THE OEDIPUS TYRANNUS OF SOPHOCLES AT DARTMOUTH

Toward the close of the last academic year, members of the Classical Club formed the plan of preparing a tragedy in Greek for presentation at some time during the present year. They laid their plan before Professor C. D. Adams, who consulted with the other members of the Department. The Classical Faculty was doubtful of the advisability of attempting such a thing, on account of the magnitude of the undertaking, but their chief doubt was whether the enthusiasm of the students would maintain itself through the long vacation, and through the weary months of preparation. At the opening of this academic year it was found that the interest had in no wise decreased, but had in reality taken a more definite form.

The Classical Department had asked Professor Husband to assume the supervision of the production, in case it were seriously undertaken. Early in October a meeting was called of those immediately interested. At that meeting it was suggested that instead of this great venture, they should at first prepare and present only one or two scenes from a tragedy, or possibly from one of the comedies of Aristophanes. This did not meet with the favor of the students, so they began at once the active preparation of the Oedipus. Meetings were frequently held, at which scenes were read, and the voices and characteristics of the men were tested. Soon parts were tentatively assigned, and the memorizing progressed rapidly.

The mere mastery of the lines in Greek is no light task, but it has been accomplished, not only cheerfully, but with great enthusiasm. The parts vary from twenty-four lines,. in the case of the Herdsman, to six hundred and fifty-three in that of Oedipus. In an undertaking so serious, it was felt that no chance of failure could be taken through the illness or other incapacity of one of the actors, so a competent understudy has been provided for each part. It is understood that transfers will be made from the first to the second cast, or from the second to the first, according to the progress and faithfulness of the actors.

The play was divided into ten scenes for purposes of rehearsal, and each part has been gone over several times each week. Rehearsals of the whole tragedy with full set of actors have taken place weekly.

The memorizing of the parts, and the task of grasping the significance of each line have been accomplished under the personal direction of Professor Husband. When the actors arrived at the point where they required special training in expression and the proper and effective rendering of the tragedy, Professor Burton and Doctor Barret gave great assistance, and have devoted . many hours weekly to a patient drilling of the men. This work is now advancing rapidly. The cast is as follows:

Oedipus: H. E. Burtt '11; W. W. Flint '12.

Priest : A. L. Kinne '12; D. B. O'Connor '12.

Creon: R. J. Deferrari '12; C. R. Cabot '12.

Teiresias: J. Bartlett '10. Jocasta: W. D. Maynard '11. Corinthian: E. P. Johnson '12; J. A Cronin '12.

Herdsman: F. F. Owen '11; T. L. Sullivan '13.

Messenger from the Palace: W. W. Flint 'l2; D. E. Adams '13.

In addition to these, there will be sixteen or eighteen Suppliants in the procession following the Priest, composed of .boys and men; four attendants upon Oedipus; two women as attendants upon Jocasta; two attendants of Creon in the final scene. The two daughters of Oedipus will be attended by their nurse.

At the outset the part of the blind prophet, Teiresias, was claimed by Joseph Bartlett, who is himself blind. In reference to this remarkable coincidence, the circular recently issued in connection with the annual May Conference says:

"Peculiar interest will be given to this presentation of the Oedipus in that the part of the blind prophet, Teiresias, whose warnings form so impressive a part of the earlier portion of the play, will be taken by Joseph Bartlett of the Senior class, a student who, in spite of total blindness, has carried classical studies throughout his course, a result made possible only by superior ability and steadiness of purpose, and by the generous help of his student friends, who have served to him as eyes in all the four years."

The music of the six choral odes will be that composed by the late Professor Paine of Harvard University for the production of the Oedipus at Harvard in 1881. In reference to the composition of this music, Henry Norman writes, in his account of the Greek play at Harvard, "In this modern performance two courses were open: the one, an attempt to discover the limitations of the Greek knowledge of music, and to compose, within these limitations, an adequate representation of the simpler emotions of the play; the other, to disregard the historical method, and to apply all the wealth of modern harmony and instrumentation to the expression, to a modern mind, of the varied and profound emotions which the Oedipus would rouse in a Greek breast." Professor Paine wisely followed the second course.

In addition to the fifteen members of the chorus who will appear on the stage, there will be a supplementary chorus of twenty voices. The accompaniment will be played by an orchestra of about twenty-five pieces. The training of the chorus and orchestra is under the direction of Professor Morse, a former pupil of Professor Paine. Professor Morse was present at the first performance of the tragedy at Harvard. Professor Adams is supervising the memorizing of the Greek words of the odes, and inspiring the members of the chorus with the feeling and significance of the choral parts.

