Life, 1920-02-19 · page 18 of 48
Life — February 19, 1920 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical sketch mocks contemporary theatrical melodramas—likely the popular "problem plays" addressing marital infidelity and social scandal. By translating a tawdry love-triangle plot into Latin with faux-classical dialogue ("Tempus fugit," "Caveat emptor"), Life ridicules both the overwrought conventions of serious drama and pretentious audiences who believed such works profound. The cartoon accompanying the text (showing chaotic figures and signs referencing modern issues) contrasts with the "timeless Roman setting," suggesting these supposedly serious plays merely recycle trivial contemporary gossip in classical drag. The absurd ending—Corona's suicide with a hairpin—parodies the genre's reliance on melodramatic death scenes. The piece satirizes 1920s theater culture, implying that serious dramatists used classical framing to dignify shallow domestic scandals into art.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
314 Vacuum: A Roman Problem Play In the Original Latin Dramatis Personae Porus, a Roman husband Coroxa, his wife Amatus, her lover Nutt, rvant Vor, Tue Tiree F a maid. aman, The action takes place at the villa of Porus and Core y minutes, niore or less, from the Appian Way ORONA, alone in the garden, is seated on a marble bench polish- ing her nails, when the voice of Ama- tus is heard as he approaches from the house. He is singing the chorus the latest Bolshe: yman strect song, “ Veni, Vidi, ki, neans the ship of state is : On seeing Corona his song ceases Amatus (tenderly): rona, e pluribus unum. Corona (half angry, half pleased): Quo vadis, Amatus Amatus (rapidly): Rosa pulchra, ne plus ultra, sine qua non! Corona, Co- Coxona (bored by his praise) : Carpe em ad nauscam. Amatus (undiscouraged): Ad in- finitum, ad finem, ad valorem! Corona (sharply Ignis fatuus. (To end the conversation she rings for Null appears, nods, and disappears at the word “vinum.”) Amatus (sighing deeply): De pro- fundis, alma mater. Corona (impatiently) : absurdum (The servant returns with the wine,and Corona and her lover drink.) Amatus (with feeling): Aqua vite, dum vivimus, vivamus; excelsior! (The manservant, Void, appears to an- nounce the arrival of his master.) Vor: Paterfamilias Porus. (Porus enters.) Coxrona: Porus a servant, Reductio ad Prima facie, carissimus. (seeing Amatus, disregards ker greeting and addresses her lover in the accusative.) Casus belli ipso facto. Amatus (pale): disputandum De gustibus non ife with a gesture ith this man, your (Porus turns to his that means, “Go lover!") Corona (impassionately): Non, non, semper fidelis! ANOTHER WALKOUT Porus (unmoved): Tempus fugit Amatus (apologetically): Huma- num est errare. Porus (coldly) : hono publico. Amatus (doubting) : fide? Porus (with a sneer): Habeas corpus pro In toto bona Caveat emp- tor. (Amatus goes over to Corona and takes her hand. She rejects him Without a word she reme pin from her coiffure and stabs her- self with it, She expires neatly.) Amatus (remarking death with courageous triteness): Resquiescat in pace, Porus (calmly): strandum. (The servants Null and Void appear.) Nutt (weeping): O tempore Vow (sobbing): O mores! (Exeunt omnes. Enter the Three Fates.) First Fate (staccato) : Secon Fate (musing): Tuuro Fate (sadly): Ha. Slow Curtain Quod est demon- Ha, ha, ha Ha, ha. comicbooks.com