First Performance of H. P. C. Play

The Graduates' Night performance of "The Catnippers" was given at the Hasty Pudding Club Theatre on Saturday evening. The merit of the opera lies chiefly in the music and in the stage-settings. The plot is not elaborate, and the characters are little developed. On this account not many individual roles are made notable. The most prominent character and the most amusing actions are found in the Maharajah, played by W. C. Clark '03. S. Waller '03, as the Vizier, has a part which is consistently grotesque.

The music is throughout very good. On Saturday some of the numbers in the first act were marred by hurrying; but the songs and dances are spirited and melodious almost without exception. Sometimes--notably in the chant to the sun-god at the opening of the second act--the music takes on a more serious character, but it is far from becoming heavy. The great success of the evening was made by the song and dance of the guards in the second act. The two entr'actes are by J. H. Densmore '04. The second is a vigorous march which met with much favor.

The costumes and scenery have been designed by D. D. L. McGrew '03 and are very effective. The ballet in the second act is a prominent feature, and another in the third act gives opportunity for some graceful dancing by R. Lane '04.