The Washington times., 1918-09-12
THE GOLDEN BOX"
IS WAR ALLEGORY
BY J.. Mach.

Camp Columbia" had its first chal-
lenge for things esthetic as far back
as last June, when one OF the first
| women war workers to make it a
camp home said, in looking upon a
wooded hillside: "Our open-air thea
, ter will be a great place for plays"
Now the camp is to put forth a
highly interesting art work in this
natural amphitheater-Camp Column
bia Sylvan Theater-that sprang
into being in the Imagination OF one
girl and has already become q fact.
The play will take place on Monday
evening. September %. at o'clock.
The production is to be a "Masque,"
with music, and is a tabled setting
OF the world war entitled THE Golden
Box" 1t is fantasy, a nav and
modernized Pandora" out of whose
box flow first the world evils of to-
day. These are let loose by the hand
OF King Attil of Hunnia, who. when
rebuked for so lightly breaking his
word. replies:
MY word. Why. words are but as
leaves blown down the wind: tomor-
row they are mold. They are as
scraps OF paper tossed aside by a
frantic poet seeking penny rhymes"
The masque has been written for
Camp Columbia by Bessie Mcclellan.
a Wellesley graduate of 1913. who
received her e. \. there in 1918. and
who has had two plays produced at
Wellesley. Miss Mcclellan is q mem
Der OF the camp, and is in war work
In Washington in the War Depart
ment.
The story OF the Golden Box tells
Of battle-royal between the power
Of the rulers of the sphere where
these tabled folks live, and of a
whimsical maiden, Pandora, who, in
stead of joining the prince OF the
realm as Queen OF the Games, says:
Prince Attil honors me:
But 1 have pledged myself to the
children for tomorrC VS. games. to
ride with them and be their Queen
of Flowers"
Pandora's father. the happy King
Pan. has for his fOllowers-Paris of
Gallia. Hero. Barun Of Anglia, Beller-
an (whO stands by his words for
Relgium), and last. to this noble
company. comes Amerand (America.)
And Amerand is Pandora's lover!
There are, too, the bearer OF the
Red Cross and the bearer of the Black
Cross. The symbols are so deftly
handled that the fantasy is held at
every moment in words of beauty
and significance, and the "old NOR
ality" play idea works through it to
a climax of high resolve.
Through all OF the play are Incl
dental dances and songs OF children
and of elves.
The Masque is in three acts. The
motive of the first is told in Attil's
l.
Paris responds, He strikes at me
because he hates me most" The
Herald adds. Their path is marked
across the field of BeIleran." With
this union OF forces Pan arms for
Fright"
Act IL is the "pastorale." the abode
OF the women, Pandora and her suite.
who are cast down with the women's
burden of sorrow. They dwell in
the valley OF the Morne." To this
comes the lover Amerand.
81 can now pay the debt I owe
he says to Paris. Coincident As it is
with the birthday celebration OF La
fayctte, our hero and that Of France.
and with the words of General Perish
ing when he first stepped upon the
soil OF France. the now famous La
fayette. we are hc-"." these words
America into battle.
Red Cross, with her symbol of
mercy-"all that is divine in human
hearts, the emblem Of universal
service and religion. You serve God
now by service To his children" she
says. Very forceful are her words
Long. and very long ago. the Prin-
cess of Tharadon took solemn oath
that | might walk tn" world I'M
scathed-that all men should do me
honor. Attn and his confederates
alone have stained that oath. He has
loosed strange horrors against men.
He has broken every law Of love and
mercy for which l strive"
The malediction that is placed upon
AttiI the Hun makes him markedly |
akin to that other literary "Man
without n Country" for the judg- !
ment Of The Hours" upon him is:
Find refuge in the oItlandS. 4 !
sable page that you have written in ,
the annals of our land alone shall |
speak of you. The scOurGc of your ,
ambition gone, our folk can build !