The part of the Coryphaeus will be taken by C. Wells '13. The candidates for other positions in the chorus are: First Tenor; A. J. Coleman, B. Cooper, G. F. Gonyer, W. D. Steward, '10; L. D. Chase, D. L. Dorward, B. A. Hoban, '12; C. C. Forsaith, C. A. Pfau, '13.

Second Tenor: M. C. Blake, K. R. Gorton, '10; G. F. Dwinell, R. B. Patterson, '11; S. A. Clark, F. P. Walsh, C. B. White,'12; M. E, Allen,'13.

First Bass: Dr. A. H. Licklider; K. F. Clark, W. S. Pounds, C. A. Waterbury, '11; G. P. Bullard, '12; T. L. Brennock, R. A. Crenner, '13.

Second Bass: R. D. Meredith, F. A. Rainey, '10; R. W. Barstow, W. B. Reilly, H. R. Walker, C. C. Warren, '11; C. E. Francis, W. H. Locke, M. G. Snow, H. B. Van Dyne, '12.

The following will be members of the orchestra: Mr. H. M. Wells; R. H. Colley, '09; L. H. Sisson, T.S.C.E.; D. W. Greenwood, H. P. Kelley, D. F. Palmer, E. W. Robinson, E. A. Wagner, '10; D. D. Craft, T. A. Loughlin, W. W. Marden, A. D. Pease, G. F. Thurber, '11; M. H. Baker, H. A. Bellows, J. H. Cleaves, G. H. Lewis, R. E. Lewis, B. B. Lyons, H. E. Marden, D. B. O'Connor, C. G. Tyler, '12; J. M. Harlow, T. H. Haskell, J. R. Maloney, D. R. Mason, H. O. Parkinson, '13.

In the matter of staging a play of Sophocles, absolute archaeological accuracy is impossible. There is not sufficiently definite knowledge of the scenic conventions of the fifth century before Christ. Therefore, one of two courses is open. We may adopt those conventions which have been generally adopted, and have become familiar, in modern presentations of Greek drama. The whole consists of a more of less elaborate gabled front, modeled upon a Doric temple, flanked by extended wings in the manner of a Stoa. Thus there has arisen a cold convention of white marble or grey limestone, laid in courses of rectangular blocks, in a form for which there is no archaeological justification, and without an attempt to suggest the Greek use of color as applied to architectural decoration. The second possibility is to get away from this conventional palace, and create something having the suggestion of habitation and harmony of color. This latter has been adopted, and the palace front on the Francois vase has been taken as the starting point. With this have been coupled plans and restorations based upon the palace at Tiryns, and such examples of colored detail as are procurable. From other sources will be taken features that will complete and harmonize with the general plan. The effect to be produced is that of a primitive palace, fronting upon a courtyard, surrounded by columns. In this courtyard the action of the play takes place. The artistic value of the conventional stage setting is assumed to lie in the contrast between its coldness, and the warm vital effects of movement and color on the stage in front of it. The purpose of the second setting is to furnish an unobtrusive harmony with the action itself. The idea of this new form of stage originated with Professor G. D. Lord, who has investigated all available material for architectural detail, and for harmony of color. Professor Keyes has, with great skill, worked out the plans, and has endeavored to make them harmonize with the form and size of our stage in Webster Hall.

The costumes are being designed in close conformity with attested usages of the fifth and fourth centuries. The controlling purpose is to secure beautiful results, but this is based upon the belief that the simple Greek patterns of the fifth and fourth centuries show an essential superiority over any of the more elaborate forms that are sometimes devised.

As the expense connected with erecting the stage, procuring music, and creating costumes, for an adequate presentation, is extremely heavy, it is a great pleasure to announce that the Dartmouth alumni in the firm of Ginn and Company are most generously presenting one thousand copies of the tragedy, to be sold for the benefit of the play. This book will contain the Greek text of White's edition, together with Campbell's translation. The Greek and English will be arranged on opposite pages. The books will be placed on sale about April 1, at fifty cents a copy.

Two performances of the tragedy will be. given in Webster Hall. The first will take place on the evening of May 20, in connection with the annual May Conference of the College with secondary schools. . The second will take place on June 28, the evening before Commencement.