The evening world., 1893-10-13
IN SATOLLT'S HONOR.
ST. Francis Xavier Students Produce
Play in Latin.
THE 1.-TWO CAPTlVES,' BY PLAUTUS,
ABLY RENDERED.
---a-a---
PRIZES GIVEN BY THE DELEGATE

the pretty little theatre or the st. Fran
els Xavier College. in West Sixteenth
street. the l,5O persons who packed the
aisles and seats OF the auditorium were
whirled back through the centuries, back
Of the middle ages. back of the Chris
tian era. to that third century before
the year one" The stage setting took
them back to the days Of Plautus. dead
these 1900 years. Plautus. who held the
attention OF the Roman people with his
jests n his wisdom even against the
usually superior attractions of the glad
iatorlal contest on the other side of the
same arena.
The stage represented a street in the
ancient city of Calydon. with marble
houses. gracefully columned. stretching
away. and an altar. the essential prop
erty' Of the classic stage. occupying the
central place. Then bare-armed young
men in flowing classic draperies were
standing about and Immediately one OF
them began to roll out sonorous Latin,
p~ronouncing 1t not with the monoton-
ous, stumbling drawl OF the average
college boy, but with accent and accent
Ing gesture. 1t was the prologue to
Capteivei Duo. wherewith a select COM
pany OF Roman actors once won the APP
plause OF Caesar and Cicero. And In
the auditorium were sitting nineteenth
century men and women. And near
the front sat n body OF Catholic clergy
surrounding the Papal Delegate. the
representative OF that man who rules
from the city of Caesar a people vaster
than Rome ever ruled.
Mgr. Satolli was born in that same
Cmbrian land which s~eventy-three CEN
turtles age gave Plautus to the world.
The tongue the actors were speaking is
still the living tongue OF the Catholic
Church, Its mother tongue. as It were,
It's language which is the same for all
Its widely scattered people.
The critics. found a great deal OF fault
S n co 1sssn nGF hut fhs f iSsen q Is his h sp sssnesy
school beside Plautus, slight indeed.
We're the changes OF costume, and as for
Even the division into acts was per-
functory. The classic idea had been
faithfully followed, even to that curious
division Of the singing and the acting.
FOR in classic times the actors and
The singers were distinct. When there
was a metricai part to a play; and there
always was. the actors, standing in fun
view. made the mouthings and gestur-
ings while the singers behind the scenes
So II was last night, much to the
had not :ead the programme closely.
Lorarius swung his arms and opened his
nouth shook his head and swelled and
lowered his chest, uttering no sound the
"hile' put Keeping pace with gesture
OF sight.
There was a iibretto,, which the Rev
j. r., n. OConnor, S. j.. had ably pre-
pared, Thanks to this it was possible
70 for tp nilno,w The action Of the play; line
s!hCtiy and there was no trouble about
h4ding the place. Indeed, n good part
OF the audience, the clergy. had small
need for "A libretto, and followed the
pay ana applauded and laughed exactly
IN the right places.
But the young men who read the
parts deserve especial credit. Ii Is hard
enough Tor a company OF amateurs Ia
produce a modern play in their own
derstand what IL going on. These vounp
men had the task OF beating life int
ne dead lines and of creating the parts
Young man did his work well and
stamped upon mis- lines a distinct per.
sSSnaiity' Especially was this true. OF
the parasite, He Put the necessary iow
comedy into 1t and made the audienc,
laugh at Jokes With the dust of manN
, centuries upon them, Here is the com
q pletc cast:
3 lesio. at Old man ..........,L ouri les J povIin,
. ErEa.iIus a parasite ..,.,......', Alfred J. Tailc
Fhl,rrAtes. . captive ...,.... Thomas A. Brrunsl
TynAHTus, a captive ....,....... Francis X star
Q Arlhtophonter, a captiNe...,.- nsnonh ] Phillp
; PSiIopo,smu. .,,.,'.'.. rh',G J., Han.,s4
q Stalasmus, a slave .............. Percy J. Kin
> LOrarius. ....... ,...,..,.... William Il. Martl
. Prologue. ........... CIaNton Mood
Undersud,es-Ed~ard +. Denuer, Freieri"k
= Reilly, stuart y Clarke. William F Boylsr.
The story OF the play Is very simple
The old man has lost "A son. taken car
tive by the Aetolians. He buys a rte
young Aetolian captive and his slav,
, intending. TO ransom them for his boy
> Slave and master change garments, an
the master Is let go to arrange III
> transfer, The young Aetolian return
with the son of licgio, and then Hegi
discovers that the Aetolian slave Is ais
j, a son OF his, taken captive long befor,
This play was accompanied by orr.
inal music composed by Father Rcr
Holland, S. j., who led the orchestr
OF cour4e the ancient music has bee
long lost. Father Holland very wise,
did not onfne his composition 10 Il
'. narrow limits allowed by the meagl
instruments 4 the Romans He pr,
duced some very modern music wi
A. now and then a classic touch that ca
ly the least interesting part OF the spect
Gle was the reverend and venernh
b. father leading the orchestra in his ow
delightful composition.
n Before the performance began II
Rev. Father ardow. to whom the su
cess OF the production was so large
l. due. announced that Mgr. satolli HI
i. given two prizes. One. a silver med;
with Pope Leo's medallion upon 4