Evening star., 1921-04-02
HOWARDP[AYERS
GIVE WEIRD PLAY
Awe : Inspiring Dramatic
Treatise Shown at Be-
Iasco Theater.

A weird and awe-inspiring dramatic
treatise on the progress of fear and
it's accompanying Authorizations was
presented to an audience far less in
numbers than it merited. at the Be-
lasco Theater. when the Howard
Players presented Eugene O'Neill's
Emperor Jones" yesterday afternoon.
1t is the first pretentious dramatic
production presented by the Howard
University students.
Not more than 200 persons were in
the house, although the same play is
being presented to capacity audiences
at the Princess Theater, in New York,
after a Winter-long stay.
The performance was well received.
liberal applause following each scene
and three curtain calls being rendered
to George Williams in the star role at
the close.
Alston Burleigh. playing Harry
Smithers, virtually the only other
spoken part in the production. pre-
sented the cockney accent and beach
comber degeneracy with a keen per-
ception of the possibilities of his role.
Scenes From the Play.
The initial scene portrayed the
palace" of the emperor, where an
lex-Pullman porter and murderer reign
ed by inspiring fear in natives. 1t
and eased the audience into the pres
entation.
When the curtain went up on the
second scene, wonderful scenery. de-
| signed by Cleon Throckmorton, pro-
| vided the background for an African
| during the darkened dance. The
! rhythm and grace of Ottie Graham in
| expressing primitive emotions was
! probably one of the most interesting
side issues of the drama.
This paved the way for the gen.
uine drama. The remaining scenes
| were various spots of a terror
stricken nights flight in the forest
by the abdicating emperor. JEFF.
| the crapshooting negro he had muir
| dered in a gambling game, confronts
the disorganized mental faculties OF
Jones with awe-inspiring silence,
passing the dice. In the grip of
! fright, Jones fires one of his six
precious bullets.
| Progressing through various portions
of the jungle, the flight and its Incl
dental surroundings lead him through
| the stages of fear cumulative in ef-
/ feet. until the mind runs through to
| fright, terror, baff1ed awe, and panic
| finally reaches to despair. Each is
| accompanied by hallucinations, which
and HEREDITARY past Of the fugitive.
ChainEnnE Shown.
The chain gang in which he had
been a convict, the slave: block al
which probably HIS immediate prede-
cessors. had been sold. the slave shiE
| in which more remote ancestors had
been conveyed to the country. the
Kongo witch doctor performing in his
! cleared space before the crocodile
god arising from the river. all show
| the short stages of repression in the
fugitive. The emperor lives the
existence Of his predecessors in thai
night and expends every one of his
bullets in frightening off the phan-
toms. or ha'nts,' as he calls them.
The tracking down of the fugitive
and his death close the play.
The directing staff includes Prof
Montgomery Gregory, director; Mrs
Marie Moore Forrest, whose services
have been a very material contribu'
ton to the production as advisory dl'
lrector; C1eon Throckmorton, techni.
cal director; Beatrice Lewis. musica
director; Sue Gossin. costume director
and Alain Lock. professor of dramatic
composition. The department OF
dramatic art Of Howard Universit!
sponsored the production.