DRAMATIC CLUB'S PLAY CHARMING FAIRY TALE

"The Dragon," a "Wonder Play in Three Acts," by Lady Gregory, which was produced first at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin on April 21st, 1919, was performed last evening for the first time in America at the Hasty Pudding Theatre by the Harvard Dramatic Club.

The Dramatic Club made an excellent choice for its play this year. "The Dragon" is a delightful medley of old Celtic folk tales, Gilbert and Sullivan successes and the finished dramatic technique and the kindly human sympathy conspicuous in Lady Gregory's works. In its reminiscence of old tales, it suggests at once parts of that great mediaeval romance, "Tristram and Iseult."

With the poetry there is always the delicious humor. The logic of the Queen, the Princess's self-sufficient, practical step-mother, is not more unanswerable than Gilbertian when she suggests the way for the girl to escape the doom foretold by the stars--that she is to be ate and devoured by a scaly Green Dragon from the North. Marriage, argues the Queen, is the way of escape. Dragons from time immemorial have eaten King's daughters but not Kings' wives. "In all the inventions made by poets did any of you ever hear of a Dragon swallowing the wedding-ring?" Hence the proclamation of the King that the Princess is to be married to the first man who shall enter the palace.

How everything ends happily as of course it should in a fairy-tale, has already been told. It should be noted, though, that no fairy-tale of old ever had quite so happy an ending as this genial one of Lady Gregory's.

Only a company of professional stars could give a performance of "The Dragon" entirely worthy of the play. This naturally was not to be expected last evening, though the actors of the Dramatic Club have been admirably trained by Mr. J. W. D. Seymour. The chief weakness of the company was in enunciation. Mr. Brown, a very dragonfly dragon, spoke with excellent distinctness, and so for the most part did Mr. Faweett as the King. Mr. Leach as the King of Sorcha, and Mr. Wardner as Taig, the false claimant. But the enunciation of the others was at times bad. The effect of many good lines was spoiled because the speakers did not get them over the footlights.

Special praise should be given to Miss Ellis as Taig's mother, Miss Ellis as the Nurse, and Miss Googins as the Princess