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Page Four

THE COLLEGE NEWS

Wednesday, December 7, 194°

 

LAST NIGHTERS

Strindberg’s ‘‘Father”
Judged Bitter,
Undefined

by Joan McBride, °52

To one who is familiar with the
plays of August Strindberg mere-
ly by hearsay, they may seem to
bear a close resemblance to those
written by Ibsen. Even for an ad-
mirer of Ibsen, however, they are
bitter fare, exhibiting personal
hatred rather than social con-
sciousness, and lacking Ibsen’s
clarity and understanding of uni-
versally comprehensible charac-
ters.

Such a play is The Father, pre-
sented at the Cort Theatre. Born
from the author’s innate fear, ‘and
consequent loathing, of the female
sex, it shows the culmination of a
wife’s merciless efforts to drive
her husband insane and seize full
power over their daughter. It is
the story of a sensitive, intelligent,
but far too high-strung cavalry

‘ captain, who for years has lived in

“a cage full of tigers.” This in-
cludes his wife, the nurse, his
mother-in-law, personified only by
a few malevolent shrieks, and his
adolescent daughter. The chief
tiger of them all, his wife, has
been baiting him for years; her
final means of torture, implanting
a doubt in his mind that he may
not be the father of their child, is
but the ultimate blow in a long
series of battles in their war
between the sexes.

Strindberg, too, is waging his
own war against womankind. It is
an unreasoning’ conflict, not
against the evils that befall all
humanity, but against women be-
cause they are women, whose one
goal is the destruction of men.
Strindberg’s attitude is said to
have sprung from his own un-
happy marriage; however, it is an
unfair one, and what is worse, one
which seems to fall short of its
aim to make the audience sympa-
thize with it. Perhaps this lies in
his representation of the Father
himself. The cavalry officer, as
portrayed by Raymond Massey, is
at least to the modern audience
an unsympathetic character. This
cannot be entirely the fault of Mr.
Massey’s interpretation of the
role, for in creating him, Strind-
berg seems at variance with his
own views. The audience realizes
that here is a form of injustice, an
obdurate force, which is as unreas-
oning as the demonaic mother her-
self. No father who desires to

Continued on Page 6

Fr. Club to Give
2 Christmas Plays

The French Club Christmas pre-
sentation this year consists of two
pieces. The first, “La Farce
Joyeuse du Moyen Age”, is a med-
ieval farce which has, only recent-
ly been discovered and published.
The full title is: “La Farce nou-
velle et fort joyeuse des femmes
qui font accroire a leurs maria
que vessies ce sont lanternes’”. The
new and most joyous farce of the
women. who make their husbands
believe that bladders are lanterns.
The two main characters, played
by M. Guicharnaud and M. Van
den Heuvel, have fishwives, and

 

» speak the worst Parisian slang.

The other three parts are played
by Catherine’ Harper, Beatrice
Freeman, and Sybil Amic.

The second piece is a nativity
play. It consists of a Christmas
Carol, “Chantons, je vous en prie,”
set to pantomime. The Virgin will
be played by Francine du Plessix,
Joseph, by Ellen Shure, and the
Angel Gabriel, by Karen Cassard.

Catherine Harper is the pro-
ducer, and Nana McBee,. the stage
manager, of the two plays. They
“will be given on Tuesday, Dec. 13,
at 8:30, in the Music Room of
Wyndham. The admission is fifteen
cents (free to members), and re-
freshments will be served.

od

 

 

The German Club
To Give “Urfaust”

The German Club play this year
will be Goethe’s Urfaust, which
has been chosen instead of the
usual nativity play in honor of the
Goethe Bicentennial. It is presented
jointly by the Bryn Mawr and
Haverford German Clubs. The cast
includes Dr. Foss and Dr. Pfund
from Haverford and Mr. Politzer
and Mr. Janschka from Bryn
Mawr, besides students from both
colleges. Susan Jungbauer, from
the Graduate Center, is director,
and Mr. Politzer, faculty advisor.
The play will be given on Monday,
Dec. 12 at 8:15 in the Skinner
Workshop. It will be followed by
the traditional German Club
Christmas party (with refresh-
ments) in Wyndham.

Murder

In Cuneiform

Continued from Page 3
who felt that Dodson would stick
at nothing.

 

| ee, Wee,

It was late afternoon when Hil-
debrand Sharp, dizzy and aching,
awoke to find himself in a cramp-
ed, darkened room; his head prop-
ped up against the tiled wall. He
looked feebly at his watch. 5:30.
He had cut four classes; the Dean
would not be pleased.

Slowly he arose and reached for
the doorknob. It came off in his
hand. “My God, what’s going on
here?” he cried, but the only ans-
wer came from the ventilating sys-
tem. “He, he,” it said mordantly,
“Il get you yet,” cried Hilde-
brand. And wrenching away the
grate, he crawled through the ven-
tilating system to the outer world
a free man.

* * *

“Mr, Chairman,” said Dr. Part-
ridge, Professor of Forensics and
Public Speech, “may I propose a
resolution?”

