Variety (February 1953)

LEGITIMATE 5-Day Rehearsal Rule on Strawhats Eased by Equity in 12-Month Test ' The controversial five-day re-< hearsal' rule for stock has been modified* by Actors Equity ; Tn a compromise agreement with rep- resentative barn producers, the union has revised its regulations for a period of one year, with the understanding that the entire situa- tion will be reconsidered during the spring of 1954. Decision at that time is to be on the basis of„how the amended setup works this year. After a 1 series of meetings be- tween 'Equity officials and repre- sentative silo managers, the Union's ’ stock committee recommended-.the r compromise setup and the'"council voted yesterday (Tues.) to approve it. The strawhat reps, including a few who favored the five-day. rule, had amended one council session and s- iveral confabs with the union’s stock committee. Inherent in the compromise agreement is the understanding that if the modified regu lations don't work out satis- "factbrily, the barn managers will : ,not oppose application of the five- day rule next year. The compromise setup provides that although the five-day rehear- sal requirement still remains on the books, it may be waived on written application by the local management for shows involving’ not more than three touring actors • and using an advance director. Waivers will be on standard forms specifying the names of the travel- ing players, and the union deputy at each spot will check on com- pliance. , At the same time, Equity is re- taining a new’ special summer unit contract for shows traveling with full cast. This was another phase of the union’s new stock rules that the barn producers found objec- tionable. It remains to be seen whether, as the strawhatters fear, its application will provide a wedgfc fpr the stagehands’ union invasion, of the barn field. " a ^ Jupiter’s ‘Lady’ Draws 11G Toronto Audience; Critic’s Play to Preem Toronto, Feb. 3* Jupiter Theatre, whose produc- tions aim off the beaten track, com- pleted a 14-nlght engagement (17- 29) ■ of Christopher Fry’s “The Lady’s‘Not for Burning,”, to capac- . ity business, at $2.50 top, for an $11,000 gross. Troupe was handi- capped by playing in the tiny base- ment theatre (459 seats) of the Royal Ontario Museum here. Prin- cipals* -are * top radio actors, but Kathryn Blake , was brought in from London’s West End for the lead, and John Griffin brought up from N. Y. to stage, • This was troupe’s third production of the season. : Next Jupiter production, skedded for a two-week run, Is Nathan Cohen’s “Blue Is for Mourning,” s in keeping with Jupiter’s credo to encourage Canadian plays. Cohen is drama critic for the Cana- dian Broadcasting Corp. His play is set in a coal and steel town hi the Maritimes. Director is Jerome Mayer, now up here from New York. . . Fielding Quits Cleve. Group; Starts New Setup . Cincinnati, Feb. 3., Paul Fielding resigned as direc- tor of Stage, Inc.* civic theatre group which he helped form* in 1947, after presentation of four performances of “Small Miracle” ^last week in Cox Theatre. It was the 28th play under his direction. , Fielding said he will proceed v with plans for a professional stock company to start next fall in the RKO Shubert Theatre, which has been dark for more than two years. Stage, Inc., canceled rentals in the downtown Cox for four-night presentations in March and May, after using the house for throA plays this season. Previous offer- ings were in the small Art Museum Theatre. Arthur Thexton, presi- dent of the group, said it will re- main active and present the two other plays elsewhere, and hopes to get another professional direc- tor for next season. .v- , ^ Children^* Opera Preeftt ” Setby