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CAMPUS MIRROR
5
“Everyman”
Dramatic Appreciation
The production “Everyman,” the
most famous of all the medieval moral
ity plays that have come down to us,
because it is easy to produce, was pre
sented by the Spelman College Y. W.
C. A. in Howe Memorial Hall, March
3, at 7:30 and at 8:30 p. m. The play,
under the direction of Mr. John M.
Ross, was well performed, and was
novel in the fact that all parts were
taken by feminine characters.
Orchids in the spectacular lighting,
as designed by Inah Smith, were very
fitting and quite appropriate for the
play and the setting.
The setting depicted a medieval
churchyard and gave one the feeling of
a realistic setting. This fact was quite
a feather in the cap of Gladys Forde
and her assistant Lawana Davis.
As a background, music under the
direction of Mr. Kemper Harr eld and
Mr. Willis L. James, served to heighten
the color of the play.
Lillian Taylor lifted the veil of seri
ousness and brought in for a few sec
onds a bit of humor. She will be re
membered also for her splendid work
in the performance of “Icebound.”
Mary Gale Brown and Ollie Mae
Franklin, newcomers to the University
stage, show promise of splendid work
in the field of acting. Mary Gale
Brown, a freshman, and formerly a
member of Hampton’s creative-dance
group, played the role of Everyman,
and Ollie Mae Franklin, the role of
I )eath.
The parts played by the other young
members of the \. W. C. A. were quite
deserving of praise.
Tliis play will go down in Spelman
history as another achievement of Mr.
John M. Ross.
Literary Effects
Medieval man received a part of his
fear of God and of eternal loss of his
soul from the preachings and teachings
ot the pious, black-robed clergy. But
in his recreation and his relaxational
moments this fear was further instilled
in him by the types of dramatic plays
which grew out of the biblical pageants
called morality plays. “Everyman” is
one of these plays.
The action is depressing. Death meets
Everyman, blithe and happy, whistling
down the road of life. After the lirst
few moments of disbelief, Everyman
is gripped with a stifling fear: a hor
rible thing is happening to him, some
thing which dooms him forever. He
must stop laughing, stop seeing his
comrades, stop enjoying delicious
foods —stop living, in short. The first
blast of spring will come and he won't
see; tin* summer, the orange tint of
autumn, the snug co/.iness of the win
ter tire he will not know. Tide will be
John Hope Homes
Susie L. Taylor ’39
Officials of the Atlanta Housing Au
thority announced Saturday, March 4,
the second step in Atlanta’s current
$14,250,000 slum clearance program.
This new project will be contiguous to
University Homes and will occupy thir
ty acres of land bounded on the south
by Peters street, on the east by Mc
Daniel and Chapel streets, on the north
by Larkin street, and on the west by
and Leonard streets.
Such a magnificent project is note
worthy and should be of great interest
to all Atlantans who have witnessed
the poor and inadequate dwellings
throughout the city. Of signal interest
to the members of the Atlanta Uni
versity system, however, is the fact
that this project will be named after
the late John Hope, former president
of Atlanta University.
The University Homes, now man
aged by Mr. Alonzo Moron, were high
ly praised recently by Nathan Straus,
United States housing administrator,
and I)r. Hope played an important part
in its development.
I)r. Hope was interested in all phases
of Negro life. His principles and ideals
are not only an inspiration to the Ne
gro youth but are worthy of recogni
tion by the housing officials in naming
the proposed housing unit for Negroes,
John Hope Homes.
his no more. Eternities of years will
pass and his body will be dust. And,
horrible to think, he must go alone. But,
happy thought—friends! They will go
with him, to this realm of the dead
from which none can return. Alas! It
is not to be so—for the shocking dis
appointments of the first refusal of his
friends — Good Fellowship, Goods,
Kinsfolk, Strength, Beauty and other
staunch supporters in his lifetime—
there gradually comes over him a sick
ening despair and a black hopelessness.
Then from out of nowhere comes Good
Deeds—feeble, hardly able to drag her
self along. Then Knowledge, her sister,
appears. The tide turns. He has found
friends at last who will go with him to
the grave—as a result of his record of
good deeds done for mankind. He con
fesses and repents and goes to death
unafraid. One can imagine the hoarse
cries and cheers that went up from the
gaping medieval audiences when Ev
eryman is finally saved from eternal
damnation.
The men of the Middle Ages, grasp
ing the moral of this tale, grew uneasy
and looked furtively back into the
shadows of lives spotted only sparse]v
with Good Deeds, and resolved never
to sutler the woes and agonies of Ev
eryman.
How Can One Become
Eternal ?
On March f), Dr. Norman Coleman,
who has been the guest of the campus
for the past few weeks, was presented
as the speaker at an all-university con
vocation. Although his morning chapel
talks have been interesting, this longer
speech was the most interesting. Dr.
Coleman gave many thoughts, for chew
ing and digesting. He cited from
Dante’s Inferno, Book 15, where the
scholar gives the teacher great praise
when he tells the teacher that he had
taught him to make his life eternal. Dr.
Coleman also elaborated on the idea of
hitching one ’s wagon to a star and gave
it an interpretation not of going higher,
but of ever moving. He gave several ex
amples of stars that have been followed
and should be followed, and one in par
ticular that must be followed if the na
tions of the world are to remain. These
stars were Truth. Beauty. Freedom, and
in our new day, Peace. He gave a pic
ture of how evils would destroy all if
they were not checked; and presented
before the youth of today the challenge
of hitching their wagons to the Star of
Peace, the supreme ideal of the Chris
tian world.
Morehouse Entertains
Spelman
Another delightful event! The Jun
iors and Seniors of Morehouse College
entertained their friends of Spelman
at a delightful social in the Atlanta
l niversify dormitory on Saturday,
March 11.
It was a novel experience for all
concerned because it was the first time
such an event had occurred. Need we
say, the anxiety of both hosts and
guests for the evening to be a success-
tul one-helped it to meet with the suc
cess and approval that was hoped for.
The young men called for the Spel
man young ladies. Each minute from
seven-thirty until ten o’clock was
crowded with pleasure, pleasure, plea
sure.
The Morehouse banner across the top
ot the fireplace was all tin 1 decoration
needed. I he novel arrangement of the
lights helped to add color to the affair.
During intermission, a very brief
but delightful program was given. With
\ . 1'. Tubbs presiding as master ot'
ceremonies, we listened to the sweet
voice of Elizabeth Battle and saw an
interpretative dance bv Jessie Logan,
both of whom are students of the
Atlanta University School of Social
Work. Dean B. R. Brazeal greeted his
many friends with a few words.
At ton o (dock the procession started
homeward after a verv pleasant eve-
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