Variety (Jun 1947)

so LEGITIMATE Wednesday, June 25, 1947 Coast Tuning Up for Heftiest Strawhat Season in Years Los Angeles, June 24. This area's strawhat season gets underway tonight (24) when Ross Hunter presents West Coast pre- miere of Elmer Rice's "Dream Girl" at the Tent theatre in Sherman Oaks. Virginia Grey is starred and Hunter is planning a Coast tour after local stand, with Santa Bar- bara, Oakland, Seattle and Portland dates already set. Additionally, Hunter has skedded five Broadway oldies to round out his season, which ends Sept. 20. Rice play, now being filmed by Paramount, also is skedded as the first offering of John Meredyth Lu- cas* Gryphon Players, opening at Laguna next Tuesday (1). Film names have been set for appearances during the summer and Lucas has scheduled Coast preems of "Amphi- tryon 38" arid "Dark of the Moon." Pic people are directly involved in the Actors Group, which bows at La Jolla July 1, with Dame May Whitty starred in "Night Must Pall." Strawhatter is an enterprise of Selz- nlck actors, comprising Joseph Cot- ten, Mel Ferrer, Jennifer Jones, Dorothy McGuire and Gregory Peck. All are slated to appear during the season. Up at Tustin, Harold Turney of the Los Angeles City College drama department, has skedded "State of the • Union" to open season next Monday (SO). Group, working un- der banner of Holiday Stage, will operate until Aug. 30. Although season actually is at hand, various other strawhat activi- ties still are in the talking stage with no money yet In Equity's hands. Among those reported plan- ning- are. Gene Lockhart, who's eye- ing a Lake Arrowhead spot, and Edward Everett Horton, mulling a theatre on his own San Fernando Valley estate with, naturally, "Springtime, for Henry" as the first offering. Not in the strawhat class, but still a seasonal . institution, is Gene Mann's Greek Theatre in Griffith , Park, which bows July 7 with "Rose Marie" as the first of five operettas. Others are "Blossom Time," "Bitter Sweet," "Desert Song" and "The Great Waltz." Classed as a little theatre but with class "A" plans, Pelican, Productions currently is offering "Skin of Our Teeth" at the C° ronet ner e prior to a road tour. Group also is prep ping "Galileo" for a world preem at the Coronet before Broadway. . Little Theatre group at the Jewel Box Theatre has arranged a world preem tonight (24) with Mary M Sheldon's "Dust in the Light," and Geller workshop group also has a preem tonight, "Back to Eden," Wil- liam Bowers-Walter. Gorman script on Palestine, situation.. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, on Friday and Saturday nights in Chestertown high school auditorium. The same plan was fol- lowed last year. One of the plays will be a tryout of "This Is It," with music and lyrics by Marvin Segal and Jean Laskoff. 11-Week Pitt Season Pittsburgh, June 24. Town's going to have an 11-week season of summer stock at audi- torium of Frick School in Oakland. Non-Equity company calls itself Repertory Players and, under direc- tion of Francis Mayville, each show will toe presented for two nights only, Thursday and Friday. Opener's "Importance of Being Earnest" and it'll be followed by "Playboy of Western World," "An- tigone," "Blithe, Spirit," "Ghosts,*' Hay Fever," "Night Must Fall," a new play; "Tables for Ladies," "The Little Foxes," "Angel Street" and •Macbeth." Company includes Jack. Brooking, June Brown, Mary Christopher, Lee Dennem, Laviah Lucking, Ina Olson and two local apprentices, William Hall and George Eyrich, III. Com- pany manager is Belle Roberts. Hepkins In 'Juliet' Princeton, June 24.' Miriam Hopkins is to star in "There's Always Juliet," with Rich- ard Kehdrick in support, at McCar- ter theatre here, week of June 30. Play marks second week of new season under management of Harold J. Kennedy and Herbert Kenwith. Segal To Ogunquit Alex Segal, who graduated from the Carnegie. Tech drama school several years ago, has been taken on by George Abbott as director of the strawhat stock season at Ogunquit, Me. Another Tech alumus, Robert Gill, is also going -to be a rustic stager, at Woodstock, N. Y., Play- house. Harbor (Me.) Playhouse resident company rehearsing "First Mrs. Eraser" in New York, this week, prior to opening at its strawhat Monday (30) with Jane Cowl in her original, role..."Little A" is Green Hills theatre's third offering, start- ing Monday (30), at Mohnton, Pa.... Martha Scott makes her first ap- pearance on the hayloft circuit next Monday (30) in "Barretts of Wim- pole Street" at Wiiliam Miles' Berk- shire Playhouse, Stockbridge, Mass. ...Ann Corio essaying "Dear Ruth" Monday (30) at Cape Playhouse, Cape May, N. J....Beach theatre, Ocean City, N. J., preems July 1 with "There's Always Juliet." 