Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1910-05-11
VIVID GREEK PLAY
Presentation of The Antigone by
Charming College Girls

bryOuic soldiers to the auditorium
of femininity. when charming college
girls trod the boards and captured
their audience by the presentation
of the remarkable and delightful
Greek play, the Antigone of Sopho-
cles, rendering it in the original
Greek in a manner that brought
most wildly before the audience the
life and spirit Of the ancient classic
drama.
The young ladies were students
OF Greek at Randolph Macon Wo-
mans College of Lynchburg. The
rendition OF the play, of more than one
thousand lines IN the original Greek,
is feat rarely attempted except in
the largest institutions. The per-
formers entered into the spirit of the
play, and made real to the audience
the emotions they were expressing
The auditors were supplied with an
English translation.
The story of the Antigone is based
upon the series of tragedies that be-
fell the ruling house of Thebes. At
the unhappy death OF of Oedipus his
daughters, Antigone and Ismene, liv-
ed at the palace with their brothers
Eteocles and Polyneices, joint rulers
of the kingdom. The young kings
quarreled, however, and Polyneices
was driven into exile; but soon re-
turned, leading an Argive invasion
In the conflict that followed the two
brothers died at each others hands.
and their uncle, Creon, became king.
He decreed that Eteocles should be
duly honored as a defender of the
city, but that Polyneices should lie
unburied as an enemy to the city.
Anyone disobeying this decree
should be put to death,
Antigone, believing it to be impious
to allow her brother to lie unburied,
defies the kings authority and her
self gives formal burial to her bro
Their, whereupon she is arrested and
condemned to death by Creon.
Creon's son, Haemon, is affianced
to Antigone. and takes her side,
whereupon his father threatens him
with the same fate should he persist.
The public sentiment of Thebes is
aroused against the sentence of the
king but fails to move him, and An
tigone is sent off to be informed in a
vault. In the vault Antigone ha ngs
herself and Haemon craZed by his
loss kills himself and dies clasping
her form. In the meantime, Creon
breaks down under the terrible de-
nunciation OF Tieresias, seer, and
sends messengers all too late, how
ever, to release Antigone The
threats of the seer are verified. T
Queen, Eurydice, kills herself ! E.
spair and sorrow at the loss c her
son, and Creon retires de laring
himself to be lone that wa "
The chorus of Greek mobiles eX-
press in conclusion the lesson Of the
tragedy rs they sing
Happiness leans most upon wis.
dom. Regard for the gods is neces-
sary. Great prideful words beget
great blows and in old age we do
learn wisdom"
The title role was rendered by
Miss Lefty Mae McRoberts of Ken
lucky, while Miss Mary Jane Hap
pei of Tennessee, gave effectively
the parts of Ismene, sister of Anti
gone. and Eurydice wife of Creon
Miss Comma Hopkins of Kentucky,
tall and stately. was the stern Creon,
King Of Thebes. while the dual party
of Haemon and Tieresia were pre-
sented by Miss Annie G. Whiteside
IF Tennessee. Very striking and
effective was Mss Bess KILLER of
South Carolina, as the guard and
messenger. Her spirited perfor-
nance elected much applause. Miss
May Hughes of Arkansas, was an
excellent second messenger The
chorus OF Thebans, who sung the
choral Odes in Greek with fine effect,
was led by Miss Elizabeth Floyd of
Texas. and consisted OF Misses Nell
Peterson of Alabama, Sophie Coch-
ran of Texas, Essie Lynn of Virginia,
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