The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-03-26
STUDENTS IN TRAGEDY
A Large Audience at Washburn to
See the Greek Play Electra"
SOME OF THE ACTING VERY GOOD.

Absence OF Fire is the Greatest Crit
iclsm-The Performance to be Given
Again Tonight
If large and attentive audience is
any sign of appreciation, the students in
the Greek and music departments at
Wasbburn college, should feel satisfied
today. The audience that saw them pro-
duce Sophocle's tragedy, "EIectra" at the
college chapel last night, filed the room
to the very stairs in the hall outside. The
chapel must seat at least 900 persons and
if it does there were at least 200 at the
performance last night, and they were
quite we'll behaved considering it was an
amateur production. That the partici
pants are not satisfied is proved by the
announcement that the piece will be re-
peated tonight
From the beginning of the stirring
overture, as Miss Mabel Martin played
it, to the closing of the curtain on the
last scene of joy at the death of Aegis-
thos, the piece was very we'll done.
There was no change of scene during
the entire performance. The stage was
handsomely set, showing the exterior of
the palace and the tiled court, pillars
and all, with trees on each side growing
bravely up out of the marble.
The audience sat uncomplainingly in
the middle of the raging Agra and
would, doubtless, have been wet to the
skin but for the saving dryness of the
play itself
The chorus was first disclosed to the
naked eye of the audience and it GER
tainly looked smooth, not to say slick,
which is easily understood when you re-
member that the scene was laid in
Greece
Considering that the actors were all
amateurs and very Ignorant of stage re-
quirements the acting in the piece was
well performed. There was hardly
fire-Greek fire, one might say-enough
about the more emotional scenes and
some of them suffered greatly from its
absence.
Miss Mary Moon, about whose part,
Electra, the entire story revolves showed
in her work a most surprising dramatic
instinct, but in many of her most Intense
scenes she was really weak. Though by
far the majority of her scenes were very
well done she was altogether too passive,
for instance in her quarrel with Clytem-
nestra, her argument with her sister after
her brothers. supposed death and when
she discovers that her brother is alive The
last one is much the most difficult for
and very easily overdone. Miss Moon
has a good voice, though she should use
it more. She uses the same tone and vol
ume through the entire play.
Miss Nye is unfortunate in her voice,
but with a few exceptions her acting
was good. She turned clear around once
to sit down on her throne, with her back
to the audience. Her entrance was
much better last night than at the re-
hearsaL
The Orestes of Dana McVicar was
good enough in the first act, but in his
later scenes he was too intensely dra-
matte in the wrong direction, and not
enough in the right one. With his
cIenched hand and his parted lips in the
meeting scene, he looked more as though
he would crush Electra on the spot than
take her to his arms as a brother
should.
Although it was a small part and
harder because it required careful act
ing with almost no lines at all, the
Pylades of Maurice Gould was excel
lently done.
There is very little room for criticism
in the work of Prof Palmer as Paeda-
gogos. He looked the part, with his
long hair and beard and staff, and said
the lines most conscientiously.
The Aegisthos of Prof Ellis was good
also, though he forgot his crown and
looked more like Robinson Crusoe with
his immense wig.
Miss Rodgers Chrysothemis was
prettily done throughout
Misses Maggie Axtel aud Margaret
Dudley as the two ladies of Mycenae
were up to their requirements
The supernumeraries were as follows:
Queens Maids-Kate Lux May Nelson.
Attendants of Observation-Disclosures Guild,
Bertha White.
Boys. servants of Orestes-Master Walter
/ Lux, Master Floyd Brockett.
Chorus-CitiZens of Mycenae-Misses Elsie
| Davis. Ida Behan, Blanche Barley, Emily Bis
sell, Mary Steinfort,, Katharyn Arnold. Lizzie
| Pond, Laura Wedding, Mary Harrison, and
| MessrS. Kent o. Brown. Frank 2. Strong. Paul
| LoYewell. Edward S. Martin. Ward w. Silver.
Miss Emma Denison was the soloist
and sang we'll.
| There is one great criticism to offer
| about the portrayal of the piece and tina
is the lack of voice. With the exception
of Prof. Palmer the enunciation of
every person in the cast was indistinct
The very complete programme is the
only thing the audience has to thank for
a thorough understanding of the play.
The piece will be repeated tonight and
it will, doubtless, be much better.