36 Strawhats Start Operating By the end of the week there will be approximately 36 Equity-accred- ited summer stocks in operation, the total now registered with Equity for the summer season having mounted to 116. By the Fourth of July week- end an avalanche of strawhats will be bidding for attention from Maine to Virginia. A dozen hideaways started operating late last week, four new shows were among the group. In addition to the registered stocks there is at least an additional 38 of non-professional rating. Such outfits have drama student casts, embryo players paying for tuition in school adjuncts to I the barns where shows are given. There is an admission charge but no Equityites are sup- posed to appear with the non-pros. 'Dear Ruth' at La Jolla Hollywood, June 24. <«jj|ftr Madison and Diana Lynn will play the top roles in the strawhat version of "Dear Ruth" in the little seaside theatre at La Jolla. Play is slated for one week, open- ing July 1C. Bolton Landing Season Bolton Landing, N. Y., June 24. The Bolton Landing (Lake George) Summer Theatre will open its season July 1, with a new show each week, on a rotating-town basis. .Performances will be given in- Bol- ton. Central School auditorium on Strawhat Jottings Bass Rocks theatre, Gloucester, Mass., preemed yesterday (Tues.) with "Dream Girl".. .Muriel Kirk- land set for the Katharine Cornell role in "Barretts of Wimpole St." at Bucks County Playhouse, New Hope, Pa.,' next month.. .Lucille Ball, trouping the strawhat circuit, tees off the North Shore Players season iri "Dream Girl" at Marblehead, Mass., next Monday (30)... Jan Spencer Scott inked as set designer at Jill Miller's Putnam County, N. Y., Playhouse.. .Fordham Uni- versity theatre," N. Y., opens August summer session with the rural com- edy, "Aaron Slick from Punkin Crick"..."Bonfire," by Elaine Elliot and Abraham Mandelstam, adapted from the book by Dorothy Canfield Fisher, set for a July tryout at the Riverside theatre, Bridgton, Me... Frank McHugh and his son, Peter, booked for "Ah, Wilderness" week of July 21 at the County theatre, Suffern, N. Y. Same spot is ne- gotiating with Blanche Yurka to star in untitled play by the late Laurette Taylor. . .Port Players, Oconomowoc, Wise, starts this week with "Dream Girl".. .Sylvia Friedlander business- managing the Ridgefield (Conn.) summer theatre.. .Paul Green's sym- phonic drama, "The Common Glory," preems at the Maitoaka Lake theatre, Williamsburg, Va., July 17...Eliza- beth R. Suppes' Rice Playhouse, Oak Bluffs, Mass., opens season of eight plays with "Squaring the Circle" July 7.. .Cliff Self's Bridgeport Play- house, Bridgeport, N. Y., tees off 10- week season today (Wed.) with "Kempy"... Original revue by Charles Gaynor, ''After Hours," star- ring Jane Pickens, slated for pro- duction next Monday (30) at, the South Shore Players, Town Hall, Cohasset, Mass...Zasu Pitts essaying "The Late Christopher Bean" at George Abbott's Ogunquit Playhouse, Ogunquit, Me., week of July 7, re- placing the originally scheduled "The Medium and the Telephone".. .Berk- shire Playhouse opened 1947 season Monday (24) with Mady Christians in Patterson Greene's comedy "Pape Is All." Theatre-in-the-Dale, New Milford, Conn., trying out the new Frances Goforth-Howard Richardson play, "Catch on the Wing," July 2-6... Bela Lugosi stars in "Arsenic and Old Lace" at Bucks County Play- house, New. Hope, Pa., starting next Monday (30).. .Constance Bennett inaugurates 21st season at • Cape Playhoule, Dennis, Mass., with "Over 21" on Monday (30)...Bar Opera Producers Form Association In what is regarded as a move by opera impresarios to get better breaks from