Scherman Orch “Babar,” new Children’s, opera, is to be given its .world premiere by Thomas Scherman and the Lit- tle Orchestra Society Feb. 21 at Hunter College, N. Y. ✓ Based on the Jean de Brunhoff stories, opera has music by Nicolai BCrezowsky, lyrics by Judith Ran- dal, and book by Dorothy Hayward. Opera is the. story of an elephant who is captured for a circus, and -eventually escapes to become king of thq elephants., Legit, Longhair Combine,. Using Pro & Am Talent, For Birmingham Fest Birmingham, Feb. 3. Professional entertainers and tal- ented amateurs have joined togeth- er' iff,' &" ffidiitR-ldffg' ’Festival' Of' -the Arts which goes into its second week with three concerts, a play prerniere and a ballet performance scheduled. This week’s schedule includes a concert by Jan Peerce and Bidu Sayao (4), a local Youth Orchestra concert (7), a performance by the Civic Ballet (7), the world premiere of “Beside The Seal” by Alabama playwright Ruby Apsey (5), a Chamber Music Society concert, and Horace Heidt Show (1) and a production of “Come Back, Little Sheba” (2). Festival, second annual one, is sponsored by the Birmingham Sym- phony, the Music Club which spon- sors a concert series, and the Mu- seum of Art, which is the location for most of the free events in the Festival. Next- Monday (9), the Chicago Company of “South Pacific” opens at the Temple Theatre for eight performances. Evans Thornton subs for Webb Tilton in the lead. Wednesday (11) will offer the premiere of two works by the Bir- mingham symph, “The Appalachian Suite,” by Ray Green, of N. Y. f and “Birmingham Suite,” by. Charles Bryan of Indian Springs, Ala., com- missioned for.the Festival. Third week also includes an amateur pro- duction of “Liliom” (12), and a chamber music concert (8). Fourth week will begin with a chamber music concert (15) and end with an amateur production of Menotti’s “Old Maid and the Thief” at Birmingham Conservatory of. Music (21). The Philadelphia Or- chestra will perform Feb. 17. During the first week of the Fes- tival the symph performed with Rosalie Marshall guesting (28), Waring’s Festival of Song appeared (29), and the Strawbridge Ballet Co. performed (31). - WINNIPEG BALLET SET FOR U.S. TOUR IN 1954 The Winnipeg Ballet has been set for an American tour by the Judson, O’Neill & Judd division of Columbia Artists Mgt. trek, booked by Bill Judd, is for the spring of 1954, to run four weeks, with option of two weeks more. Will run mainly through Minne- 1 sot^, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana • and Michigan, Canadian outfit has had isolated dates in the far west, but this is its first organized U. S. tour. Troupe is selling for around $1,800. a date, mostly to Community Concerts cir- cuit towns: It has 18 towns sold already, with straight sales in Chi- cago, St. Louis and Kansas City indicative of its strength of pull. Troupe comprises about 26 danc- ,ers. Director - choreographer is Gweneth Lloyd. Dallas Theatre ’53 Preps Fourth Tryout of Season Dallas, Feb. 3. • Theatre ’53 here begiffs a three- week run next Monday (9) of “Un- cle Marston,” new mystery thriller by John Briard Handing. Whodunit, fourth new play at Alargo Jones’ arena this season, is directed by Ramsey Burch. In repertory this;weeft with its' last two new scripts, “The Rising Heifer” and f'The Last Island/’ Theatre ’53 boasts its fattest b.O. season to date. Current Road Shows ; (Feb. 2-14) "Affairs of State” (Marsha Hunt, Otta Kruger)—Geary, S. F, (2-14). . ""Bell, Book and Candle” (Joan Bennett, Zachary. Scott) — Ford s, Batfb (2-7); WRVA Theatre, Rich- mond .'