An Account of the Harvard Greek Play. By Henry Norman.
(Osgood and Co., Boston, U.S.)—This is an account, written by one of the actors, of the representation of the tEdipue Tyrannus of Sophocles at Harvard. A most readable account it is, bringing out, while it details the circumstances of the representation, the tragic power of the drama in a way that will impress even those who are most familiar with it. " None," says Professor Goodwin, in his pre- fatory note, " were more surprised at the almost universal enthusiasm which the actual performance excited—none, indeed, were more sur- prised at the effect of the performance upon themselves—than those who should have understood best the power and grandeur of a tragedy of Sophocles. This was due in no small measure to the scrupulous fidelity with which every one who took part in the per- formance devoted his best strength to its success ; but it was due also, and more than to all else, to the native power of Attic tragedy, which suddenly revealed itself, even to those who were ignorant of its form and language alike, as a veritable possession for all time.' " The story of the preparation and of the performance, of the diligence with which everything was made ready, and of the effort, pronounced by common consent to have been most successful, to render the great play in some such way as it was rendered twenty-three hundred years ago, at Athens, is here told. Photographs of the actors and of the principal scenes assist in realising what was a very striking scene. Another great success has since been achieved at Toronto with the Antigone, as lately noticed in this journal. Let ns hope that we may have the privilege of witnessing something of the kind in London. There are yet plays which would supply admirable subjects. The Philoctetes, the Medea, or the Alcestis would certainly succeed.
Previous page