unions, particularly the American Guild of Musical Artists, in the matter of basic agreements, various opera producers formed an association in New York last week. Group, similar in setup to the League of New York Theatres, legiti- mate theatre producers' group, plans taking a name, shortly and appoint- ing a f ermanent exec secretary .or public relations counsel. to handle its affairs on a fulltime basis. Group believes the various unions concerned will prefer dealing with tbem as an entity, to save time. Group has several grievances, which it hopes to present in toto to various unions shortly. Chief problem is AGMA's basic agreement for next season, which some managers claim contains proposals, they can't accept and which they say should have been discussed with them, individ- ually or as a group, before agree- ments were submitted by AGMA. There's also feeling among impres- arios that AGMA should rate vari- ous opera companies by classes or categories, with different scales, de- pending on the scope and promin- ence of each group. Members joining the new associa- tion, who attended the meeting, in- clude Fortune Gallo, San Carlo Opera Co.; Frank Pelosi, Philadel phia-La Scala Opera Co.; Michael De Pace, San Francisco Opera Assn.; Luigi Dell'Orefice, Lyric Grand Op- era Co.; Paul Keppel, Metropolitan Opera Assn.; Alfredo Salmaggi, Pop ular Price Grand Opera Co.; Giorgio D'Andria, National Grand Opera Co.; Joseph Listro, Connecticut Opera Assn.; Edward W. Snowden, Charles L. Wagner Co.; Jack Petrill, Associa- ted Concert Bureau; Philip Culcasi, Michigan Grand Opera Co., and Felix W. Salmaggi, International Lyric Bureau. Strawhat Reviews Among Ourselves Philadelphia, June 19. Hedgerow Theatre production of drama by Joanna Roos in three acts. Directed by Jasper Deetei- and Catherine Rieeer; entire production designed by Ronald Bishop. At Hedgerow theatre. Rose Valiey-Moylan, Pa., June 19, '47; $2.40 top. _ "Among Ourselves" is the 157th production in the more than two decades' career of Hedgerow, and is announced, statistically, as the group's 40th world preem. Actress Joanna Roos makes her playwright- ing debut with this one. There is no question about the controversial na ture of Mi^g Roos' theme, dealing very openly with a racial problem. There is one definite note of novelty in the plot and writing: sex prob lems do not enter the proceedings in any way. From one angle that makes it all the more remarkable that Miss Roos' play carries as much steady interest as it does—with all its faults. Scene of "Among Ourselves" Elmwood, small upstate New York town (not too far from Albany) which has built for itself a hot dis pute on the subject of what school the town's colored population shall attend. City council has worked out a zoning system by which inhabitants of the district called Shantytown will have to send their children to an old, worn-out building known as the annex instead of the town's newer institution. In most big cities, where whites and colored are inevitably mixed in schools, such a problem couldn't exist. All the play's action takes place in the home of the Ben Conways happy young couple with one child. He's in the real estate game but also mixed up with the board of educa tion, and he doesn't like the segrega tion features of the zoning plan but, for practical reasons, is going to ride along. His wife, a college graduate, feels even more strongly on the sub- ject. Town's colored population be- gins to seeth, and then Conway home is implicated when an old ichobl- friend of Mrs. Conway—a Harriet Maxwell, colored—comes to Elm- wood and, by invitation, shows up at the Conway house to stay. 