The Wichita daily eagle., 1904-01-05


| echo OF all their long suffering and cp-
preston, would occasionally be heard in
| their utterance. There was a tendency to
Querulousness in pathetic passages, while
Clytemnestra had a certain feminine pet
tiness OF voice characteristic of the mod
ern Greek woman.
The long boards of the chorus gave
them more the appearance Of native faith
ers of the church Of Byzantine -nosaics
than a Greek chorus. The masks were
rather inferior and perhaps more TO
blame than the individuals themselves
The varf-ccIo-ed costumes were worn
with dignity and seemed appropriate. Es-
pec,ally worthy among nlinor actors was
the herald who ran with the nimbleness
and grace Of a Eerraes IN fact. the
movements OF the actors were generally
light and graceful, more unconventional
perhaps than northern WAYS. Dainty and
charming were the doVelike futterings
OF the f.rsaIe attendants; they above all
did justice to the old praises of Attic
rnaidens The chief actors showed that
they had been trained in French meth
ods, and yet by no means were their in
terpretations foreign. = singular SYM
pathy betrayed itself in many details de-
spite faults of nature and environment.
The reverence Of the native for his In
Vulnerable saints gave that general air
Of sincerity to all the religious munrnery
that one could hardly End outside Greece
The actors in the chorus hung around
the altar as though they actually be-
lieved aid to come thence.
In ~ Y1Ia of triIo
phorae). where the tomb with the altar
of Asamemnon is shown Orestes clasps
it with whole-souled fervor and really
listens for his fathers voice from below
so the intimate sympathy and keenness
Of appreciation of Greek nature was ex-
hibited in every movement between the
various actors. Embraces have southern
warmth and glow; hands caress shoul-
ders and head. eyes shine with affection
ate light, and every part of the body
seems to be eloquent with feeling. Moth
ing could be finer than the pathetic hands
stretched to heaven over the altar. a
shudder of horror which sweeps over ev-
cry fibre of the chorus at the rawlings Of
Cassandra foretelling Agamemnon's muir
der. 1t often seemed that though the ex-
81
broke through the well-taught letter: so
various conventional groupings became
free and sympathetic. The folk element,
the dramatic parts of Aeschylus, were
given with singular clarity.
The high poetry and deep enthusiasm
of the poet are harder to get, and form
the literary treasures for all readers of
the drama. One felt the hot blood of
Clytemnestra and just the narrow turn
of mind the moral bIuntness that ex-
plain the drama. whose spiritual horror
and meaning were left TO the poets mar
velous language TO unfold. Yet there
with came the human side-the Queen
had so long worn Partisan waistgear
that her walking was ludicrous, though
the dramatic style and feeling were cor
rect. The chorus of Furies in the last
play OF the trilogy was likewise to the
point in these remarks Their movements
were closely modelled on the Nibelungen
Of Wagner but the inner zeal, the hor-
ror, the dread dance about the victim. /
were quite native and uniquely fascinat- |
ing. All the superstition in the Creek /
nature all the dire fear or spirits, went /
into their movements, and were wonder
fully reflected in the helpless, terror /
stricken gestures of Ores,es, as they /
danced in ghostly glee about him. He /
feels the magic web of influence: he shud- I
lers, throws up his hands let's them fall I
imp as the charm works and crouches
1own utterly cowed This was the very
climax of reality. and better than thou /
;and arguments showed the convincing
l.,
here is a free and not all separated con-
lection between men and gods. so that
he colloquial words of a herald come
next 10 heroes or gods dialogue which
asst even becomes the Athenian vulgar in
1laces-a sort of cosmic democracy. With
he premises of the poet. and granting
hat sincerity Of conviction that the ac-
ors of the Royal Theatre have. there is
10 feeling Of incTedulity or incongruity.
Though it has been said that in general
he qualities of buoyant physique were
absent in the case of the actors. yet theft
,tyle was finished and sympathetic. Ry
ar the best work was done by Basileia
stephanou as Cassandra. Her maena1ic
ervor seemed the very possession of Ap-
,ollo: one heard again the Dionysiac rout
"a the NlliE NOllitli ltistL went oul ONIl
he mountains past Eleusis. the poet g
birthplace. "Apollon, Apoilon, and one
huddered at The voice; and. above al
the unharbored sea of woes. the wreck
Il noble ships" as one may paraphrase
he lametnation OF the seer. Only here
md there did the Partisan theatricality
4 former training injure the effect. 9th
rwise it was so youag-Toieed, so pa
hotic. SO wholehearted. The actress who
'layed Athene seemed as one OF the
harming. naive daughters of Attica. not
stern or chill goddess. Perhaps it vas
s good solution OF the matter as could
e given; at least ore had the divinity Of
outh and freshness.
One cannot help feeling that the man
z merit was right in getting . colloquial
terarv beauties Of the trilogy, as before
endering into modern Greek: for the
aid are hardly to be gained by such
The dramatic clements are
till potent and come forth best with II
translation. So with the ,
horuses that were spoken. II Is difficult
0 render them rnusically. and the loss is
sss in prose rendition than a false mu-
ical setting. The local newspapers. OF !
curse made hubnub over the matter.
ONE calling it method OF butchery.
he Royal Theatre shows that il depends
pom the dramas intrinsic interest. for
he performances ran an entire week
18th fair houses. and this, too. with the
ompetition in the other theatre of an ,
ther classic drama. the Antigone of
ophocles. ROBERT (. M'MAHON.
HE SHETLAND PONY AT HOME.