The rest of the faculty stirred in
their seats; the meeting had been
a long and futile one.

“Yes, Partridge,” said the Presi-
dent wearily, “go right ahead.”

The Professor waited for atten-
tion, cleared his throat, and as-
sumed the stance held by Daniel
Webster in a painting over his
desk.

“Be it resolved,” he read, “that
the President and faculty of the
Hiram Homer Hopper Memorial
‘College do solemnly state that the
murder of one of their number is a
policy not to be encouraged at any
time in the future and that it is
one basically opposed to the best
interests of that member’s family
friends, and employers.”

Here Partridge’s voice was
drowned out by the sound of ap-
plause. He flushed with pride. “I
think it’s definitely the best we
can do for old Shotwell,” he said.
“May we vote?”

The motion was carried almost
unanimously. Only two dissenting

voices were heard—that of Dr.

Cratchett, who felt that the reso-
lution implied an aggressive atti-
tude toward the Soviet Union, and
that of Miss Lemmon, who was not
at all satisfied that this was all
she could do,

ok * *

Two hours later, Miss Lemmon
was found dead, an expression of
horror on her face.

To be continued next week

Shippen Retells Story

Of Moses for Children
Continued from page 3
simple sincerity of her style makes
it easy to read. It would be suitable
for children from about eight or
nine to thirteen. Moses is an agree-
able way to become acquainted
with the Bible story, though it
could never be called a suitable

substitute for it. _
Katherine B. Shippen is an

_|alumna of Bryn Mawr.

| sea diver.”

 

Swigs of Vin Rouge, French Fur Merchant,
*“‘Men Among Sharks’? Pave Way to Salzburg

Continued from Page 3

rolling back on the shabby plush
seats of the old Orient Express we
laughed and laughed and laughed
—drunk with excitement and won-
der at the enormity of our own
boldness.

The Austrian looked first at one
and then the other. His eyes took
in our proper tweed coats from
Peck & Peck, our cotton skirts, our
neat traveling bags with the Cun-
ard label on them, and then turned
.o our laughing faces with amaze
ment.

“You are very crazy little girls,”
he concluded at last. “Fortunately
I too am going to Salzburg for a
few days before Vienna; you must
let me help you.” The Frenchman
cnorted and retreated beneath his
coat collar.

We looked at the Austrian with
renewed. interest.
Pages of manuscript were spread

out on his lap, a large book lay be-,

side him on the seat; he reached
into his pocket for a card.

“Have you read my book?” he
asked. “It is caked in English
Men Among Sharks. I am a deep

tion in the world, and calmly hand-
ed us his card.
It was too much to believe, and

Nina and I sat silently pinching
ourselves for the next few mom-,

ents, not quite daring to laugh and
trying desperately to attach some
segment of reality to all that was
happening. Sontehow our Vien-
nese deep sea diver with a black
beard, offering to take us through
Salzburg, was not what we needed
to bring us down to earth. Mean-
while, as the soot thickened over
the “nicht hinauslehnen’™ notice
on the window ledge, the terrible
dead plain of Germany had turned
into bright green fields that seem-
ed to be bursting with life; a flock

 

MAIDS AND PORTERS

The Maids and Porters will
come carolling from hall to hall
on Wednesday, December 14,
after 10 p .m. This year, they
are directed by Julie Stevens,
62. They will sing spirituals
and traditional Christmas car-

Shorts

by Emmy Cadwalader, ’5

Last Thursday, Nov. 31, ie
Class Swimming Meet was held.
The Senior Class won the meet,
with a score of 38-36 over the Jun-
iors, who came in second. The
Freshmen were third, and the
Sophomores finished last. The Sen-
iors were particularly active, and
showed up with a great many
swimmers.

The Volleyball Varsity Squad is
now in the process of being form-
ed. The Captain is Lois Maconi,
and Margie Partridge is.the Man-
ager.

There has been a tremendous
turnout this year at the Basket-
ball Varsity tryouts. The selection
committee doesn’t know how it will
ever pick the teams, because there
are so many good players. The
officers of Basketball are as fol-
lows: Sue Savage, Emily Town-
send — Co-Captains, and Claire
Liachowitz, the Manager. The way
it stands now, the coming season
looks very promising.

 

 

 

 

Who was he?!

He announced it as if,
it were the most ordinary occupa-

| of birds wheeled suddenly across a

next compartment came the sound
of a harmonica.

uniformed officer came in.
burg,” he said. Nina and I sprang,
up as if it had been a command.

““T will take your bags,” said our
deep sea diver as the train rattled

will find a taxi and go to the bank,
the post-office, and the tourist bu-
reau. Once you have your money,
your meal tickets, and a_ hotel
room, I can show you Salzburg.”

He certainly had everything un-
der control. Nina and I looked up
at him and said “Danke sehr” very
dutifully, and he put an arm
around each of us and winked.

The fur merchant gave us a last
.disapproving glare and said, “Au
revoir, mesdemoiselles, amusez-
, vous bien in Autriche.”