'This really throws the proverbial monkey- wrench into things- Miss Roos, in addition to writing some admirable dialog, has also cre- ated a number of interesting charac- ters, but there are flaws in some of the major ones which will be diffi- cult to eradicate. For example, the husband is made out to be so much of a chump that his final bewilder- ment elicits laughs instead of sym- pathy—all of which-is not due to playing of role either. Then, in the case of the young wife, in many re- spects an interesting character, it will be hard for an audience to be- lieve that Susan Conway would sac- rifice all her friends, domestic hap- piness, even her little girl's future, for this ideal. Staging by Jasper Deeter and Cath- erine Rieser are up to Hedgerow standard although dramatic climax of Act II, with appearance of child, bruised and hysterical, doesn't quite Bell. Last act is far too talky con- sidering that in the end no definite solution is found, Shows with these racial themes are- always problematical, and" this one needs plenty If ever done commer- cially. Waters. Heaven Help the Angels New Hope, Pa., June 23. Bucks County Playhouse production of revue. Stars the Hartmana. Sketches by Ted Luce. Staged by Robert H. Gordon, with Paul-and Grace Hartman, Bill White, Ted Luce, Jane Bishir. Larry Laurence, Viola Roachs, Mitchell Arguss, Carmen Costi. David Leland, Joan Howcroft, Marl-- lyn Schlanger. Settings by S. Syrjala; Phil Ingalls at piano, Jack Alello at drums. At Bucks County Playhouse, New Hope, Pa., June 23, '47. Designed strictly for the strawhat circuit, "Heaven Help the Angels," which started a six-stand tour of the barns, is good fun, thanks to the Hartmans. Angled .only for the ci- tronella circuit, the Hartmans' revue, viewed in such light, provides lots of laughs. It is definitely not for Broad- way. Capacity audience at preem couldn't get enough of the Hartmans and their droll lampoonery of ball- room "artistes" and other terp spoof- ing. Theron Bamberger provided bandbox musical with svelte produc- 4 tion. S. Syrjala designed colorfully bright 1 backdrops. Show opens with Hartmans ex- plaining show biz in Charlie Butter- worth type of chart sketch. Show starts and ends with them doing fa- miliar knockabout routines and hoke magic act. Highlight is next-to-clos- ing sketch in first act, "Old Time Vaudeville," in which comedians kid the bygone family acts and four-a- day corn. It is played against de- lightful local drop of New Hope in 1967 as envisioned by artist Syrjala. Best non-terp number is second sketch, "Up Early With the Upjohns," burlesquing a.m. spouse air shows. Sketch has form and builds.' Like other sketches in revue it lacks good tag. Author Ted Luce, who is Grace Hartman's son, obviously owes much to Fred Allen's air lampoon of same subject. Setting is bedroom of team who "have to go to bed early to gab to people who get up early." Other sketch which clicks is second act. "Salina Select Garden Club," in which the Hartmans play lecturing archeologists garbed in field outfits. On the Helen Hokinson side, number also ends with dance team knocking themselves out in lieu of lantern slides, which- they find too compli- cated to operate. Three other sketches, one an ob tuse kidding "Joan of Lorraine," an- other burlesquing Hildegarde type of yodeler tangling with visiting fire- man at nightclub, and the third, GI's at college, seem on the under- graduate side. Author Luce appears in all, along with Jane Bishir and Larry Laurence. Singer Laurence is spotted be- tween each sketch. Show, as shaped is all Hartmans. Robert H. Gordon has spotted and timed revue skillfully, making most of slim material and trotting out wellknown Hartman spots when most needed. Blonde and decorative Miss Bishir provides expert help as comedienne, Laurence demonstrates pleasing voice and presence, Luce is surer thesp than writer, but it's all in fam- ily, and audience eats it up. Soja. Catholic U. Festival Tees Off With Farce On French Black Mkt. Washington, June 22. Catholic University's new play- writing festival kicks off with a French blackmarket farce of genuine possibilities which are never quite realized in "All Gaul Is Divided." The idea of American soldiers in France just after the war tied in with local French biggies in feeding out American supplies via the illegal route is a natural for comedy, and John McGiver's opus has its share of amusing moments, all aided and abetted, by a fine job of acting, of well above amateur status. , . The play deals with an American staff sergeant at a supply depot who is a collector of 'objects d'art. The way he gets his is to swap goods out of the depot. for resale in the black market. .Woven into this is a crossplot of a ybting lieutenant