THE QUEENS COLLEGE CASE

To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

I read with incredulity your editorial of November 28 entitled "Embarrassment of Drama." To be sure, you have described well a very serious shortcoming in the circumstances of Harvard theater. But, in ascribing this shortcoming to "foolishness," lack of "common sense" or "thoughtless" lack of "consideration for the public" you have come wide of the mark.

It does not seem possible that I should have to point out that drama is an extracurricular activity which must be organized around the necessities of an academic calendar. We do not become a community until September 20 each year and, thenceforth, hour exams, vacations, recesses and finals confront us with inexorable regularity.

Every Harvard production is confronted with exactly these circumstances when planning its schedule. It is no wonder that each production independently decides that the same few weeks between hour exams and Christmas recess (or between Spring recess and finals) are the optimum time for production. Indeed, it would be most curious were it otherwise.

The Loeb has managed to get a major production on the boards before hour exams each of the last two falls. In each case, however, the director was a faculty member and the cast and crew were called back to Cambridge before the academic year began.

The dramatic community is aware of the problem. I, myself, made an attempt to effect some co-ordination in the production schedule last spring when I was producing Romeo & Juliet. The results are not worth the effort. Plays must be put on when students are free to participate and students are free to participate at only certain well recognized times during the year.

How the CRIMSON could have failed to recognize this point I cannot see. Mark F. Clark '62