The Latin Play.

A more distinguished audience than that which was present at the first performance of the Latin Play last night, will not soon be seen at Cambridge. Sanders Theatre was filled with representatives from the classical departments of many universities, together with professors prominent in educational movements throughout the country. The headmasters of the principal preparatory schools and fourteen presidents of colleges were present. Harvard was herself represented by several members of the corporation and board of overseers, the entire faculty of arts and sciences, and all the other officers of the university.

The front row in the first balcony was the place of honor, and the names of those seated there will give an excellent idea of the general character of the whole audience. The centre seat was to have been occupied by Professor G. N. Lane. In his absence, due to an unfortunate illness, his place was taken by Professor C. L. Smith, professor of Latin in the university. On his right were seated President Charles W. Eliot and Mrs. Eliot, Solomon Lincoln, president of the board of overseers, Mrs. F. D. Allen, Professor W. W. Goodwin and Mrs. Goodwin. Professor J. H. Wright and Mrs. Wright, Dr. William Everett, Professor J. M. Peirce, Dean of the Graduate School, Professor C. F. Dunbar, Dean of the Faculty, and Mrs. Dunbar; Professor Le Baron R. Briggs, Dean of the College, and Mrs. Briggs; Professor Nathaniel S. Shaler, Dean of the Scientific School, and Mrs. Shaler.

On the left of Professor Smith were Governor Greenhalge and Mrs. Greenhalge, Professor F. J. Child, who held the place left vacant by the absence of Professor Lane; Mrs. C. L. Smith, President W. J. Tucker of Dartmouth, President F. Carter of Williams, President L. C. Seelye of Smith, President E. A. McGusk of Holy Cross, President W. F. Warren of Boston University, Mrs. Agassiz, representing Radcliffe College; Professor Irivne, representing Wellesley; President M. E. Gates of Amherst, President G. S. Hall of Clark University, President E. H. Capen of Tufts, President E. A. Devitt of Boston College, and President W. H. Buckham of the University of Vermont. The central section of the first balcony was filled with more than fifty professors of Greek and Latin from other colleges, and other distinguished classical scholars invited by the department.

In many respects Sanders Theatre is very well suited to the production of a Latin play. There is the semicircular orchestra (where the Roman senators sat), the low Roman stage and the handsome permanent back wall with a Latin inscription at the top of it. As in the Roman theatre, too, the seats for the audience are benches, not chairs, and slope up from around the orchestra in wedges with the stairs between. Unfortunately for the present purpose, these benches do not run to the top of the theatre in one tier. The other important difference from the ancient theatre is the permanent roof; but even with these two disadvantage, there are few modern theatres which would be so well suited to the wants of the Classical department as Sanders.

In the Roman theatre, it is probable that the scenery did not extend to the top of the permanent back wall. Accordingly, the scenery which Mr. O. B. Story designed reaches only to the base line of the gallery above the stage, leaving this and the inscription over it visible. The scene represents the fronts of three houses in a street in Athens, and is the same throughout the entire play. It is excellently designed and executed; but if possible, even greater success has been achieved in the painting on the curtain.

The curtain in the Roman theatre was not raised at the beginning of a play, but fell into a sort of box under the stage. A similar plan has been followed in Sanders, where the curtain which has been made falls on the Roman principle. The scene painted upon it is a copy of the famous relief in the British Museum in which the god of the theatre, Dionysus, comes with his train to supper with a dramatic poet. The whole forms an admirable work of art.

The program for the occasion, on four broad pages, is of course entirely in Latin. On the front page, below the seal of the University, is an epigram in heavy Roman type, announcing that the performance is in honor of our fathers, the "embattled farmers."

On the last page is a salutation from the actors to the audience, composed by Professor M. H. Morgan and modelled after the first ode of Catullus. The two inside pages contain the announcement of the cast and others who have had some important connection with the production of the play. In place of the Roman aediles, who used to proclaim the celebrations on festival days and meet the expenses, Professor George M. Lane and Professor Clement L. Smith appear as "proclaimers" of the play. The managers were the three professors, Jacob B. Greenough, Frederic D. Allen, and Morris H. Morgan; the musical director, Professor Albert A. Howard; and the vocal trainer, Mr. John J. Hayes. Otto A. Lemke and George M. Busch are the real musicians who accompany the actors during parts of the play. The cast is as follows:

Prologue, Oliver B. Roberts.

Davos, a slave, Francis G. Ball.

Geta, a slave of Demipho, George R. Noyes.

Antipho, son of Demipho, John R. Oliver.

Phaedria, son of Chremes, John R. Slater.

Demipho, an old man, Henry E. Burton.

Phormio, a parasite, Edward K. Rand.

Hegio, lawyers, Joseph P. Warren.

Cratinus, lawyers, Lewis H. Dow.

Crito, lawyers, Jacob B. Smiley.

Dorio, a slave dealer, William F. Harris.

Chremes, brother of Demipho, Otto Starek.

Sophrona, a nurse, Maurice W. Mather. Nausistrata, wife of Chremes, Walter K. Brice.

MUTE CHARACTERS.A Boy, a slave with Geta, Jacob W. Carret.

Pipe players, Arthur A. Bryant.

Pipe players, Henry I. Bowles.

The performance last night was all, and more than all, that could be desired. In any criticism of the actors, it must always be remembered that they are laboring under very unusual difficulties. The mere recitation of the lines so as to retain the sense and at the same time conform to the peculiarities of the metre, is no slight achievement. Even this, however, is not the greatest difficulty which has to be overcome. Through about half of the play the actors are accompanied by music, which makes it a very easy matter to fall into a sing-song manner of delivery. That this was so carefully and successfully avoided is very greatly to the credit of the students who took the various parts.

The actors were chosen entirely without reference to their previous experience in dramatic expression, but the choice has proved a fortunate one. The leading parts were all admirably well sustained. If praise can be given to two above the rest, it was deserved by Edward K.Rand as Phormio and Henry E. Burton as Demipho. Both entered perfectly into the spirit of the characters they represented. They not only acted their parts but looked them. In fact, the costumes of all were very effective, and materially aided in making the play realistic. To praise some of the actors, is in no way to disparage the others. The acting of John R. Oliver, George R. Noyes, Otto Starek, and John R. Slater, was excellent and won much deserved applause. The two female characters appear on the stage but a short time each, in the last part of the play. Their parts were taken by Maurice W. Mather and Walter K. Brice, who did not in any way fall short of the high standard which had been set before their appearance. An interesting feature of the play was the work of the dummy musicians, especially in the interludes. In the dress rehearsals they have successfully deceived several of the audience.

After the performance, the actors were called out, and finally the managers, Professor J. B. Greenough, Professor F. D. Allen, and Professor M. H. Morgan, were forced to appear. The evening was appropriately brought to its close by a reception given by President Eliot to the invited guests of the Classical Department.