The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-20
GIRLS IN HEROIC DRAMA
PUPILS OF GIRLS CLASSICAL SCHOOL
PRESENT PLAY OF DIDO
a story of n Trojan Prince Struggling
Befwcen Love of women and
Dream OF Empire.

Admirably costumed and staged, and
acted with emotional conception hardly to
De expected from young women in their
teens, Dido. a drama in four acts, was
presented at English's Opera House last
hlSht oy a cast composed Of pupils Of the
Glrls Classical School The audience, made
UP largely OF relatives and friends of the
young women on the stage. was naturally
d sympathetic one. and accepted with sin
Sere gravity the Interpretation OF the epic
characters Slight slips and small blunders.
very i~nfrequent. served only to spur APP
pause for really creditable work.
Inc drama. by Professor Miller of the
university Of Chicago. is Of the love Of
Trojan Aeneas and Dido. Queen of Car
image After the sacking of Troy by the
greeks under A~gamemnon, Achilles,
ulysses Menelaus and the other heroes OF
Alomerlc fame, Aeneas, with a few sur
FlVors Of the fall. escapes from the burning
CITY In his wanderings, impeIIed by a
NlFlne inspiration that he is TO found a
great nation in the West, he is shipwrecked
on the coast Of Africa. He is received by
DIDO, a Tyrian exile. who has founded
Carthage Venus. Aeneas's celestial mother,
touches both Dido and Aeneas with the
wand of love. Although restless in the
realization that his mission Of empire
founding is still unfinished. Aeneas permits
himself TO be bound more and more by
silken chains. Dido. who has repulsed all
other s%uitors. surrenders herself TO the love
OF the Trojan. Iarbas, a sutton rejected,
appeals 20 Jupiter and the god sends Mer-
curry TO stir Aeneas with burning ambition
to continue his search for Italy. Aeneas,
after a struggle, obeys the injunction Of
the god and bidding farewell TO Dido sails
away toward the West. The Queen, In de-
SPAR. stabs herself as his sails pass the
harbor point.
AS Aeneas Miss Hazel West did perhaps
the best work of the cast. Her voice, walk
and gestures were sufficiently suggestive of
the masculine TO create temporary illusions.
With some power she depicted the dilemma
or the Trojan prince torn between the love
or a woman and the dream of founding a
nation that should be Troy restored a thou
sand fold Margie Anne Taylor, as Dido,
was more pleasing as the drama drew 10 a
close. In the second act she threw off stiff
ness and became natural in voice and
gesture. involving, as IL did the express
sion or extreme emotion, her part was the
most dlf1cult of all Miss Taylor loved,
pleaded and died with much of the passion,
proud humility and dignity that one would
fancy barbaric queens do these things As
venus, mother OF AeueaS and the prOtec-
tress of the Trojan people, Marguerite Lilly
- r0H@E INAAa7 ~ AL21 49,
voice was particularly good and a mobile
1aCe expressed satisfactorily the hopes and
fears of the love goddess. Sallie Jackson
Hall. in the part of Iarbas, the Moorish
prince rejected by Dido, displayed a meas
ure OF ability. Gladys May Wright. in the
part of Anna, sister Of Queen Dido: Lydia
AlaXWeu Parry, as Ascanius, son of Aeneas;
Htlda Fletcher, as Achates, friend of Acne
as; Hazel Emerson Backus. as captain Of
Hhe queens guard, HadaSSah Marguerite
Brown. as Cupid. Caroline Emma Frenzel,
as the court jester. Frances Roberts. as
BARGE, nurse Of Dido; and Anna Violet Bar
bOur, as I|liOneus. a friend of Aeneas, acted
difficult characters as naturally as young
women amateurs could be expected to eX-
press heroic themes.
The chorus Of Carthagenian maidens,
flower girls and mobiles, richly attired, sang
well. one of the p|rettieSt features of the
play was the presence in the chorus of two
little maidens. of an age somewhere be-
tween four and six, whO tossed flowers in
the path Of the queen. The chorus shOwed
evidence Of careful training and moved
with precision IN its evOlutiOns. The sue
cess OF Dido, as presented last night,
sprang not so much through a few weeks
training of a special nature. but more. per-
hapS, from the constant courses in express
sion included in the classical curriculum.
The young women who took part in the
the Trojan hero in his wanderings and had
Teigned with Dido on the throne of Car
thage.
To Miss Caroline Hardwick. who had
charge o. the training of the pupils for the
various parts, much of the credit of the
success is due. Edgar A. Morris as stage
manager was particularly efficient. 1t is
will give another dramatic entertainment
next wear