"Knickerbocker Holiday"

"My Knickerbocker History" announced Washington Irving and the curtain went up on this Year's Senior Class Play. The play opened with a chorus of Dutch maidens, followed by the arrival of the local council who were "contemptuous of any corruption which they did not share." The hero, Brom Broeck appeared after running away from his employer, Mynheer Tienhoven, the head of the Council." Behind this was a strange malady Brom had, he could not take orders. However, he had come back because of "accusations against the Council." Through his quick talking, he had the Council pulling him up, but by the belly! At this point, the new governor Pieter Stuyvesant arrived and pardoned him for his quick thinking. Stuyvesant was just as crooked as the Council. He enlisted the help of Tienhoven and engaged himself to Tina. Following an argument with Brom, he had Brom thrown into jail and began his reign. The riotous jail scene took place. Tina crawled through a hole to visit Brom and lost all her skirts. Her father discovered her and she was taken away to marry the one-legged governor. But the Indians, wild with government whiskey and muskets, attacked the town and fought the local army. Eventually Brom and Stuyvesant saved the day. But again the two quarreled and Stuyvesant prepared to hang Brom permanently. Only the interception of Washington Irving prevented this. This play, a musical-comedy, was the first of its kind presented in WHS. As shown by the large crowds and general enjoyment, it was also one of the most successful.