Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-05-01
..ANTIGoNE,, In TIE OLD GREEK.

sANTIGONEss In TIE OLD GAEEA.
Of the vassar Girls |
0empIete-A First Time in Greek i'm
tho Gountry-Neyv Haven Interest In
the Enterprise.
Concerning the coming dramatic event
at Vassar yesterdays New York Times
in its Pouahkeepsie correspondence has
the following:
mo event contemplated by society
young ladies has for long time attracted
60 much attention as the proposed pro-
duction of .Antigone' in the original
Greek by the students of Vsssar college.
The dramatic prestige of the college.
won by success in presenting annually
some play of literary excellence. has won
for it an enviable reputation for apt ana
teur Interpretation of the playwright's art,
but even the most enthusiastic praisers OF
the histrionie ability of the young actress
es grew reflective when they learned this
year bold innovation had been made In
determining to attempt the presentation OF
Greek play in the Greek Language. The
students of Smith college gave the 'Elee,
ira of Sophoeles, and society ladies OF
| New Haven played 'Antigone,' but the
| presentations were in English, being Dean
Plumptre's translation of the plays In
| blank verse.
At Harvard the only American attsmp'
was made to give Greek Tragedy IN tne
Attic dialect, and the SUCCESS was not ar
unqualified one Consequently the mem
bers of the "Antigone" cast at Vsssar ap
preached their task with many misgivin9s
But they have worked long and faithfully
and under the inspiration of the best In
structors they have perfected themselves
until now, three weeks before the date sci
for the presentation of the play, May 70
they have at last realized the expectation
of their "coachers." For months the1
have carefully prscticed their parts ani
mastered every incidental detail. The re-
suit will be an entertainment entirely IN
precedented In its way in this country.
In detail the plsy will be historically cor
rect, in accordance with the ideas derived
from the managers who have assiduously
studied Greek costuming and art and th'
ancient stage, and now arrangements arr
| complete to present the play almost exact
| ly as it was given in Athens in the days Of
| Sophocles. Mendelssohn's music will b.
used. To this the original words have
| been adapted by the musical director, MAJ
Dessauer of New Haven, formerly the con.
ductor of the Thalia theater, New YORK
city. Herr Dessauer had charge of the
presentation of "Antigone" by the society
people of New Haven three years ago. Hi
success in securing commendable pro.
duction of the play at New Haven led tt
his engagement as the director of the pre-
sentation in Vassar.
Besides the drilling, which Herr Dss
sauer is giving the cast in musical mat
ters incident to the presentation, Mr.
Sargent, principal of the American
academy of the dramatic arts of New
York, is giving large amount of atten
| ton to the dramatic attention of The
principals and chorus. The orchestra
which will furnish the music will be select
ed from the leading artists in Seidl's ane
Damrogch's bands.
The direct supervision of the production
has been left in the hands of Miss Abbit
Leach, instructor in Greek. She has per
formed her difficult duties meritorious1y
Miss Leach was graduated from the Har
ward annex and from Lelpsic university
and for a long time was pupil of PROBES
versity, Baltimore. She spent the veal
1887 in Greece, familiarizing herself witt
the country. She has been an instructor
at Vassar since 1883, and was recently in
vited to occupy a similar position at Leland
Stanford university.
It was the original design to have only {
single presentation of "Antigone," but az
much interest has been manifested in itl
production by New York and Albany PEG
pie that it is now practically assured thai
there will be a matinee Saturday, May 81
as well as the regular performance May 90
The fact that about every seat for the per
formancs of May 20 was almost immedi
ately taken upon being placed on sale has
led to the project of second presentation
A feature of the production of the play
will be the large number of visiting pro
fessors from all the leading colleges
Among the number will be Professors
Goodwin, Lane, Greenough, Wright, AL
len, Kitridge and Smith of Harvard; Sey
mour, Goodell and Reynolds of Yale; Mer
RAM. Ware and Young of Columbia; Fer
nsld of Williams, and Van Benschoten aat
Goodwin of Wesleyan. Arrangement
have been made for a special train to ru1
to New York after the performance O.
Friday night to accommodate the man,
society people from that city who have Gig
niGed their intention of attending. =
large number will also attend from New
HavenSwhere ths same play was presented
three years ago by society ladies with sucl
| ta:teriGg success"