just ' put in charge of the depot who is still wet behind the ears, and whose chief mission in life is to get mar- ried . This he finally accomplishes in the end with the ., granddaughter of the village's chief ,blackmarketer. Everything that comes out of the excellent Catholic U speech and drama department is on display for Broadway, and this is no exception, although it lacks the weight. One angle of this play as it is written is that it goodnaturedly kids a Cath- olic nunnery and a saint. While, all of this goes well when played in the present university setting, it is the sort of thing which might rub Cath- olics the wrong way if it were per- formed on the outside in the profes- sional theatre. 5' John McGlver, the author, has been a student of Father Gilbert Hartke's courses since he got out of the Army. He also plays a small part in the show. His acting is one of the brightest spots in the play. Slick job on stage is done also by Dick Sykes, as the sergeant who swaps Army supplies for paintings and sculptures. Two girls in the cast, Eileen Whyte, as a collaborator in the blackmarket, and Teddy Marie Kinsey r as the fiancee of the young lieutenant, are also outstanding. Opening night drew a fancy audi- ence which included Admiral Ches- • ter Nimitz. Play is slated t» -*o out via NBC television July 6. ,','NBW, the NBC video outlet here, will also televise the six other plays of the cycle, and NBC is setting up a television work- shop at Catholic University which will further broaden the work of its speech and drama classes. The play- writing festival is being backstopped by assistance from both Broadway and Hollywood. Lotue. Plays Abroad Angel London, June 14. H. M. Tennent production (by arrange- ment with Gordon Stewart) of new play in two acts by Mary Hayley Bell. Staged by John Mills. At Strand, London. Sir Adrian Neve Alan Webb Valentine North Joyce Redman Robert North.. Philip Guard Harrison North Mark Dlgnam Madeleine North Jane Henderson Nurse Wynne Clark Bob Chlsholm Hugh Moxey Samuel Harry Herbert .Maude Neve Anne Leon Father Lucas Philip Strange Beale Arthur Seton A solid, factual murder play based on a Victorian case concerning the killing of a child by his jealous step- sister.- Although interesting to lovers of heavy drama, play has patchy moments and two sep_ara±e court scenes which are too repetitive for good stage construction. Stpry shows a 16-year-old girl, moody and intractable, who .has vio- lent antipathy . to her stepmother, formerly her governess. L a 11 e r' s young son is found with his throat cut and, although suspicion rests on ■the girl, the magistrates find insuffi- cient evidence. When a new son is born, the father leaves the district where the family has never been popular and dis- fatches his problem daughter to a rench convent. Five years later, the girl confesses her guilt, blaming her father for her tainted blood as he knew his first wife was insane. She is sentenced to death, but this is later commuted to life imprisonment. Joyce Redman, fresh from a suc- cessful season with the Old Vic Co., gets the utmost out of the title role. Her childlike simplicity contrasted with unbridled passionate outbursts call on all her acting ability.. In the. roles of stern parent and long-suffering second wife, Mark Dignam and Jane Henderson give commendable support. Alan Webb, as the man who tells the story, car- ries conviction and gives real faith to the theory that the girl was in fact innocent of the crime. Not a play for the squeamish. Ciem... Edward, My Son London, June 10. Henry Shorelc and Gilbert Miller—produc- tion of new play In three acts by Robert Morley and Noel Langley. Directed by Voter Astimore, At His Majesty's theatre, London. Arnold Holt , Robert Morley Evelyn Holt Peggy AshcroCt Dr. Larry Parker John Robinson Harry Soumea Richard Caldicot Dr. Waxman James Calrncross Cunningham Waldo Sturrey Ellerby ,.....Norman Pitt Hanray .- t>. A. Clarke-Smith Eileen -Perry Lueen MacGrath Mr. Prothero John Allen Montague Burton ........James Calrncross Phyllis Maxwell .Elspet Gray Betty Fowler... ..Patricia Hicks Henry Sherek and Gilbert Miller have an undoubted winner in this (Continued on page 52)