Variety (January 26, 1955)

I.KC.ITIMATK Wednesday, January 26, I955 Shows Abroad Tin* World of Sholom Alrlrhom London, Jan. 11. Oscar I.ewenstein ft Wolf Mankowiti (in association with Marjory Haw trey presentation of Howard de Sllva-Arnold l*erl production of three one-act Pt*}* dramatised by Arnold Perl Star, tfavid Kossoff. Alfie Bass. Miriam Karlin. Dlrec tion. Sam Wanamaker; music. her** llovev. Robert Cormier; dances, Tutte Lemkow. At Embassy Theatre. London. Mendele. 'a' Joo^seller .. . David Kossoff nrV/v.l- Minerva Pious Sibbi Davit! V L AHie Ja BaS Bonteche Sohweig Minim Presiding Angel nLmmond Defending Angel J TuttfV^mk^w Mo?she Jeremy Spencer A new management, headed by Oscar Lewenstein and Wolf Man- kowitz. make their London debut with the presentation of these three one-act playlets which had an off-Broadway run last season. It is an auspicious opening to a new venture, but may typecast the management unless subsequent ef- forts are of a wider and more varied character. _ , , “The World of Sholom Aleichem must basically appeal to Jewish audiences because of the funda- mental and underlying philosophy that characterizes the writing and the playing. It should hold up at this nabe theatre for a modest run. but doesn’t display the neces- sary stamina to warrant a transfer to the West End. The three playlets are of a di- verse nature. “A Tale of Chelm,’ the opener, is a simple little yarn about a man sent on a mission to buv a female goat but always re- turns with a billygoat. “Bontche Schweig." which is more universal in its appeal, is the least success- ful of the trio. This describes the arrival in heaven of a saintly little man who always lived on earth without hate. The most forceful of the sketches Is the final one. “The High School.” which protests against a quota system on the admission of Jewish boys into schools. As this is a familiar problem in Britain today. it,s appeal retains its note of topical urgency. Aided by a sterling performance by David Kossoff as a narrator. Sam Wanamaker has done a whol- ly creditable job of direction, re- taining the Jewish idiom in man- ner and speech, always stressing the emotional, but never overlook- ing the human comedy angles. And his cast is with him all the way, notably Alfie Bass, who dominates the first two sketches. Meier Tzel- niker and Miriam Karlin, who play husband and wife in the final item, Jeremy Spenser as their son and Lou Jacobi as the tutor. As in its origfnal production, the play is presented without sets and the only relief from a grim back- cloth is provided by astute use of I lighting. Myro. Off-Bway Showcase Continued from page 57 ‘Put recent out-of-town folderoo, Them All Together.” Alumni of “Bullfight.” another de Lys presentation, are in two current Broadway shows. They are Mario Alcalde in “Flowering Peach,” and Vivian Nathan in “An- astasia." Loretta Leversee, who also appeared in the Leslie Stevens play, had a Broadway role earlier this season in the flop, “Home Is the Hero." Jason Wingreen, who appeared in “Via Flaminia.” was on Broad- way earlier this season in the flop, “Fragile Fox.” Sylvia Daneel, who’s currently on the road with the tryout of “Tonight in Samar- kand.” was also in the Alfred Hayes play, as was Felice Orlandi, now appearing in the New' Orleans tryout of Tennessee Williams’ “27 Wagons Full of Cotton." Gerald Price, currently in “Fanny," was in “Three Penny Opera." at the de Lys last season, w hile Tani and Dran Seitz, also in the David Merrick Joshua Logan ifroduction. were in "Moon in Cap- ricorn,” another ’53-’54 de Lys of- fering. This season has also had some performer advancements from off- Broadway. Nancy Wickwire, who was in “Way of the World.” at the Cherry Lane Theatre in Greenw ich j Village, has gone into “Grand Prize,” which opens on Broadway | tonight (Wed.). Four cast mem- bers of “I Feel Wonderful,” a re- vue put on at the de Lys last Oc- tober. have been signed for roles in an upcoming filmization of “The Vagabond King.” They are Albie Gaye, Richard Tone, Phyllis New- man and Rita Tano. Of the authors represented off- Broadway last season, Stevens has a play due for Main Stem produc- tion soon. It’s "Champagne Com- plex.” which Gayle Stine has un- der option. Miss Stine, incidental- ly, was general manager for “Bull- fight.” Stevens also has other plays due for future Broadway and stock pro- duction, including “Marlowe,” which the Playwrights Co. plans to present next season. Willingham is reportedly rew'riting another play tagged “The Automobile Man,” which was tried out last summer at the Bucks