Scene from "The Frogs" (June 1914)

Art Photo Co. (Springfield, MA) · June 1914

This photograph, which is mounted on a matte board, shows the Massasoit Dramatic Club’s production of “The Frogs” at the International YMCA College, now known as Springfield College. The actors are holding their hands. “The Frogs,” a comedy written by the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes, was performed in West Gymnasium during the dedication of the new library. The play tells the story of the god Dionysus, who, despairing of the state of Athens' tragedians, travels to Hades to bring the playwright Euripides back from the dead. Mrs. Doggett suggested the play and Gilbert Murray translated the text. It "proved such an unqualified success that a large amount of enthusiasm was aroused in histrionic work, and the membership of the society increased by leaps and bounds." This image, along with a full cast list, is printed in the 1914 Massasoit. The Massasoit Dramatic Club was first admitted into the Student Association in 1914. Mr. Willmore, the original chairman and first president, developed the club "into one of the most popular and prosperous of all student activities."