The Players and Their Popular Drama
THIS YEAR THE Dartmouth Players took a step that definitely places them in the top rank of college dramatic organizations. For the first time in their history the Players selected a complete season's program in advance and a program that was the most ambitious and extensive that they have ever undertaken. Although the Players have long enjoyed an enviable reputation for polished, worth-while productions, this is the first time that an entire season's program has been selected in advance, thus insuring a well-rounded schedule of plays combining real entertainment value with dramatic significance.
Last September a list of seven plays was announced, including one "double-feature" bill, ranging from sophisticated modern drama through the romantic Elizabethan tragedy of Shakespeare to ancient Roman comedy. Opening the season was the Broad- way success of last year "Merilly We Roll Along," written by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. Requiring a cast of over fifty people, this play attracted much attention partly because it runs backwards, the first of its nine scenes opening in 1934 and the ast taking place in 1916. The Players prouced it on November 15 and 16 to the argest audiences to see a fall houseparty
show in recent years. The two performances, the first amateur performances of the play in the country, were marked by excellent acting and an amazing degree of technical perfection.
The December production, given in Robinson Hall's Little Theater, aroused a storm of controversy that reached the pages of all the metropolitan newspapers. For this occasion the Players picked Clifford Odets' vigorous and controversial play about the New York taxi strike "Waiting for Lefty," to be presented as part of a double bill with George Bernard Shaw's amusing and satirical "Androcles and the Lion." The New Hampshire American Legion objected to "Waiting for Lefty" as Communistic and un-American, citing the action of several eastern cities in banning it. The Players, however, felt that the play was important dramatically, that it was entertaining, and that it would be intelligently and favorably received by a Dartmouth audience. Moreover the fact that "Androcles and the Lion" was to be presented on the same program considerably weakened the Legion's arguments that the Players were a radical organization. And so the play was produced, benefiting from much free publicity. Although the plays were originally scheduled for only two performances, the demand was so great that four shows were given. It was not publicity, however, that eventually accounted for the popularity of the program. It was powerful, convincing acting combined with masterful direction and flawless production that drew the crowds. "Waiting for Lefty" was acclaimed as the best play the Players had ever done and "Androcles and the Lion" was as amusing and light as "Waiting for Lefty" was tense and dramatic. The combination of the two made the best dramatic fare imaginable.
After carefully going over the Hanover- White River-Lebanon district with a fine tooth comb, the Players finally succeeded in finding enough girls with good voices to make up a chorus for their Carnival production of the Gilbert and Sullivan light opera "Ruddigore." This show was the most ambitious undertaken in several years. Otto Ashermann, noted dancer, was brought to Hanover from Boston to instruct the large cast of over sixty in the many dances that added to the popularity of the show. Warner Bentley, as usual, directed the acting, while Henry Williams again had charge of the technical side of the production. Professor Longhurst, the musical director, not only led the Handel Society orchestra and supervised the singing, but he also found time to reorchestrate the whole score especially for the Players' performances. "Ruddigore" proved to be tremendously popular, playing to audiences that packed Webster Hall on the Friday and Saturday nights of Carnival. Final box office count revealed that 200 more people saw "Ruddigore" than have seen any previous Carnival show of the Players.
On March 5 and 6 an ancient Roman comedy, "The Brothers Menaechmus," written some 2000 years ago by Titus Maccius Plautus was presented in Robinson Hall. This play was produced in the Roman manner, using masks made especially for this production by Henry Williams. For the first time in two years men took women's parts in this show, which was typically Roman and quite bawdy. The Players found that the two scheduled performances were not enough to take care of the demand, so they gave an extra show at 10:15 on Friday night after the 8:30 show had let out, thus making a total of three performances in two days.
During the week of March 16 to 23 the annual Interfraternity One-Act Play Contest was scheduled. Sponsored and managed by the Players, who donate the use of their equipment and facilities, the contest attracted sixteen fraternities this year. Plays were produced by each fraternity and three were presented each night. The three best plays in the opinion of the judges were then presented again in the finals, and from these three the winner of the Mary Gray Gile cup was selected. The purpose of this contest is to interest more students in acting, producing and directing, and at the same time to offer the fraternities some group activity other than athletics. As such it has a permanent place on the Players' program and has been enthusiastically welcomed by the individual houses.