If there was any sarcasm in his
voice we drowned it with our
‘laughter. Following our Austrian
through the customs I looked at

 

Nina and smiled. It had been a
good trip.
Now bulbous baroque steeples

and small gnome-like figures in
green caps and grey Tyrolean
capes swam before my eyes, and
even before we came out of the
station into Salzburg itself, the
music of Mozart had mingled with
the heavy rain and charmed out all
other sounds from my ears.

into the wet rainy station; “we'

corner of the sky, and from the]

 

The door opened, and a green-| fifty - eight

‘the tinkle

 

Jester, Majesty
Vary “Elizabeth”

by Jane Roller, °51
“Silence, fool!” Cease your chat-
ter or you'll miss the queen. At
she’s a_ passionate

“Salz-| witch, and her ways are bound to

win the audience Friday and Sat-

|urday nights, when Hlizabeth the.

Queen is presented at Haverford.

Glimpses at rehearsal reveal col-
orful castle scenes punctuated by
of the jester’s bell.
Stalking on stage in authentic,.
richly brocaded costumes, the act-
ors seem to revel in the new age.
and world in which they are sud-
denly living. But grandeur and
style are quickly shaken off be-
tween scenes, when sleepy actors,
snatching catnaps, stretch out flat
on the floor. Even on stage, oc-
casionally glory takes a fall—as
when a nobleman does, over stairs
that aren’t there.

Throughout the play the radiant

focus of attention is the queéeit=—

Neither her age nor stiff Eliza-
bethan gown and ruffs are deter-
rents to her flare of temper and
passionate embraces with Lord
Essex. Handsome and twentyish,
he is tormented by his conflicting:
desires for her and the kingdom
she rules.

There are contrastingly light.
moments with the court fool. He
is the airy bubble of flippancy, that.
doesn’t burst even when soundly
trounced by her majesty. “Strum-
pets are they all,” is his reflection.

 

Continued from Page 3

trip to the Louvre ... so we went
in, only to be shocked out of our
wits by the pictures. I turned to
throw. some smart comment...
when my eye fell on a young,
bearded artist-looking individual
(Puma, I suppose) with an eagle
eye, (animal-bird combined). I
changed my mind about speaking.

- To the ballet de Monte
Carlo, where I was in _ seventh
heaven as sylphs flitted here and
there to the tune of Chopin, as the
black swans beat their wings to
Tschaichowsky,and as Leonide Mas-
sine of the Red Shoes fame danced
Le Beau, Danube...

. The second class I’ve ever
taught — the first one occuring
the hour previously — will be one
of ten-year-olds who’ve studied
English for a full five hours. “Il
y aura peut-etre des problemes de
discipline,” adds the elevator wo-
man ‘sweetly, “et evidemment il
faut leur parler Francais.” I near-
ly pulled the emergency switch at
that point...

Sorties of special note to Bryn
Mawr professors ... M. Van den
Heuvel gave me a lecture on the
care and feeding of portillons
automatiques before he sailed
away. I would like for him to know
that his sage counsel fell on eager
ears| Wednesday night as four of

 

 

Ex-Editor B. Bright Page Charges Portillons;
Meets Eagled-Eyed Puma, Cries ‘““Eeek—a mouse !’”

us headed to the theatre, my mo-
ment of glory arrived. The portil-.
lons were closing as we tore down
the stairs, but I rushed headlong
into them. Unfortunately, I’d for-
gotten what he said about push-
ing with all one’s strength and in
fact I didn’t have much left by
then, but I did manage to scream
to the others not to be afraid.
They took the hint and plunged
through behind me. We were luck-
ily in order of size, so that the
thinnest at the end only lost a
button off her jacket as she
squeezed past. The metro driver
was screaming French epithets,
but the passengers were in stitches.
and we were blushing furiously,
but we made the metro in a blaze
of excitement. I beamed the whole
evening ...

 

SPANISH CHRISTMAS

The Spanish Club will present
an “interlude” by Cervantes en-
titled El Viejo Celoro on Wed-
nesday, December 14, at 8:30 in
the Common Room. The cast
includes Christine Zimmelman,
Anne Warren, Glafira Vizcarra,
Renee Veron, and Jane Wick-
ham. Subsequent features of
the evening will be a pinata and
Christmas caro] singing.

 

 

 

 

 

SKIRTS

652 Lancaster Ave.
rf Bryn Mawr

EVENING DRESSES $25.00 .UP
COCKTAIL DRESSES
SPORTSWEAR

FRANNY HOWE, Inc.
Just beyond the ‘Blue Comet’

==

ne

B.M. 3577

 

 

 

SENORITAS ! !!
THE MEXICAN SHOP

will help you give
your room a
South-of-the-border
accent!
SUBURBAN SQUARE
ARDMORE

 

 

 

 

Your Christmas Portrait

BY ROBERT JONES

Phone BM 3598 Today ;

989 Glenbrooke Avenue at Conestoga Road