plays a small lake could be had on the stage, and actors could row across the scene in rowboats. For years, Evert Lappila, John Kiiskinen, Otto Niemi and Ed Oja served as faithful stagehands for the elaborate staging. Since many historical plays were produced during the most active years, the costume collections also had to be extensive. Some were rented from Chicago, but many more were made locally. The first wardrobe mistress was Sigrid Johnson, followed by Helga Lahti, who held the post for many years. The director was the only person who received a salary.

Virginia workers' gymnastic group in 1908. Front row: Julius Jalkanen, Henry Pakkonen, Frank Järvinen, Edi Siren, Hannes Salmi. Center: Matti Granlund, Eetu Roslöf, unknown, Gust Hill, unknown, unknown. Back row: Unknown, Matt Niemi, Charles F. Dahl, Pekka Partanen, Victor Nordlund.

When Pitkänen died, in his prime, he was succeeded by John N. Laaksonen, an actor from the Turku (Finland) Workers Theater, whose sojourn in Virginia was temporary. After him came Lauri Lemberg from Duluth, 1915-16, followed by Kaarlo Liljeqvist, Kaarlo Lindevall, Alarik Arnee-Orjatsalo, George Ahlfors, Pekka Partanen, Eetu Hackman, Henry Päätalo, Matti Niemi, Tyyne Piekkola and Mandi Siren.

At the Virginia Opera, as at all other similar societies, choral groups were constantly being born and dying, but there was always at least one active, just as there was also a band or orchestra of some kind on hand. Orchestral concerts were rare, but even those were given on the average of two a year. Of choral directors, the names of Antti Tiikkainen, Jukka Mäkirinne, Eino Mäki and Carl Loven have been preserved, while instrumental groups have

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