County Play- house, New' Hope, Pa. Joseph Anthony, who directed “Bullfight,” staged “Rainmaker” and is currently appearing in "An- astasia.” Jack Garfein, director of “Man,” followed up with a brief 1 stand as stager of the Hume j Cronyn-Jessica Tandy “Marriage” i series on tv. . Frank Cosaro, who’s skedded to direct “Hat Full of Rain.” staged "The Scarecrow” at the de Lys last season. Carmen Capablo and Stan- ley Chase, producers of "Three Penny,” were slated to start a rep- ertory season at the Bijou Theatre, N. Y., this month, but are holding off until next season. Jose Quin- tero. who won critical recognition as stager of the off-Broadway "Summer and Smoke," has since directed “In the Summer House” and “Portrait of a Lady” on the Main Stem. Other performers, who’ve moved to Broadway after off-the-Stem en- gagements in prior seasons include Geraldine Page and Kim Stanley, both now being stars. Former has above-the-title billing in “Rain- maker,” while latter was similarly billed in “Travelling Lady,” which folded earlier this season, and is also costar in the incoming “Bus Stop.” Scheduled N. Y. Openings <Theatre indicated if set) Grand Prise, Plymouth (1 26). Plain ft Fancy, -Hellinger (1-27). Wisteria Trees, City Center (2 2). Southwest Corner, Holiday (2-3). Dark Is Light Enough, ANTA (2 9). Desperate Hours, Barrymore (2-10). Tonight Samarkand, Morosco (2-17). Wayward Saint (2 17). Silk Stockings, Imperial (2 24). Bus Stop (3-3). Three Tonight, Music Box (wk. 3-20). Ankles Aweigh, Helline.er (4-14). Light Opera Season, City Center (4 20). Damn Yankees, 46th St. (5-5). OFF-BWAY Thieves Carnival, Cherry Lane (2 7). Juno ft Paycock, Gr’nw’ch Mews <2 12). Grass Greener, Downtown Nat’l (2 16). Bamboo Cross, Black Friars (2-21). Shoestring Revue, Pres. (2-21). Merchant Venice, Jan Hus (2-22). Three Sisters, 4th St. (2 23). Miser, Downtown Nat'l (3-24). King Lear, Downtown Nat‘1 (4-29). SUMMER OPER«« theatre managers nime C*** 1 tuic SUMMER, . wc ar costumes THIS su If your odors are g°' 9 . w Ge0 |y, at arrange for them NOW; See enormo us supply •* * he Eaves Costume Comp °" Y ' J* Yoo kno w COSTUMES BY EAV finest costumes is ex aus i • , hey arrive on lime q^ j. complete. Do not wo^ busmess. I^Ti^ow NOW if you are go.ng Delay will cost you money Su EAVES COSTUME COMPANY, inc Eaves Building, 151 West 46th Street New York 1 9, N. Y. PLaza 7-3730 Don’t Shoot, Pard Continued from page 57 fariousness of the critics, who were, it was commonly agreed, slitting the arteries of the beloved theatre. It was a simpler world then, with readily-identifiable vil- lains. Perhaps playwrights and their associates are too sophisticated nowadays, sensing that a bewailing author is probably not the best judge of his own brainchild and that a panned play is probably, to critics and public alike, an inferior play. Anyway, the air rarely echoes these days to denunciations of the critics. Playwrights, producers and actors alike generally take their beatings with outward resig- nation, contenting themselves with muttered imprecations to trusted cronies. Mrs. Spewack was only a slight exception last week. Although she ventured to express approval of hers and husband-collaborator Samuel Spewack’s farce, she avoided direct attack on their critical tormenters. However, she took what a few suspicious observ- ers interpreted as digs at a couple of other, more favorably received current Broadway shows in which there are “bubble baths” and “brothels.” “I’m not accustomed to going on stage,” she informed the surprised second-nighters. “I am generally backstage or at home pounding a typewriter. We think we have a very funny show. But somewhere along the line we missed the boat with the morning critics. We have no bubble baths, no bumps or grinds or brothels—just a clean show.” Applause. Back-Tracking? In an interview with Marie Torre, of the N. Y. World-Tele- gram, the authoress did go so far as to be quoted as saying of the clitics, "I’m sure they have their own problems and sometimes they bring them to the theatre." But further than that she didn’t ven- ture. at least for quotation. In subsequent press, tv and radio in- terviews she was apparently just as wary, although she mentioned in one instance that the theatre is “being strangled between monop- olies and charities,” whatever that means. It remains to be seen whether this relatively discreet agitation will stir sufficient interest from the generally preoccupied public that occasionally buys theatre tickets. Meanwhile. Charles Led- erer, a major backer of "Festival" and himself the producer of the musical, “Kismet,” agreed to ad- vance additional financing to en- able the Spewack play to continue. So producer Walter Fried re- scinded the scheduled closing last Saturday night (22) at the Long- acre, N. Y. For relative newcomers to the scene, accustomed to the sub- dued tone of contemporary au- thor-vs.