Page 60 - 1964 VES Meteor

Among the last of Herman Mel- ville's writings was his short novel, "Billy Budd." Since its rather late appearance in 1924, it has been al- most unanimously acclaimed by critics. The adaption for the stage by Louis 0. Coxe and Robert Chap- man however, has not been as fortunate. The reasons for this may not be entirely known, but possibly lie in the tremendous dynamics of Mel- ville's story. In C laggert, the Master- at-Arms of the Indomitable, is the principle of Natural Evil, and in Billy is the personification of Natural Good. Captain Vere, the true hero, is a wise, just, morally sensitive, and educated man: the representative of mankind.
These characterizations were most ably "Carried out by Mr. Arthur Carnes and his newly organized V.E.S. Drama Society. There was, in fact, a good bit of talent shown in some actors. Pat Konrad, as J ohn Claggart, showed remarkable ability in portray- ing the intense evil of the man, and his performance was without question of sterling qua lity. Captain Vere'-. part, a most difficult one, was most admirably played by Frank Mc- Dermott. While Mr. McDermott's stature was most suitable for the part,
Good vs. Evil in Play's Dramatic Trial Scene.
6
BILLY BUDD
c
Caf
Der
pre~
Cia, rad.
c
moL LieL Cha
Wy
Ensi mur ship Ma1 Surs
c
sker
O'C
Ge< in;
Hu< We
Unrest among the crew of the HMS Indomitable.
his acting ability also created a Vere that was a powerful and eloquent captain. Jim Treadwell, as Billy, was indeed "the Handsome Sailor" and
Cia played the likable part well. The dalE
lessor roles played by Chan Chandler, Jack Taylor, Rogers Toms, and Raye Woodin, showed talents that should most certainly be developed in the future.
The staging, which w a s the tremendous responsibility of Robert Barco, and t h e lighting by Fred Walsh, showed a great use of very limited resources. Costuming was most accurately and tastefully done, and Benjamin Britten's opera music was an unusual and artistic contribu- tion. "Billy in the Darbies," which was sung for the first time in any per- formance anywhere, was an enliven- ing and additive premiere.
As good as this first performance of the V.E.S. Drama Society was, it was indeed unfortunate that so few people not directly associated with the School attended. But the Society is certainly to be commended and thanked for its creative contribution to the life of the School and the com- munity, and next year's production is most eagerly anticipated.
- B. Smyth.
THE METEOR TI