New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-11
"THE IDES OF MARCH"
Columbia Students Play viii Be
Givcn This Week.

.sTne Ides Of March" is the name Of the play
which the Columbia University Players will pre-
sent this week in the grand ballroom OF the Wal
dorf- Astoria Nearly twice much money has
been spent f5r costumes and stage effects
spent last year.
In .he selection OF the chorus and especially the
girls" more time and trouble than usual has
been spent. AS before. the girls" viii be a promi-
rent feature OF the show. For more than month
they have been practising the proper way handle
3 train and carry parasol The who takes
the part Of the leading woman has been made to
dresses when he doing his studies at
home. that he might become accustomed TO
them and get the habit Of assuming graceful posi-
lions when sitting down.
The task Of selecting for chorus girls and
training tNem has been easy one, but thirteen
have been tSained and each one of them is said to
be able to dance two hours without stopping Learn
ing 10 dress themselves has been another feature
OF the training OF the girls but it has been sue
cessfully accomplished. One is said have
accomplished the task of hooking dress up the
back. The plot of the play goes hack % ancient
Rome and takes several distinctly New York char
acters with IT, Cesar in whom many faint
resemblance TO Nicholas Murray Butler is the
president of a Roman university; he makes himself
unpopular by giving a Latin examination in the
ides OF March and compelling all his subjects to
take it pain OF death If they fail pass they
are TO be exiled This arouses the rage OF the two
ooaspiratOrs. Brutus and Cassius, who form plot
10 kill Caesar. r c. Maplesden and J. l. Easen
who both used be football players are the con-
spirators, and would have accomplished their OBJ
ject at once had It not been for Billy the Wise an
old soothsayer employed 10y Caesar. and played by
". T. Kelley. Billy not only warns Caesar to pc
ware the ides of March bat he sets after the
conspirators. and has his pistol leTclled II one OF
them, all ready to shoot, when he is fooled, for
Brutus suddenly bravey informs him that lie can
not shoot, because gunpowder Eas not been in
vented yet. Billy suddenly remembers that il has
not. and the conspirGtors escape s
r. s Adler as Moly-represent New York ~ an
isnt Rome Tie Two girls are touring IN their
INTO ana after p sreedy race with railroad train
come into collision with IL. When they wake up
ll.ey md themselves in Rome. ana lave no Giin-
culty in getting mixed up in the affairs OF mat city
sinsTio2 1,a,,e-s and While perusine il is captured
Heinrich COnIied. figures IN the MOP ara ass
The role OF Salone. lie picks up the mead ~ the
soothEayer who has become John the Baptist for
the time Conried begins the dance OF Inc seven
veiis before he realizes thai Re is in Rome, where
such things not permitted.
end ~ fbe tirst act and has the strange present.
keeps swallowing pennies. as the sootAsayer says,
Ito set some sense in her" II. {. AtwaUer plays
the part and is booked TO die gracefully before the
end of the second act.
Hoboken as well as New York IS represented in
the play, for Sophronia Hicks. while in that town.
gets of the soothsayer's giant time eilml-
nator and Immediately finds herself in the ancient
city Of Rome. where she becomes the wife OF the
soothsayer.
In the last act the conspirators driven from
Rome, set lhar army withstand the threatened
attack OF Flavius, whose army is mace up Of the
agrees to be defeated for $3.50. Then the generous
victor brings everybody back to life, and things
aIninations are abolished forever.
The play is written by E Bretenfeit os. Iiiere
OF the cast are Y. B. Murray. as Iris; 7. a. Can
non, as sophronia Hicks H " Henes. as CHINA;
as casca, and z c. Thompson, as FlaVius