Eliot Players Will Perform Four Yeats Verse Dramas

In response to a growing interest in the verse plays of W. B. Yeats, a group of College and Annex students will present four of these plays seldom produced in America. At 8 p.m. on April 12 and 13, the Eliot House library will provide the requisite drawing room atmosphere for the production. No admission will be charged.

Robert Lavzer '53 and Elizabeth Hubbard '55 are starred in the cast, which also includes Winifred Hare '56, Mary Arnold, lina Backman '56, Chris Beels '53, Donald Stewart '53, Richard Eder '55, Peter Judd '54, Paul Matisse '55, and Peter de Brant.

Cuchulain, the legendary Irish warrior, is the hero of the group of verse plays. Yeats drew largely on Irish folklore and the peculiar culture for the theme of his works.

Louis Begley '54 is directing the production, which will be staged according to one of Yeats' basic demands: that poetry be performed as though one were shouting across the street. The group will adhere to as many others of Yeats' tenets as space and finance will allow.

In addition to the speaking roles, the verse plays include dancing and original music composed by Caldwell Titcomb '47. The costumes will be improvised by the informal group, and they will use ordinary lighting.

The production developed from some impromptu readings, done by several cast members, and those interested investigated the history of the cycle, and found only two of them had ever been presented in this country. The plays will be introduced by John V. Kelleher, associate professor of Irish Literature and History.