Last night the Radcliffe Idlers gave us a chance to look into the Hell of Jean-Paul Sartre.

The central theme of "No Exit" is expressed by one of the characters: "Hell is other people." Three people, newly-arrived in Hell, find that they must spend eternity in each other's presence. Though they were not acquainted on earth, they soon perceive that being put together in one sealed room was no chance occurrence-each by his mere presence must forever torture the other two.

The three sinners are a coward, a lesbian, and a nymphomaniacal infanticide. It's a rich enough combination for any dramatist to work with, and Mr. Sartre, fortunately, does not exploit the sensational aspects of his characters. In fact, the three people are not in Hell for being a coward, a Lesbian, or a nymphomaniac.

As "No Exit" is virtually a three character play (there is a valet who appears briefly), an unusual burden is put upon the actors. The Idler players--Ed Franklin, Connaught O'Connel, and Carla Friedman--are a talented trio and what errors they committed last night can be laid at the feet of Mary Howe, the director. Mrs. Howe has been with the group for some time but she continues to show an appalling indifference to some of the mere fundamentals of staging. The greatest fault with the present production is that it is played throughout on too shrill a key. Miss Friedman is allowed to shout her lines most of the time, thereby making some of them unintelligible. Moreover, her interpretation of the lesbian is so rigidly mannish as to become a caricature. Miss O'Connel is pleasing to gaze upon and believable as the heartless woman. Mr. Franklin brings an unusually fine voice to the role of the coward, and gives a good performance.