, served for several years. Then came a time when the interest in Little Theaters and their possibili- ties along creative lines, became a live issue; and along with the rest, New Trierites felt the desire to do some- thing for themselves. The first real accomplishment was "Pomander Walk," made entirely by the stage crew and property people of the stu- dent body, two stories, practical win- dows and doors, fences and gates, a gazebo, a tiny step at each front door, street-lamps, a real tree, surrounded by a circular seat, flowers and climbing vines. In order to carry out this project successfully and have all fit together properly, it was necessary to have some kind of a model from which to work. This, the first stage model made for New Trier, was in half-inch scale, and being followed to the mi- nutest detail, gave the much to be r EE ----. i May 14, 1927 desired result. Furthermore, the mem- bers of the cast, watching from day to day, their. little row of houses being made ready for occupancy, were in- spired with the spirit of desire to put as much energy into the learning of their parts, as the crews were in the fitting of the stage. From that time on, it has been com- paratively easy to construct new pieces, and paint over the flats already on hand, to fit the needs of the play to be given. Always, however, it has been more satisfactory when a model has been made to work from. And this brings us up to the class in Stage-craft, and some of the re- sults which are pictured here. The first year, one of the property girls thought she would like to try her hand at model-making. As she was a spe- cial student, not caring for credit, she was given a chance. From this. start, the class has grown, until now it gives full credit. It is one of the courses in the art department, open to Juniors and Seniors, giving a practical side of interior decorating, some knowledge of applied color, study of period, type or place architecture .and furniture; and a very real understanding of propor- tion, as every detail, even to the thick- ness and weave of textiles used, must be in scale. Besides this there is much opportunity for creative thought and imagination. In the beginning of the course, there are talks on the construction of scen- ery--irames, covering, paints and how to use them, the effect of lights on colors, and the suitable combining materials, along with the nomencla- ture of the different parts of scenery and of the stage. Then each member of the class makes a model of a door, with frame, and a window, two of the most difficult pieces to construct. This is followed by the reading of several one-act plays of their own choosing. With the advise of the teacher, one of these is selected to use in the making of the first model, and work is begun. If the play is other than a modern one, requiring only careful selection of color and arrangement, there is the matter of research; reference to books showing architectural detail, to the Geographical or other magazines of travel for place, articles on period furniture, etc. It is necessary to fol- low directions given in the play as to entrances and windows, and the plac- ing of certain pieces of furniture, but outside of that, there is chance ior much individuality of treatment, as has been shown when two people have made models for one play, quite unlike, but both what is called practical. The tiny flats are painted in the same man- ner as the full sized ones using a number of colors in the making of gray or cream, the usual backgrounds, in order that different lighting may bring out different color effects. The most difficult models to make, in scale, are those using draperies or curtain backgrounds, and these come late in the course. Models are not the only things done by the stage-craft folks; there is scenery to paint, sometimes a rush order, all sorts of accessories, from paper flowers to papier-mache masks, and appliqued hangings, and for the boys, pieces of furniture. Skill with the use of drawing mate- rials and with the fingers, accuracy, patience and imagination--these are the requirements for the completion of work that means satsfactory accomp- lishment. The last regular meeting of the North Shore Oberlin Women's club will be held on Friday, May 13, at 3 o'clock, at the home of Mrs. Karl A. Roth of 320 North Green Bay road. Highland Park. A musical program will be given by Mrs. W. G. Waterman, Miss Ethel M. Cain, Mrs. Wright Whitlock and Mrs. H. F. Malott!" "A