Greenbelt cooperator., 1939-12-28
"CradIe Song" 80 A Review

degrees
est.
The theme of this play is the impact on the dry
and sterile estences of the characters Of object
on which they can lavish real, human, and self1ess
devotion.
The chief characters in the Hconedy" are the in
mates of Convent of Enclosed Dominican Nuns. The
with nicely and poise by the toute ensemble with
rather in the way of mechanical stumbling than
indicated in the last Players Performance, but
perhaps with Justification, there little
action to guide the players in their lines.
The action is strictly limited and the character
portraya1s confined to speech and attitude. This
type of play is difficult to put across, and
the sustained applause for the performance all the
more richly deserved by the troupe.
The story itself, divided into two acts of one
each, deals with the tribu1ations of these
sisters who strictly secluded from worldly
contact in their cloister, especially when beset
by the flesh and the devil. The sisters under
the aegis of kindly and tolerant Frioress-zhose
matrtarchate ably portrayed by Margaret hller.
In the opening scenes, the three novices, Sister
i1 and sister joanna Of the Cross E1issbets sNS
Goldfaden), find the juices of life still running
through their veins thought too richly and freely
for their secluded and sedate vocation. They
a result, constantly clashing with the martinez vi
caress (Betsy Woodnan) for their infrac-
tions of the rules. Sister arcella, for her pagan
flight, in the sheer delight of being. Sister
for her irepressible pleasure in the budding lives
Of the brood of whom she the sherher-
dess for her parents. The aciduous vicaress clashes
with the novices constantly and with their inter-
ceder, the Mistress of Novices Dorothy Harris).
The climax of the scene with the abandonment
of a waif at the Convent gate by self-confessed
baWd, which the moved to take under their
protection for the very sake Of the love they pro-
fess for their Creator This they are enabled to do
because of the chi1dis adoption by the old Doctor
to the nnnery (sherrod East). This is done, to be
sure, the vinegary protests of the vicaress,
but with the hearty endorsement of the novices to
whom this is breath from their recently abandoned
world Sister Joanas frustrated instinct of mother
hood moves her to an Immediate cherishing of the or
little flock.
the second act, ls years later, pictures the waif
now Teresa (Garita reeman) young 1ady-about
to be married to her choice Antonio dayton Hull
who loves her by the deepest regard for
her "nothers", the nuns, for the they have Ia
Wished her, and the fine spiritual qualities
They have achieved the ultimate in balance between
the Joyous coltish spirit budding into wonarhood
and the soul of the nother-and nentor-to-be, to
Antonios profound wonderment.
This is Teresais last day within the Convent
walls and she is receiving her completed trousseau
from the sisters and the f1inty facade of the
vicaress shows few cracks from the effects of the
chi1d's continual presence. The novices-novices
no longer-still show that the juices of life are
hard to dry up completely, but they repres-
sed than formerly.
The present Teresa with her trousseau, An
tonion, and the Doctor-now aged-come for her to
take her away forever, and the girl and the nuns
part in touching scene, which is climaXed by the
hearbroken bereavement of Teresa's mother" Sister
Joanna.
This Last scene was highly emotional, had highly
contrasting nuances of feeling with the meeting of
these Kindred spirits plane Of mutual love and
regard, Which it required masterful touch to por-
tray that it would be neither wooden ba-
thetic. That this scene carried off is due in
small measure to excellent acting ability of all
the Players, especially Martha Freeman, Elizabeth
Goldfaden Margaret Miller, sherrod East, and Dayton
Hull.
The play demonstrated Dorothy East to have direc-
torial ability of hi igh order, by the unconstrain-
ed performance, where false note would have Great
ed things
splendid one, and spoke well of the group.
Those who missed the Performance lost the oppor-
tundty for real treat, not to omit the quartet,
which gave a fine musical interlude.
NOTE: What in the world could the parents have been
thinking of who sent that set of rowdy young
sters, which would have been obviously