The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1912-12-16
GERMAN FOLK PLAY
GIVEN At EARLHAM
Deutscher Verein Interprets
Story of the Nativity in
Excellent Manner.
BY ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.


\The old German folk play given by
the "Deutschen Verein" of Earlham
College, in Lindley Hall, ION Saturday
evening, drew out a large audience,
the majority of whom went over from
town, the auditorium and balconies
being filed.
This was one of the most interest
ing amateur dramtic affairs ever at
tempted in this city and its success
was brilliant.
The play is made up Of a series of
tableaux narrating the story of the Ma
tivity-the Annunciation, the arrival
of Joseph and Mary, their refusal OF
shelter in the inn, the appearance of
the star, the arrival of the Three Wise
Men, the Shepherds on the hills who
hear and see, the arrival Of Herod and
the symboiZation of his conscience
with complementing text.
The difficulties of this are manifest.
In the first place the use of the Ger
man itself was attended with demands
upon the versatility of the players
since it was not the German of elegant
literature and that with which the av-
erage foreign student is familiar, and,
in addition, was a dialect form.
That this was handled as easily as
it was is an evidence of the erudition
of the college department and the ac-
complishment of the members of the
German club. For the entire play was
given by members of this organization.
The parts might have been filled with
greater eclat, perhaps, by students
outside this club, but the resources of
the club alone were drawn on
Dramatically this presentation was
extraordinarily effective taking into
consideration the lack of theatrc fa-
cilities necessarily attendant upon an
amateur production of this character
in Lindley Hall, and the plays arch
aic forms. But the play was beauti-
fully costumed, the tableaux were ar
tistically grouped and the lights we'll
managed.
One of the most beautiful of the tab
leauX was that of the three Shepherds
who hear and see the angel chorus
twelve girls, harmoniously grouped,
with Miss Cecile Hill the soloist as
appearing at intervals throughout the
presentation in this role and being
the possessor of a charming lyric So
prano.
Miss Vera Crome made a beautiful
MARY her costume and facial con-
tours making an extraordinarily life
like presentment of the Virgin and
her pose in the last tableaux where
she sat by the cradle while the others
worshipped the Christ-child, her face
thrown into relief, being reminiscent
of an old master.
e. A. Lehman, as one of the shep-
herds, sang the male solos, with much
grace, his voice being an agreeable
baritone, and the choruses were well
managed.
The choruses of the children, train
ed by Miss Marie Runge, were espec-
tally charming, the children singing
with much excellent ensemble effect
and making a beautiful grouping.
Miss Silvia Modisette, as the AN
gel of the Annunciation," posed with
effectiveness and made a lovely pic
ture, Mr.. Benjamin Johnson, as the
black King" and Mr.. Wallace Gift
ord as the young king handling their
lines eXpressively.
The Sprecher," who preluded each
tableauX with explanatory comment,
and taken by J. A. Anderssohn, was
one of the features of the presentation,
and the symbolization of conscience"
was we'll done by Ora Wright. The
small mart of the jnn-keener's wife was
capitally taken by Mary Dillon.
The giving of this play was notable
in the life of Richmond amateur the
atrics and Professor Charles, head of
the German Department and the Earl
ham Club, are to be congratulated up
on its inception and success. Miss
CASTOR had charge of the music
which. of itself, was quaint and ap-
pealing.