Page 38 - To Dragma October 1933

36 To DRAGMA

Julia Dcdson Plays Lead i n Marian Elder is Model 1933
Greek Play American Girl

-+- As T H E time for the spring festival to M A R I A N E L D E R , Psi
Dionysus rolls round each year, the Ran-
MEET SEATTLE'S finest 1933 model of the
dolph-Macon campus, for many seasons now, American girl!
has turned its attention to one of the Greek She is Miss Marian Elder ( T ) , daughter of
dramas originally presented in honor of that Mr. and Mrs. C. James Elder of 531 Federal
god. This year, the Greek Department, under Avenue, and yesterday she celebrated her
Miss Whiteside's leadership, presented the twenty-third birthday anniversary. No doubt
Troiades of Euripides. This was the second the finest, most resplendent birthday present
performance of the play in the Dell. she received was her election to Sigma X i ,
science honorary at the University of Wash-
For those of the audience who might he- ington. She was one of eight co-eds on the
come involved in the strangeness of a foreign campus accorded this honor.
tongue, this play offers no difficulties, for it Annexation of this latest laurel by Miss E l -
has no plot. Rather it centers itself around der lengthens the long list of those awards
the character of Hecuba. Gilbert Murray has she won during her collegiate days. In addi-
called the Troiades "a study in sorrow, a study tion to her membership in Sigma Xi, she is
too intense to admit of plot interest." That affiliated with the following groups on the
is the strong impression it leaves on the audi- campus: Mortar Hoard, national senior wom-
ence. en's honorary; Phi Beta Kappa, scholastic
honorary; Sigma Epsilon, pre-mcdic honor-
In addition to Hecuba's important role, ary ; Phi Sigma, biological honorary; Alpha
which was played by Julia Dodson ( K ) . Omicron Pi, national social sorority, of which
daughter of Nell Mullins Dodson, ex-1909, she was president.
there are many striking scenes: Cassandra Miss Elder was graduated from the Uni-
with her bridal torch; Astyanax, hurled from versity in 1931, having completed her bacteri-
the battlements, lying upon the shield of his ology course at that time. She is now work-
father; and that terrible final burning of Troy. ing for her master's degree.
She has not only been a brilliant student
The Chorus of the play is composed of Tro- at the University, but during her high school
jan women who are waiting to be led into days at Broadway she piled up many honors
slavery by the Greek chieftains. The choral and had a perfect scholastic record.
work was again under the direction of Eleanor But Miss Elder shuns the "all work and
Struppa, 1920, and again it formed one of the no play" theory and therefore she is the all-
chief portions of the play. There is an old around exemplary American girl. In fact she
summary of the play which ends with these has not allowed her pursuit of knowledge to
words: "And herein is told how all this be- frighten away romance—her engagement to
fell; and beside there is naught else save the Mr. Nathaniel Hayncs was recently announced
lamentations of these Daughters of Troy, till and the marriage will no doubt take place in
the city is set aflame, and the captives are a few months.—The Seattle Daily Times.
driven down to the sea." That sense of grief
and desolation was the essence of the choral
work. The music, following the Greek meter
and written by Margaret Armstrong, 1927, is
filled with the same feeling and added greatly
to the effectiveness of the chorus.

The time for the presentation of the play
was moved forward from its usual Saturday
in May to April 12. In spite of the fact that
so early a date might make it necessary to
have the play inside, Wednesday came, clear
and comparatively warm, warm enough for a
presentation in the Dell. The play was given
at that time because of the meeting of the
Classical Association of the Middle West and
South held in Williamsburg, April 13-15. Be-
cause so many of its members have expressed
an increasing interest in our Greek plays, Miss
Whiteside wished to make it possible for them
to see one. Many of them availed themselves
of the opportunity. Dr. Theodore H . Jack, the
president elect, was also present. All of them,
with one accord, pronounced the play one of
the most scholarly, and at the same time, one
of the most beautifully presented productions
they had ever seen. Many of the teachers of
the Classics who were present found in this
presentation a dramatic form unsuspected from
many years of class room study and reading
of the play.—By Susan Cobbs for Randolph-
Macon Alumna- Bulletin.