New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-20
TO GIVE GREEK PLAY
AS GREEKS SAW TT
Granville Barker's PrOduc-
ton at City College to
Have Classic Model.
PORTABLE STAGE
A CAREFUL COPY
English, Authority Not of Like
Mind with Miss Duncan, Who
Follows German Ideal. q.

Granville Barker in his announce
ment giving his ideas Of the portable
Greek stage he is having construct
ed for use at the opening OF the
City Colleges new stadium on May 20,
evidently is not Of the same mind as
Miss lsadora Duncan as regards the
proper setting for a drama OF
Sophocles or Euripides. Mr.. Barker
apparently believes in the arrangement
of the Greek stage as provided by Mr..
Christians in his performance in Ger
man last year ut the Metropolitan
Opera House of "Edipus Rex"
The same arrangement was used by
George Riddle in his memorable per
Torrance of the same play in Booth 3
Theatre n quarter of century ago,
and is the arrangement almost uni
verSally accepted by students OF the
Greek drema. The coming performance
of THE Trojan Women" in the City
College stadium will be presented IN
precisely the same fashion as this
drama was performed in ancient
Athens.
ways open TO the heavens, not even an
awning being used to screen the audi
ence from the sun, and the audience
was seated on tiers of seats ascending
in the same fashion as in the various
stadiums of our colleges. The back
scene represented usually palace or
temple, in which there was one large
central door and two side doors. Char
e isrh nk
palace made their entrance through
the central door and the servants
through the two smaller doors.
There were also four side entrances
leading TO the orchestra, space be-
meath the stage and between it and
the audience. Through these entrances
the chorus entered, and also those
characters who were supposed TO ar
rive from distance. There were in
the stage itself number of traps, and
overhead very elaborate machinery for
the descent of the gods to the earth,
the machine we all know from the
phrase deus ex machina."
To the wall of the scene an upper
story could also be added. Whether or
not a curtain was used is "A moOted
point, though il is probable that, at
least in the later period, there was
such curtain. which rose from under
the stage very much as is the case with
the curtain at our own Hippodrome.
The chorus itself took up its posi-
tion in the orchestra, where it per-
formed It's solemn dances, moving back
ward and forward during the choral
songs When the chorus was not sing
ing. but merely looking on as an inter-
ested spectator Of the action, it took
its station or the Thymele, an eleva-
ton with steps in the front Of the
orchestra. Il was here, too, that the
leader of the chorus convcrsed with
the characters on the stage.
Mr.. Barker, In his portable stage, will
evidently attempt TO approximate as
nearly as possible this theatre of the
ancient Greeks. Miss Isadora Duncan,
in her production Of "Gdipus Rex"
now on view at the Century, has great
" diverged from the original idea, with
the intention, no doubt, Of giving what
she considers a more picturesque back
ground TO the dances. Miss Duncan
fills the back Of the stage with a
double hedge with an opening IN the
middle, while further in front on either
side are TWO high platforms, upon one
of which tripod is burning.
The chorus enters at Will from between
the back hedges and upon the platforms,
TO which it ascends and from which it
descends by means Of steps. In this