GREEK PLAY-READING

Evening Star, Issue 22465, 9 October 1936, Page 6

GREEK PLAY-READING

THE ‘ RHESUS' OF EURIPIDES As part of its syllabus each year the Otafo Classical Association undertakes the reading of a Greek play in trans, lation. Last evening a good attendance of members and friends listened: to the ‘ ‘ Rhesus in Gilbert Murray s translation, a capable cast providing a very interesting interpretation. As an introduction to the reading, Professor T D Adams, who occupied the chair, explained that the plot was based oil an incident in the tenth book ot Homer’s ‘ Iliad,’ and outlined the story of the play. The ‘ Rhesus ’ was a fine drama, in which the power lay not 10 any subtle psychology of. characterisation, but in the vigour and excitement of the action, to which the chorus made an abnormally vital contribution, it was quite unlike any other extant play of Euripides, many scholars had doubted its Euripidean authorship; but the underlying feeling and thought were wholly Euripidean, and Gilbert Murray seemed right in concluding that the play suggested something more like undeveloped "genius than common imitative mediocrity. . The cast consisted of Mrs F. J. Gair* Miss Anita Winkel, Mr James Fleming, Mr H. W. Hunter, Mr F. J. Gair, and Mr Douglas Dali. AH who ar* familiar with public dramatic interpretation on stage and platform m Dunedin will recognise that Mr. Fleming had assembled a* particularly strong group of readers. As was to be expected of them, they had all made care, ful study of the characters they were to enact, and the result was a convincing performance of a play which, by its dramatic character, makes a more immediate appeal to a modern audienc* than those tragedies which are greatest according to the ancient Greek canons of dramatic art. Perhaps the outstanding feature of the reading an object lesson to young aspirants to success on stage or platform and a high tribute tp the quality of the reader* themselves—was the team-work by which the dramatic and emotional possibilities of each scene were realised* At the conclusion Professor Adams congratulated the readers on the interpretation they had given of this lesserknown, but interesting and exciting, play, and on his motion a hearty vote of "thanks was accorded the members of the cast.