-critic controversy, a sam- ple of the passionate assault- by-typewriter of a decade or more ago may be illuminating. Accord- ing to Variety’s files, when Ben Hecht’s drama. "Lily of the Val- ley,” was chastised by the New York critics in 1942, the low-boil- ing-point playwright not only wrote sizzling denunciatory poems on the subject, addressing one to the actors and posting it backstage, but contributed an enraged byline piece to the N. Y. Times drama page. The literary brickbat said in part, “For the majority of our critics to sit through ‘Lily’ . . . open-mouthed and empty-skulled .. for these critics to miss its theme . . . for these same pontiffs to stare two hours at my stage and hear nothing but some goofy play about a morgue, is a wontonness on the part of these same local pressmen that calls for a great deal more fancy drubbing than they gave or could ever give any work of mine . . . presumptious- ness that usually goes hand in hand with moth-eaten punditism in which play reviewers seem to sink. “I saw' them as a group of csthetically exhausted old men with literary nerve centers worn out from too much slapdash serv- ice in the theatre ... a fungus- egoed coterie of fretful and wear- ied scribblers . . . wearily groping gentlemen of the aisles . . . per- petual amateurs of letters and blank cartridge shooting ogres .. critical moles crawling through their endless first nights.” ... Those .were the -days • - PREEM NEW ‘DIVORCONS’ AT MILW’KEE STOCK CO. Milwaukee, Jan. 2a “Cyprienne,” a new comedv by Dorothy Monet, based on Sardous "Divorcons,” will preem the Frede- rick C. Miller Memorial Theatre here Feb. 8. Uta Hagen and Her- bert Berghof will star in the pro- duction, which will run for two weeks. It’ll be the second bill of stock groups inaugural season, which gets underway today (Tues ) with “Sabrina Fair,” starring Jef- frey Lynn. Season will run 20 weeks, end- ing June 12. Ten plays are skedded for production, each running a fortnight. A recently-ended fund- raising campaign brought local con- tributions of more than $116,000. Operated by Drana, Inc., a non- profit org, theatre is named after the late Milwaukee brewer and civic leader. Mrs. Mary John is managing di- rector of the operation. Production staff also includes Mitchell Brower, business manager, Charles Evans,’ set designer; Dorothy Fowler, stage manager; Hale McKeen, director; Elmer Regner, boxoffice manager, and Jim McKenzie, local press- agent. A resident Equity company includes Cheryl Maxwell, Vera Tatum. Clyde Waddel. Willard Thompson and Dalton Dearbon. 'MURDER' IN CHURCH Michael Chase, actor-son of play- wright Mary Chase, is staging a revival of T. S. Eliot’s “Murder in the Cathedral.” opening next Mon- day (31) and playing through Feb. 9 at St. Mark’s in the Bouerie, N. Y. All-Equity cast is composed of Hayes Registry clients. The s+oty only f>otHy M6 * c could iell! If you love the theater, don't miss this real, firsthand story that cap- tures the unforgettable magic of the fabulous Drew-Barrymoi e clan. All the sparkle and romance of the American theater during its most dramatic half century come , vividly alive in Miss Barrymore's own words. You’ll relive great adventures when legends were born on Broad- way and throughout America . . • chuckle over little-known '‘break- up” stories . . . meet some of the greatest people in the theater as they crossed the path of Ethel Barrymore . . . from Madame Mod- jeska, Ellen Terry and Maude Adams to Bing Crosby, Katharine Cornell and Katharine Hepburn. It’s all here . . . disappointment.. excitement, romance ... in this exclusive Journal treasure-chest of memories as only the theaters Great Lady could tell it. Begin it today! OUT TODAY—ON ALL NEWSSTANDS FEBRUARY i d)ii HOHt JOURNAL A CURTIS MAGAZINE r,# ADVANCE AGENTS I COMPANY MANAGERS! We have been serving theatrical shows for over 42 years. Ours is the oldest, most reliable and ex- perienced transfer company on the Wait Coast! • Railroad privileget for handling shows and theatrical luggaga. • Complete warehouse facilitietl • Authorized in California. Equipped to trantfet and haul anywhere in U. S I • RATES ON REQUEST 1 Atlantic Transfer Company GEORGE CONANT 1100 East 5th Street lot Angeles 13, Calif. MUtual 8121 or Oxford 9-4764