CRIMSON PLAYGOER

Doubtless one of the rarest forms of twentieth century amusement is that of attending a Roman comedy, presented in the ancient style, with Roman scenery and costumes, and with the lines all in Latin. And indeed proportional to the rarity is the greatness of the opportunity for witnessing the "Menaechmi", the comedy of Plautus, produced by the Harvard Classical Club.

The performance last night in Sanders Theatre was carried off with a dash and vivacity which was hardly expected by the majority of the audience. The Latin, instead of appearing as a cumbersome medium for the players to handle, rolled off their tongues with startling fluency. And although a bit difficult to catch the meaning of the lines by ear, with the aid of the translation prepared by R. W. Hyde '30 and E. C. Weist '30 the significance was conveyed very clearly. Inasmuch as in all comedy the humor lies mainly in complications of situation rather than in character delineation, one does not need to have a knowledge of Latin to enjoy thoroughly this presentation.

Directed by Assistant Professor F. C. Packard '20, the cast turns what to read is merely an amusing play into a really humorous "Comedy of Errors". And it is, incidentally this play upon which Shakespeare based his comedy, the plots being almost identical. Carleton Green '30 carries off the laurels for the acting by his grimacing and gesticulating representation of the part of Peniculus, parasite of Menaechmus I. The rest of the cast, moreover, also puts on an extremely convincing performance, and the combined efforts of all make the revival well worth seeing.