Amphitryon 38

The Harvard Dramatic Club has a treat in store for you at Sanders Theater this weekend. "Amphitryon 38" is a sparkling theaterpiece that has delighted audiences and playwrights through thirty-eight versions, beginning with that of Plautus--down through Moliere, Dryden, to the late Jean Giradoux. It has possibly become more polished each time, for this most recent telling could hardly glisten more than it does.

Do you remember in second-year Latin the story about Hercules that began: "Hercules was the son of the mortal maiden Alkmena who was visited by the God Jupiter?" That left a lot unsaid. M. Giradoux (through his translator S. N. Behrman) now says the rest. The fact that he really has little to say and says it with too many words does not particularly matter. It is a talky play, but the talk is nimble. The story itself is simple, little more than an extended practical joke. There are no memorable lines or take-home gags; it is rather an exercise to keep afloat some pretty balloons that somehow got into the bedroom.

To the part of Jupiter, Paul Sparer has brought an excellent speaking voice and an assured performance that missed few opportunities to play up all aspects of his prank on Alkmena. David Bauman was adopt as Mercury, the pandering, puckish son of Jupiter of an earlier affair. He achieved, through good timing, the proper tinge of irony to his barbs. Though the role of Amphitryon, thanks to the machinations of Jupiter, is relatively small, John Seiler handled it skillfully.

Alkmena was probably one of the few hausfraus in ancient drama. She was, as she says, just a middle-class mortal. Following this tradition, Giradoux's Alkmena is a tender, faithful, loving wife with no desire to fulfill her destiny with Bulfinch's mythology. In the role, Anna Prince was all that Giradoux requires and brought, in addition, a certain luxuriousness to the part that added immeasurably to the play. Unfortunately, however, Miss Prince is not always understandable. Striving for variety in her voice, some of her lines became lost in a flood of sheer inflection. With that corrected, Miss Prince should give abundant pleasure.

The sets by Steven Saxe are the best and most complete that have been seen at Sanders in several years. He has made no concessions to the peculiarities of Sanders and has achieved a picture-frame stage through ingenious use of curtains and cables. The direction of Robert Seaver was commendable. He has done wonders with a play in which pace and timing are essential to success. "Amphitryon" clicks along with complete certainty of purpose."

Even allowing for opening-night delays, however, the play seemed over-long. The episode involving a trumpeter in the first part of Act One added little to the humor and nothing to the play. Following on a witty prologue, it bogged down the proceedings and was not aided by the actors concerned. Omitting it entirely would be a great improvement.

It is a pleasure to report that after last season's unfortunate choice of plays, the Harvard Dramatic Club is back in the ring again with a winner.