Wellesley's Dramatic 'Faust' Employs Weird Stage Effects

Although three-D is passe, the circus is dying, and the Conventions promise little in the way of thrills, the Group 20 production of Goethe's Faust (Part I) shows that the theatre is still capable of providing exciting spectacle.

Faust, as a play, has languished for decades in literature courses and anthologies. It is a difficult drama to produce: it is long, the requirements on the actors in interpretation are tremendous, and the title of this musty classic does not draw at the box-office. Moreover, it is a three-ring circus of dramatic forms--a curious medley of tragedy, farce, melodrama, satire and philosophy--which presents an almost insurmountable problem of style and pacing for the director.

Wellesley's Theatre on the Green deserves praise for attempting such a work, and also for their excellent rendition. Most credit should go to Director Benno Frank for his imaginative and theatrical interpretation, but he was ably assisted by a thoroughly competent cast and technical staff.

In his demonstration that Faust is as suited to the stage as to the bookshelf, Frank has treated the play as a "mystery," rather than as a tragedy or philosophical melodrama. For the theatre, it is difficult to find fault with his judgment.

The play comes alive with terrifying force from Frank's use of most of the old tricks of staging--devils appearing in bombs of smoke, weirdly grotesque Things, lavish costumes, smoldering fires, phosphorescent vials, and dramatic lighting effects. To avoid the inevitable lags, the director has chosen to set the pitch high and to raise it by alternating the nerve-wracking tragedy of Faust and Margaret with Mephistopheles' comic moments and violent crowd scenes. Unbelievably, he succeeds.

The three leads, Margaret, Faust, and Mephistopheles, make the most of their lines and play beautifully together. The brilliance of Frederick Warriner as Mephistopheles stood out like a sizzling fire cracker. He played a green and sparkling devil of serpentine grace and satanic power. A superb mime, Warriner walked the tightrope of maintaining himself as both a loathsome creature and a dilettante of debonair charm. He did not falter. The quiet, brooding force of Robert Evans acted as a good foil for Mephistopheles, and Evans handled his long monologue in the first act with superb skill. Margaret, as played by Frances Sternhagen, was a triumph of sincerity. The difficulty of the Mephistopheles role is that the devil has a thousand faces, all of which he plays to the hilt. In a way Margaret's part is even more challenging, for she must show a great development of character. To say that she convinces is praise enough.

The outdoor setting added much to the atmosphere of the play. William D. Roberts has designed an awesome set of towering (fifteen feet) platforms and Gothic arches. The stage is sombre, but only to act as background for the lush costumes and lighting. Brilliant greens highlight Satan--strange amber tones play over the Witches' revels where nudes and hags mingle in what might have been better dances. Unfortunately they suffered from lack of definitive choreography and professional performance. Satan would not tolerate such slip-shod work on the part of his disciples.

The production as a whole, however, is of a high professional quality. The play moves dramatically and well. This Theatre on the Green production does not provide a gay evening--the combination of sombre philosophy with grotesque revels does not make for frivolity--but is an incredibly exciting experience. Again, we must congratulate Group 20 for putting on this production.