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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 7, 1928)
6 THE B A T T A LION THE LIBRARY PAGE R. H. SHUFFLER Editor H. C. GIVENS Asso. Editor J. R. KEITH Asso. Editor G. M. WREN Asso. Editor J. W. RILEY Asso. Editor Those wishing to contribute to this page turn work in to any member of staff, or mail to Editor at 94 Stu dents’ Exchange. “STRANGE INTERLUDE.” By EUGENE O’NEILL Reviewed by W. H. Thomas In the “Bookman” for October, Mr. Upton Sinclair gives his literary credo as follows: “It is my idea that a writer, to be of any conse quence, should have something to say which is likely to be of use to other men in understanding how to live.” In announcing an article to appear in the December “Forum,” the editor of that publication states that “O’Neill, Joyce, Dreiser, and their followers have been dredging the gutter for a long time. Are they looking for something or do they just enjoy wallowing in it ? Will they sink out of sight or emerge with a triumphant discovery?” From the vantage ground of these two quotations, one a declaration and the other a question, I am em boldened to speak somewhat depre ciatingly of Eugene O’Neill’s recent play, “Strange Interlude,” which has been running in New York City for the better part of a year. O’Neill in “Strange Interlude” may have at tempted to forestall hostile critcism by carefully selecting the words of his title. The conduct of Nina, the central character in the play, is very strange, and, after all, merely epis odical. Her final restoration to san ity keeps the play from being un bearable—at least, to people who get no pleasure out of “wallowing in the gutter.” Just why the author of so good a play as “The Hairy Ape” should have chosen to write a play of this kind is difficult for me to understand, unless his motive was purely commercial. Samuel Butler said that a man with a wife and three children was capable of any thing. To paraphrase, one might say that a playwright who starts out to live off the royalties of his pro ductions is capable of writing any kind of play that will draw large audiences. The girl Nina, the daughter of a poor college professor, had a sweet- ' heart named Gordon, who was killed in the Great War, and she doesn’t get over it until just before the cur tain falls in the ninth act. To me, this is the first unreality of the | play. All the young ladies of my! acquaintance that lost lovers in the 1 Great W T ar married other fellows after a decent interval and are liv- ! ing happily. Nina idolized Gordon to the extent that she hated herself for not hav ing encouraged Gordon to become the father of her child, regardless, j To atone for this illusory coward ice, she gets the queer notion that she must throw herself away on anyone that suffered during the ; Great War. Then she marries Sam Evans. Sam was a Babbitt-like fellow that could- ! n’t be happy without an heir. But there had been a great deal of in sanity in the family; consequently, it was Nina’s duty to secure an alien paternity for Sam’s heir in order to save Sam from a fatal un happiness. The whole play pivots on this situation. As one reads through the play, one finds oneself con stantly saying, “It is a wise father that knows his own son and it is a wise son that knows his own fa ther.” Evans leads a happy and suc cessful life and, fortunately, dies in ignorance of the real paternity of his son Gordon, thanks to the re ligious duty of Nina. There is nothing much to the play except some dramatic situations of a more or less horrific nature. This play impresses me as a study in what has been aptly called “phos phorescent decay.” Of course, it has the usual sex titillation expected in art nowadays—this for instance: “Nina: That last night before he sailed—in his arms till my body ach ed—kisses until my lips were numb ed.” But the movies have done this sort of thing so much more vividly that I doubt whether it is any longer effective as soliloquy. In the first part of the drama, O’Neill was near to giving up some You Can Get the Best in Military Clothing Stationery Drawing Material and Toilet Articles at the The Official Store of the College * ❖ ❖ t * * ❖ * * ASSEMBLY HALL Tuesday, November 13 FIREFLY May Valentine’s Musical Comedy 50 People, Wonderful Chorus and Special Orchestra. All seats reserved. Student Prices 50c to $2.00. Reservations open at Y. M. C. A. Friday morning 8 o’clock. . . J • v. s ' Firefly is a Feature Attraction at the Cotton Palace. - - COATS - COATS ALL KINDS ALL PRICES ******************** ★ * ★ £ ★ Sheep Coats * £ Knit Coats ★ J ^ Over Coats £ ★ £ Slicker Coats £ ★ ^ £ Suede Coats ^ £ Trench Coats *- ★ . -if. £ Leather Coats ^ * Sweater Coats $ ★ ★ ★ ★ *■ Come In and Look Them Over. A. M. WALDROP S'CO. Bryan and College 4.. >• .-w,.;*?... - - ‘ w' J-i. h "•'tLV'R.- .