(9-14). . “Call Me Madam”—Shubert, Chi. (2-14). ■ “Certain Joy”— Playhouse, Wil- mingtdn (12-14). "Constant Wife” (Katharine Cor- nell, Robert Flemyng, John Emery) —Civic, New Orleans (2-8); Para- mount, Batons Rouge (9); Music Hall, Houston (1L-.12); Melba, Dallas (13-14),' t "Country Girl” (Sidney Black- 'hier, Dane Clark, Nancy Kelly) — Cass, Detroit (2-7); Hanna, Cleve. (9-14). . *> "Dial ,Jt M* for Murder” (Richard Greene)—Harris, Chi (2-14). Dickens Readings (Emlyn Wil- liams)—Royal Alexandra, Toronto (5-7); Erlanger, Buffalo (8), “Emperor’s Clothes”—Wayne U., Detroit (2-7). “Fourposter” (Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn) — Locust, Philly (2-14). “Good Nite, Ladies”—Cox, Cincy (2-14). "Guys and Dolls”—Nixon, Pitt. ;..(2-7ff Erlanger, Buffalo (9-14). ‘ “I Am a Camera” .(Julie Harris) —Hanna, Cleve. (2-7); Nixon, Pitt. (9-14). “John Brown’s Body” (Tyrone Power, Judith Anderson, Raymond Massey)—H. S.'Aud, Phoenix (2); Ariz. U. Aud, Tucson (3); H. S. Aud, Phoenix (4); H. S. Beverly Hills, Cal. (5); Russ Aud, San Diego (6); Philharmonic Aud, L. A. (7); Occi- dental College', Occidental, Cal. (9). “Josephine”—Selwyn, Chi. (2-14)*- “Life With Mother” (Billie Burke) — Carthay Circle, H’wood (2-7). " “Maggie”—Forrest, Philly (2-7); Shubert, New Haven (9-14). “Maid in The Ozarks”—Majestic, Boston (2-14). “Mister Roberts” (Tod Andrews) —Shubert, Wash. (2-7). “Mrs. McThing” (Helen Hayes) —Colonial, Boston (2-7); Shubert^ Philly (9-14). “My Sister Eileen” (Patsy Kelly) — Hilltop Theatre-in-the-Round, Sheraton Belvedere Hotel, Balto (10-15). “Oklahoma” — Biltmore, L. A. (2-8); Aud., Pasadena (9-10); Cali- fornia, San Bernardino (11); Para- mount, Phoenix (13-14). “On Borrowed Time” (Victor Moore, Leo G. Carroll, Beulah Bondi)—Wilbur, Boston (2-7). “Paint Your Wagon” (Burl Ives) —Blackstone, Chi. (2-14). “Paris '90” (Cornelia Otis Skin- ner)—Metropolitan, Seattle (2); In- ternational Cinema, Vancouver (6-7); Temple, Tacoma (9); Capi- tal, Yakima (10) Orpheum, Spo- kane (11-13). “Picnic” — Plymouth, Boston (2-14). “Play’s the Thing” (Eva Gabor) —Arena Theatre,- Memphis (10-15). “Point of No Return" (Henry Fonda)—Erlanger, Chi. (2-14). “Shrike” (Van Heflin)—Aud., St. P. (2); Orpheum, K. C. (4-7); Amer- ican, St. L. (9-14). “South Pacific” (Janet Blair, Webb Tilton)—Dade County Aud., Miami Beach (2-7); Temple, Bir- mingham (9-14), “Stalag 17” — Walnut, Philly (2-7); Ford’s, Balto. (9-14). “Top Banana” (Phil Silvers) — Great Northern, Chi. (2-14). “Virginian” (Barter Theatre) — Washington Aud, Alexandria, Va. (2);, Marva, Pocomoke City, Md. (4); Aud, Dahlgren, Va. (5); Aud, St. Mary’s City, Md. (6): State Aud, Bowie, Md. (7); Aud, Bel Air, Md. (9); Aud, Kilmarnook, Va. (10); Aud, Goochland, Va. (11); Aud, Franklin, Va. (12); St. Paul's Aud, Lawrencevllle; Va. (13)^ Aud, Chat- ham, Va. (14). "Wonderful Town”. (Rosalind ■Russell) — Shubert, Boston (2-7); Forrest, Philly (9-14). 1953 Texas State Fair Sets 12-Week Season Dallas, Feb. 3. The State Fair Musicals’ 12-week summer season, for ’53, offering six productions, will run from June 8 to Aug. 30, at, State Fair Audito- rium. Same price, scale, 90c to $3 top, will prevail for the fortnightly musicals. Season ticket buyers will get six shows for the price of five in all locations. Managing director Charles R. Meeker, J^., is renewing pacts with Lehman Engel, musical director; Saul Schechtman, assistant musical director; George Schaefer, ’stage director; Peter Wolf, scenic design- er, and Mason Johnson, stage man- ager. Completing the staff will be a new choreographer. Wednesday, February 4, 1953 Inside Stuff-Legit Henry Sherek, producer of “Escapade,” Roger Macdougall play which premiered successfully in London two weeks ago, denies reports that Broadway producer John Wildberg is associated in the venture. He points out that the