The Play's the Thing

In the Union Common Room through Saturday

The newly-constituted Harvard Players have concocted a most palatable summer salad of Shakespeare excerpts. Four carefully selected scenes from four different plays, all neatly staged and well acted, add up to an extremely pleasing evening.

Simplicity predominates? the stage stands black and bare, properties have been minimized, and the scenes presented involve a minimum of physical action. The resulting emphasis on sheer ability to read poetry well suits the group's talents. But even in the final bit, the play-within-a-play from A Midsummer Night's Dream, entailing a certain amount of slapstick, the players do a fine job.

So consistent is the quality of the acting that one finds it difficult to note high spots. But two performers particularly stand out? Barbara Tettlebach and Eugene Gervasi.

Romeo and Juliet

As Juliet in the Balcony Scene (which opens the evening) Miss Tettlebach displayed a warm, lovely voice perfectly suiting the part. And her reading was superb? she even appeared at times to let the poetry play her; and the listener was not aware of anything standing between him and Shakespeare.

In the face of this excellence, Erich Segal's Romeo suffered slightly. He delivered his lines effectively, but too often he exchanged light-of-love look for a wide-eyed stare.

As Mercutio, Thomas Lumbard did well enough, but one felt he might have played his bawdy jokes less like an English professor and more like an old-time burlesque comedian.

Henry IV, Part One

In the well-paced scene from the First Part of Henry IV, Gervasi excelled as Prince Hal. He acts with confidence and precision, and utilizes gestures and facial expressions with perfect appropriateness.

Earle Edgerton, handicapped by a slim physique, nonetheless took firm command of Falstaff and played an admirable complement to Gervasi's Hal--lying, bluffing, and buffooning with gusto and expertise. Arthur Waldstein sparkled suprisingly in the small role of Poins. Marguerite Tarrant, as the Hostess, played an uproarious game of pinch-bottom with Edgerton.

Richard II

Having perfomed so well as the wastrel Prince, Gervasi showed remarkable change-of-pace in the ensuing excerpt, the abdication scene from Richard II. Richard so completely dominates this section that its success rests solely on the ability of the actor portraying him. Gervasi met all the requirements.

Richard has been called to renounce his crown in the sight of the Commons, to cloak Bolingbroke's usurpation in an air of constitutionality. The formal phrases of abdication are written in rhyming couplets, which Gervasi delivers with heavy emphasis on accents and rhymes, his sing-song manner perfectly bringing out the empty formality and compulsion by which Richard is relinquishing his throne.

The crown abandoned, Richard then discourses on his woes in flowing poetry. Gervasi changes completely and obviously, heightening the difference in mood and building the scene to the climax of his actual departure.

Midsummer Night's Dream

The evening closes somewhat more cheerfully in the Court of the Duke of Athens, with the antics of Peter Quince and his loutish crew. This scene invites overplaying, a sin the Players certainly avoid. Edgerton as Quince, Waldstein as Bottom, William Trebilcock as Flute, Harvey White as Wall, and Karl Cook as Snug clown without hamming. And Bruce MacDonald plays the magnanimous Duke with special ability.

Gervasi and Lumbard each directed two of the bits; in this, as in the acting, the Players have been fortunate to assemble well-applied talent.

The whole sequence takes only 90 minutes (breaks included); local Shakespeare lovers--and students--will find the production a worthwhile break from exam studying.