Memories from our Senior Year – November 1971
Author: Rob Corns
With production history dating back to the 1940s, Lakewood High School’s Barnstormers Drama Club is one of the oldest high school theater clubs in the state. The club performs three shows per year: A Fall play, The Winter One-Acts Play Festival, and a Spring musical. The one that was performed on November 19th and 20th in the Tryout Theater (R.I.P.) was “Charley’s Aunt”. The cast included seniors Dave Peters, Christopher Wing , Joan McClusky, Fred DeBell and Ellen Mathiot.
However, in a stroke of genius, drama director Arthur Moore cast Tom Meyrose as Lord Fancort Babberly, the man who impersonated Charley’s Aunt and Amy Wooley as Donna Lucia D’Avadorez Charlie’s REAL Aunt! And now, 50 yars later, they are set to be reunited (and it feels so good) in The Beck Center production of “Elf: The Musical!” next month!
Incidentally, the stage manager of Charley’s Aunt was Dan Lofgren and the student director was Ann Blair-Ladner. Critics loved Tom Meyrose and also had high praise for Fred DeBell’s portrayal of Brasset, the Butler.
And, on a purely personal note, I’d like to thank Tom for casting me years later in a show at Huntington Playhouse. Made me wish I had tried out for some shows at LHS!
Homecoming 1971 was held the weekend of November 13th. The night before, our Rangers lost to Valley Forge in a squeaker, 42-12. Okay, maybe not a squeaker, but it was the final game of the season and for the seniors.. And, I just found out that Cathryn Conroy and Michael Conroy went on their first date at this event!!
There were floats and a Marching Band senior show a dance featuring the music of The Damnation Of Adam Blessing, but the highlight, of course, was the crowning of The Queen. Your five beautiful candidates were: Anita Rhea Weber, Karen Laing, Anne Speer, Brenda Schwinn Klingbiel and Laurel Stevens Fulger. And just WHO did they pick for the Master of Ceremonies that evening? Why, it was our own Ron Rock , who else? And, I’m sure Ron said, “And the winner of the 1971 Homecoming Queen is….”
Anita Weber (Rhea)!!
By the way, the price of the dance was $1.75 (which, in today’s money, would be $11.95), special occasion dress will be the attire for the evening and absolutely NO jeans will be permitted!!
On WIXY-1260, the top songs in November were Desiderata by Les Crane (see link below), Got To Be There by Michael Jackson, Gypsies Tramps and Thieves by Cher, Scorpio by Dennis Coffey and Your Move by Yes. Your Move brings back memories (at least for me) sitting in “The L Room” and WMMS playing this as I was, ah, studying. Also, of note, the 4th Led Zeppelin album, Led Zeppelin IV (Four Symbols) came out this month, which contained the classic Stairway To Heaven.
At the movies, “Fiddler On The Roof” opened up in November along with “Play Misty For Me” However, two other movies that came out on the small screen as The ABC Movie Of The Week were of some significance. On November 13, the horror thriller “Duel” directed by a then-unknown Steven Spielberg and starring Dennis Weaver was shown to rave reviews. And then, at the end of November, the classic “Brian’s Song” was televised and won multiple Emmy awards.
Just like this year, Thanksgiving break was between the 24th and the 28th.
Charley’s Aunt
Homecoming Court