latter is only a small investor in the^show, with “no strings* whatsoever” on the U. S. or film rights. Sherek Indicates that the rights are on the open market and that he is currently negotiating a deal for them. N. Y. Post has joined the list of New York publications raising amusement ad rates. However, according to ad agency executives, no other papers or magazines are .contemplating boosts within the near future. N. Y. Times, New Yorker mag, Cue mag and the Journal of Commerce have recently upped rates. The Post increase, effective next April 1, takes the Sunday rate from $1.11 to $1.18 per agate line and the’ daily-rate from $1.35 to $1.42. Insertions of 100 lines or more are hiked from 95c to $1.15 per line Sunday and from $1.02 to $1.22 daily. Backers of “Mid-Summer,” the Paul Crabtree-Frank J. Hale produc- tion of Vina Delmar's comedy-drama at the Vanderbilt, N. Y., include co-producer Hale, $16,000; his wife, $5,000; film theatreowner Mess- more Kendall, $1,000; pressagent Benjamin Sonnenberg, $1,000, and producer Elaine terry, $1,000. Co-producer Hale, a fonher hoofer, is now a businessman. Incidentally, Richard E. Walsh, one of the back- ers, is Hale’s son-in-law and is not to be confused with IATSE presi- dent Richard F. Walsh. “Mid-Summer” is capitalized at $50,000. . Backers of “The Bat,” James Withers Elliott’s revival of the 1920- 21 thriller by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood, include Dallas producer Tad Adoue, $700; lyricist and Metro, ad-pub vice-prez Howard Dietz, $700; producer Elaine Perry, $350; Mrs. Lawrence Tib-’ bett, wife of the singer, $700; souvenir program agent A1 Greenstone, $700; Mrs. Rinehart, $2,500; the Hopwood estate, $2,500; Mrs. Joshua Logan, wife of the author-director-producer, $700; associate producer Sherman Krellberg, $14,000, and Mrs. Elliott, wife of the show’s pro- ducer, $7,000. The venture was capitalized at $35,000. Legit Bits Charles Harris, completely re- covered from illness, joins “Won- derful Town” in Philly next week as company manager. His son, Joe Harris, has been subbing on the assignment, but is set to man- age the Feuer & Martin production of “Can-Can” . . : Janet de Gore lias been signed as understudy for Geraldine Brooks in “Time of the Cuckoo” . . . Gilbert Miller has ac- quired “Seven Women,” the Jean Dalrymple adaptation from the Spanish original by Leandro Na- varro and Adolfo Torrado, and plans an immediate production with Lillian Gish and Josephine Hull, with the adaptor directing. The script, previously titled “Quiet Room,” was formerly held by .Fred Finklehoffe. Carl Fisher is withdrawing as company manager of “Wish You Were Here” to sail next Tuesday 1 (10) on the S.S. America for an indefinite vacation in Europe with his wife, Peggy Cass, who’s exiting the cast of “Bemardine” ... peter Davis, business manager for the Theatre Guild and company man- ager of “Love of Four Colonels,” plans to leave early in March for a month’s motor trip through the south . . . Th’e. Blevins Davis-Rob- ert Breen revival of “Porgy and Bess,” currently at the Stoll, Lon- don, is slated to arrive March 11 for a run at the Ziegfeld, N. Y. Baruch Lumte, artistic director of the Center Players in Dallas, has acquired the vacant Knox Street Theatre there. He’ll op- erate a resident theatre company and academy as soon as final work- ing details have been completed. Oscar E. Olesen is general man- ager of “Emperor’s Clothes,” with Max Allentnck company manager, Barry Hyams pressagent. Martin Schwartz associate, Terry Fay cast- ing director, Frederic de Wilde stage manager, Howard H. Fischer assistant, Virginia Bolen produc- tion associate and Sondra Berko- witz staff secretary... Gilbert Mil- ler got