New-York tribune., 1907-06-24
A GREEK PLAY.
Presented at the Bottom of Berk-
shire Chalk Pit.
London. June u.

London, June 10.
a glimpse Of classic Greece among the meal
ows and pastures of the Berkshire dairyIand!
Anything so idyllic has the effect Of a startling
surprise after a three mile drive over a white
road from Theale to Bradfeld. There is a gap
in the hedge on the edge of the village and a
slippery, winding path under beeches, lines and
ashes leads to the bottom Of chalk pit; and
presto! 1t is no longer England, but ancient
Hellas Under a screen of trees and creepers.
among which a nightingale is singing, rise the
pediment and frieze of the theatre of Epidaurus.
with two pairs of piers in front to support the
high gable, and at the rear of the stage the fold
ing doors opening and closing on royalty. and on
either side the entrances to city and country.
A flight of stone steps leads from the stage to
a circular court paved with black and white
marble, and in the centre is a garlanded altar
with incense burning Rising tier upon tier IN
a cool, gray semicircle curving seats for
! twelve hundred spectators until the outer edge
| is fringed with sylvan yerdure. and overhead
| IS q blue sky with jewelled effects of sunlight
under which Sophocles, the ideal Greek who
| led the chorus in celebration of Salamis. would
have felt at home. There is neither vista of the
sea nor broad expanse of Attic plain; but encir-
| cled as the open air amphtheatre is with green
| cry, IT IS easy to imagine bashful dryads shrink
| ing into the deeper shade yet eagerly listening
| Greek play.
| The tuckets are not heard until the twelve
| hundred spectators have found their way to the
| bottom of the marble pool and been seated by
! the wand bearers where the Greek letters on the
| admission cards entitle them to be placed Late
| corners not allowed TO pass the roadside
| gate; ladies not permitted to raise
| shades. to wear high hats, and the only
| concession to modern sensibility is a round
| cushion by which every spectator is at liberty to
] DrQf from Thn colt -4aV
carved out of the chalk pit. With II prom ptness
! Of royalty it,elf the white robed herald, with
| yellow scarf. blows his trumpet three times and
the wand bearers file down to the altar and
| march to their allotted seats. Another herald
arrayed in orange and murky gray appeals for
| silence. and eight musicians In costumes copied
| from Greek vases and bearing either Tyres
shaped like classic citharas or flutes like those
| found at POmpeii creep across the stage and
! seat themselves on the outer edge. Bare-armed
| Antigone. in a black robe with gold embrOid-
! cries. comes forth 10 recite the last misfortune
| that comes from fatal CEdipus-the unburied
| brother 10 whom final honors must be paid as a
| matter of private conscience and family piety,
| in defiance Of the DEGREES of King CrcOu Tim
orous Ismene, a shorter and more feminine figure,
| in black and yellow. vainly attempts TO dissuade
| her. and when both have vanished there IS
| mournfu music from flutes and Tyres, and the
! chorus of fifteen graybeardS, in white robes with
| pals OF blue, green, yellow and red and hets OF
| the same dull shades. slowly descend the steps
| kneel before the altar and with stately gesture
! and solemn movement, sing OF the siege OF
| Thebes, the disasters of the Argives and tho
| festal rites of Dionysus. The play of "Antgone
! has barely begun. yet a modern innovation more
| radical than the padded cushion has been re
| veaed. This is the musical comedy method OF
| suting the action TO the word The Theban Sen
ators well drilled as the chorus at Day $
! or the Gaiety, and clasp hands in endless chalh'
or dance around the altar OF Dionysus, or lay
! their slaves upon the stones. or shulie hp"u'
| the marble circle or separate into groups on ule
| steps with carefully calculated movement which
| suggests stage management inspired 10y musical
! comedy rather than action illustrative on lhe
| text The roadway may be strcWn with straw 10
| muffle the sounds of passing drags ana motor
cars. but IL s not easy TO keep the classic u'"'1
| free from modern taint of OVcTacton.
The play goes on with clear enuhclauoh oN
| anomalous EnElsh-tireek and constant ch'lh'S
| of classic costume. and the actloh hI''IA9 ''''
proves as the schoo,boys Of BradhclG College are
cast for male parts ana not forced To tax Hk3
| their sisters King CreOn In pink req anu E"'N
| is the best actor. nnpetuous and passionate !t-
| always diguificd one born 10 command "oe-
| dience He has his retinue of warriors with Dur
| nished bosses and long spears. and the guard
| who arrests Antgone and brings the captive
| bound to the palace, IS reSpleuucnt WIN Eoiu
| fringe HgmOn. the Kings SON 10 whom An
| tigone IS bctrothed Is a royal hEure III pu'P'e
| and white with gold hlct and pathetic Is the
| appeal which he makes for suspension OF SEN
| tence upon her. The part OF Teiroslas, the oId
| blind seer in dark blue and white, IS taken with
fine dramatic force by a sixth form boy ana the
! saffron and gray messengers, VINO rche''I9e 'uo
| horrors of the final series of tragedies speak
| with a thrill Of intensity. Queen Euly ul'e III
| gorgeous robes Of purple, white ana Eoll' dP-
| pears late in the play and rushes 10 her DOOM
! and the chorus, which has been singing success
| sively OF the family curse, the power OF ioN@
| and the fate OF victims like AntigOue, and in
! voking the aid of Bacchus, ends with an I'M
| presslve tribute to human prudence, set in mad
| rgal form The Coryph9us has been the only
| Senator whose movement ana speech have sug1
| gested maturity Of years and he l. the warden
| of Bradheld College. who designed and erected
| the theatre seventeen years ago. SUBSTITUTE
| was REQUIRED for the part at the last moment
| and he has taken it with remarkable faclhty
acting with more fexibility than the sixth form
| bows knowing every line of the Greek without
| help from the prompter, and revealing the SYM
| pathetic function Of the chorus in announcement
| of actors and comments on the fateful issues OF
| foreordained events
| For two hours the spectators have been bask-
| ing in the sun and witnessing the production OF
| SophocleS's play a classic stage, with Dr
| Rowton's ingenious music for flutes and Tyres,
| with costumes designed from sculptures and
| vases and with all the essential features or
| Greek tragedy, except those which would now
| tend to make il ludicrous-the masks and high
| cothurni There has been neither pause nor In
| terruption. has any one left the anphl-
theatre until the final refrain of the chorus has
| died away. It has been Greek idyll on a per-
| feet June day; and when the frieZe, statues and
| inscriptions of the stage front have been left
| behind and the upward sylvan arcade has been
| traversed the familiar English country road is
found at the top, with scores of motor cars, car
| riages omnibuses and traps to carry the play
| goers to Theale or Pangbourne. or to scatter
| them far and wide the shire. The Sc
| cluded but beautiful village is a scene of un-
/ onH mil al