THE COLLEGE

THE Interfraternity Play Contest provides the most exciting drama of the year," one of the preliminary judges of the 30th annual competition now underway remarked. "And at a fantastic bargain rate!"

The preliminary judge, obviously pleased by what he had seen and heard in the Studio Theatre, went on to ask where else could a theatre-lover find an evening of Anton Chekhov, Tennessee Williams, and an original student drama for 25 cents. Among the one-act productions planned by the sixteen other fraternities are plays by Jean Anouilh, Robert Frost, Sean O'Casey, Michel de Ghelderode, George Bernard Shaw, Heywood Broun, Lord Dunsany, Mark Twain, William Shakespeare, and three student originals.

The plays are produced, directed, lighted, constructed, and acted - and, in four cases, written - by members of the fraternities. For many, if not most of the participants the contest provides the sole opportunity for active dramatic experience as an undergraduate. For some participants the fraternity plays also provide a first dramatic experience that leads to new extracurricular delights; very fine actors and actresses for Players' productions have been "discovered" in the interfraternity competition.

"There's a marvelous spirit about the productions," the preliminary judge continued, "a spirit that overcomes all obstacles. In one recent show one of the walls of the set collapsed. The play continued uninterrupted. Fortunately it was a play that called for several movers to be emptying the set of furniture as the story developed. They nonchalantly removed the fallen wall too."

The judge, a veteran of four years of evaluating the productions, also felt the spirit extended to the audience. "The audience is predominantly composed of undergraduates and on weekends undergraduates and their dates. Many have come with the sole purpose of cheering on their own particular champions - and naturally there is some turnover between plays in the evening - but more and more stay the whole evening; and I've noticed familiar faces coming back evenings when their brothers weren't up there performing. They seem to give themselves more to productions that are the complete product of their contemporaries."

The finalists will be on the boards as this issue of the MAGAZINE is on the press. A further account of the contest is planned for next month.