back from the coast last week... Kenneth Tynan, drama critic of the London Evening Standard, returns to England this week after a month in New York to catch the shows. Actress Uta Hagen will make her directorial debu.t with the staging of Dorothy Monet’s “The Wrastling and the Fall,” to bff produced by pressagent Barry Hyams . . . Stanley Gilkey. after announcing plans to take over the John Golden revival of “The Male Animal” for a road tour, cancelled the project because of a last-min- ute difference with co-author El- liott Nugent over terms and cast- ing matters . ■ , Carol Lee, son of the late actor Canada Lee, is house manager of the Greenwich Mews Theatre, Greenwich Village, N. Y where Les Pine’s “Monday’s He- roes” opened a tryout last Satur- day (31). Odette Myrtil ffias succeeded Irene Bordonl in the cast of "Mag- gie,” currently playing a tryout tour , . . Cyril Ritchard ’will stage the Sam Lambert-WaMer P. Chry- sler, Jr., production of ' “Say It with Flowers,” by Robert Moore and Jean Guitton ... The Actors Equity council last week named Beverly Roberts and Vicki Cum- mings as members, replacing Ger- ald Savory and Barbara Robbins, who resigned. Permission • was voted for the American Theatre, St. Louis, to start Wednesday mat- inees at 1:30 p.m. until May 31, as an experimental measure. Saint Subber has acquired the rights to “Miss * Hallelujah,” by Keith Winter . . . William Mar- chant has succeeded William Archibald as adaptor of the Henry James nqyel, “Portrait of a Lady,” for which Thomas Hammond plans a production next fall . . . Road agent Tom Barrows will pressagent the Anne Wiman-Thomas Ham- mond production of Allen Vin- cent’s “Sight Unseen” and other shows of Miss Wiman . . . Theatri- cal, attorney Benjamin M.Schank- man, formerly with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, has opened his own office. Equity Show Ah. Wilderness (LENOX HILL. N. Y.) Eugene O’Neill's “Ah, Wilder- ness” is being done by Equity Library Theatre at Lenox Hill Playhouse, N. ,Y., “open stage” style, with a narrator, chairs and tables subbing as sets, and mimed props, a la “Our Town.” A worth- while idea, this is possibly the solu- tion for stock productions of this large-cast, multi-set comedy of family life at turn of the century. However, this offering doesn't quite come off, veering between the heightened style that a produc- tion sans sets and props needs, and a straight realism that seems un- comfortable in anti-realistic sur- roundings. * O’Neill’s homespun opus, edged with satire, is good choice to open ELT’s community theatre series in the Bronx and Queens, and top- notch acting in leads should clinch its success there. Both Paul Kirk Giles, as the genial father, and John Lehne, as the young son who sows one wild oat, are standout. Asset contributions from the large cast, well-managed by direc- tor Aaron M. Frankel, are Maurice Shrog, as the sodden uncle; Lewis Scholle, as a sprightly moppet; Rex Sater, as t/ie sliffk sophisticate who tempts the young hero to a tavern escapade, and Muriel Berkson, as his love’s young dreaffi. Two miftor roles are exception- ally well played—that of Nora, the rambunctious Irish maid, by Jean Cooke, and the garish trollop Belle, by Eileen Ryan. Also okay in small parts are William*. Flatter, as the bartender; Keitfieth Maier, as a salesman, and ::Thofti*s "Flatley Reynolds, as the narrator. »:• Cynthia Rogers' creates a. like- able If somewhat familiar type as the mother; Nancy Broughams young daughter Is monotonous in action and inflection, and Frances Ingalls, as the spinster aunt, is so restrained as to be dull. Lighting by Richard Washburn is good, and period costumes by Jeanne Button are a definite assist. Veits.