Shakespeare comes back to Hanover on April 17 when the Players plan to present "Julius Caesar" in Webster Hall at popular prices. This play was selected by the Players' Directorate because it is a strong, virile drama that is admirably suited for a college audience.
In May, Maxwell Anderson's "Both Your Houses" will be presented in Webster Hall on the Friday and Saturday nights of the Green Key Prom week-end. This play is a recent one dealing with the inner-workings of Congress and is as significant at this time as it is entertaining.
The Commencement production has not been picked as yet, but it will be a revival of one of the plays given previously in the season. The probability is that it will either be "Ruddigore" or "Both Your Houses." It will be presented on the Saturday before Commencement in Webster Hall.
Exclusive of the Interfraternity Play Con test, then, the Players will have presented by the end of this season a total of fifteen performances to an aggregate audience that should total nearly 7,000. Last year the Players presented sixteen performances to over 6,500 people, and in the season 1933-34 they gave eleven performances to 5,500 people. These figures show vividly how the Players are expanding not only their activity in producing plays, but also their appeal to the College and the community.
This year also marked another forward step by the Players. It is the first year that season subscriptions have been sold at reduced prices. This step was made possible only by the announcement of the complete season's program in advance, for playgoers, like housewives, don't like to buy a pig in a poke. Season subscriptions for 1935-36 were sold for $4.00 and contained tickets for all the productions on the Players' program except the Interfraternity Play Contest and the Commencement production. Individual tickets to the six programs would have cost $6.00. Although season books were sold this year mainly as a forward-looking experiment, their success was such as to insure a continuation of the policy in the future. The Players, under the supervision of the Council on Student Organizations, will attempt to push the sale of these season subscriptions next year just as the Athletic Council does for its Tax Books. No review of the Players' season would be complete without a few remarks about the present facilities which the Players have and the handicaps which they must over- come. At present the Players present plays both in Webster Hall, with a seating capacity of 1,300, and in the Little Theater, with a seating capacity of 300. Webster Hall was never intended for a theater in the first place. Its stage is temporary and cramped, there is no space to store scenery either in the back or at the side, the stage is not high enough to permit the flying of sets and back-drops when not in use, and the two pillars at the rear of the stage prevent the use of any sets of more than average depth. The hall itself is poorly arranged for unob- structed vision and the seats are atrociously uncomfortable. The acoustics are poor and when some of the people who sit cramped up in the rapidly disintegrating chairs shift their position the creaks and squeaks make hearing a real chore. It is tribute to the Players' work to have as large audiences as they have had in the last few years.
The Little Theater is no so bad, but its seating capacity is not great enough for the present demands which the low admission charges of 50 cents have created. Its stage, while better suited for dramatic purposes than is the Webster stage, is very small and allows almost no storage space at the sides and rear. The chairs in the Little Theater are collapsible and uncomfortable and only a few of them offer a really clear view of the stage when all the seats are filled. The Players' shops in the basement of Robinson Hall, where all scenery and costumes are made by members of the crews under the direction of Henry Williams, are much too small for the demands made upon them by increased activity of the Players.
It would be unfair to the College, how- ever, not to mention that the trustees have placed a $1,000 fund at the disposal of the Players which they can use for production expenses of any shows on which they would otherwise lose money. This fund has rarely been used, though.
Another major difficulty facing the Players is the lack of femininity in the form of acting ability around Hanover. Although there are several actresses of remarkable ability, there aren't enough to satisfy Warner Bentley. In the past men have been used for women's parts, but it is hard to do most shows well in that way and the novelty soon wears off for the audience.
If the Players, working under the difficulties mentioned, can consistently produce excellent plays, there must be some reason for it. There are two reasons: Warner Bentley and Henry Williams. Professor Bentley, the Players' director, has charge of tutoring the actors. Mr. Williams, the assistant director, has charge of the technical direction of the plays, ranging from designing the sets and costumes to collecting properties and lighting the shows. Their work has always drawn unstinted praise and it is through their combined and talented efforts that the Players have attained their present high standing.
Professor Warner Bentley Director of the Players, whose coaching has been the major factor in steady growth of popularity of dramatics.
Henry Williams Assistant director whose stage settings and technical guidance of the Players have earned him a fine reputation in Hanover. He is shown making up Joe D'Esopo '29 for the Carnival Show.
