Evening star., 1947-03-17
the drama is one more for listen
ing to than looking at.


ing to than looking at.
X X
1.-THE Zeal of Thy House" was
written for the Canterbury festival
in 1887. AS such. it is a sort OF
sequel to T. S.. Eliot's Murder ir
the Cathedral" but is is by nc
means the equivalent of that work In
the excitement of its theme or its
verse. Miss Savers theme is the
building of the cathedral, rather its
rebuilding after destructive fire
and it compares to Eliot's work
pretty much as architecture COM
pares to murder under any other cir
cumstances.
The human story with which Miss
Savers deals is that of William OF
Sens. William is by no means a dull
type, as architects go, and by the
time the playwright is through with
him, his experience demonstrates
that pride certainly goeth before q
fall. The fact IS that the arrogant
William falls from the great arch
OF the cathedral to its very hard
floor when a primitive lift" he has
added to his other vanities gives
way due to q defective rope.
This c1imactic incident of "The
Zeal of Thy House" Is based upon
the actual records of Canterbury
Cathedral. These were the work OF
the monk, Gervase, who not only set
down Williams plunge but chroni-
cled his own confusion over the lat
ter's fate. Gervase never was certain
in his mind whether the accident
was due to the Vengeance OF God or
the envy Of the devil"
Miss Sayers' play comedies Of no
such confusion. In "The Zeal OF Thy
House." she shows the Achangel
Michael cutting the rope by remote
control, a gift of angels.
Although William of Sens, whose
professional life is blasphemy, is
the central figure Of the play, it goes
in for no very searching examina-
ton of his character. He Is little
more than brushed in, handsome
and Unfortunately vain male who
builds a cathedral in the name of
God, but in the sinful spirit of an
architect erecting monument to
his own unbridled genius.
The material Of passionate poetry
is in the nature of William and 1t is
thus that Miss Sayers uses her man.
He is an eloquent mouthpiece for the
verse she creates, of such eloquence
indeed that for two full acts, he is a
match not merely for the Ca
thedral's clerical staff but for a
choir of archangels constantly visi-
5le off stage.
This conflict clearly is not without
its dramatic quality even though 1t
is confined largely to words, and
Director Brady and his cast have
animated 1t as adequately as pos
sible.
In casting 1.-THE Zeal Of Thy
House." the University Theater calls
upon its ablest males. a group
headed by Richard Sykes as the
passionate architect. 1t is an excel
lent representation Of the character
that Sykes produces, one that is ably
seconded by John McGiver's por-
trait of the scornful, vengeful Monk
Theodatus; that of Arthur Conescu,
whose Archangel Michael is not be-
yond a flippant irony in his majesty,
and that of Mick Wandmacher as
the wise and gentle prior of Canter-
bury.
Ruth Shmigelsky contributes
vividly to the production, principally
with a cathedral set which expands
architecturally with the span of the
play.
On the whole, and especially with
its answer to the disconcerting ques-
ton OF the pretty little angel mes
senger, "The Zeal of Thy House"
comes of as proper lenten play.