Variety (March 1955)

PjSriety 56 LEGITIMATE Wednesday, March 23, 1955 Barn Ops Trying to Organize Again; Equity Stock Switches Bring Beefs Another rr\ove to organize the strawhat producers^ is in the works. A prior attempt, to unite .silo entrepreneurs via the forma- tion of the Stock Managers Assn, several years ago hasn't panned out. Org actually fell apart a year ago, although several managers have continued to stick together as SMA members. It's these managers who are now trying to revitalize the association, which hasn’t had an official presi- dent or hoard of governors for approximately a year, as all terms had expired and no new election was held. However, meetings have continued to be conducted under the SMA banner, with the prexy status of Thomas G. Ratcliffe, of the Sea Cliff <L.I.) Summer Thea- tre, unofficially extended. Last conclave was held this pasi March 15 at the Hotel Woodstock, N.Y., to discuss the new Equity stock contract revisions raising rehearsal pay from $40 to $55 per week and hiking overtime re- hearsal pay from $1 to $3 an hour. Another major bone of contention is the requirement tjjat the barn operators pitch in $1.50 a week to Equity’s Welfare Fund for each actor employed by them. Slim turnout for the meet of approximately 50 barn operators prompted the revitalization move. Cards calling for a conclave next Tuesday (29) at the Woodstock were sent to around 300 managers throughout the country. Mailing included non-Equity groups also, on the theory that a number of these operations eventually switch to professional status. Plans for getting SMA function- ing again include ejection of a new slate of officers and the setting up of three separate divisions cover- ing musical stock, regular stock and star stock. Meanwhile, several barn managers attended an Equity stock committee meet yesterday (Tues.). Equity, incidentally, has never officially recognised the SMA. Touring Teahouse’ Pays Off Full 65G Outlay In 13th Week on Road Repayment of the full $65,000 capitalization on the touring edi- tion of “Teahouse of the August Moon” was completed March 10, during show’s 13th week on the road. A $32,500 distributing was made on that date.. Other half of the investment had been returned to the backers early last month. Separately financed from the New York company, the Howard Lindsay-Russ^l Crouse production is currently at the Curran, S. F„, for an indefinite run. A tour of the northwest is skedded to fol- low, after which bookings haven't been set yet. Backers of the touring company include Howard S. Cullman, $10,- 400; San Francisco financier Louis Lurie, $5,200; A. Gerald Renthal, son of theatrical accountant Charles H. Renthal, $3,900; Em- mett Rogers, production manager for original co-producer Maurdce Evans, $1,300; Sidney Phillips, Metro’s legit liaison in New York, $1,950; Warren O’Hara, Alvin The- atre, N. Y., house manager, $3,250; Herman Bernstein, general-man- ager for Lindsay & Crouse, $650; William F. Wolff Jr., trustee for Crouse, $L300; Crouse!s wife Anna, and sister, Mildred Crouse, $650 each. Also, Lindsay’s sister, Bernadine Boyd, $650; Luise Silcox, repre- senting the Author’s League Fund, $2,600; Abe Cohen, company man- ager of “Peter Pan,” $650; theatri- cal attorney Henry Jaffe, $2,600; agent Trving Lazar, $1,300; Louis J. Lotito, City Playhouses prexy and general manager of the Martin Beck Theatre, N. Y.; $650; his daughter Therese, $650; pressagent Sol Jacobson, $1,300; Mrs. Robert Rapporrt. wife of the general man- ager for producers Evans and George Schaefer, $1,300. Also, playwright Patrick, who adapted. “Teahouse” from the Snei- der novel, $5,200; literary agent Miriam Howell, $650, and talent agent Gloria Safier, $650. The Portland (Ore.) Symphony lias engaged Tlieodore Bloomfield as its cpnductor next season,. 4 - : — Margo Sets 5 New Plays For Dallas lit Summer Dallas, March 22. Margo.-Jones will produce five new scripts, each in a two-week run, in a new summer season, June 13-Aug. 21, at Theatre ’55. Last summer Miss Jones staged five preems, but gave each a three- frame showcasing. Co-producer with Herman Shum- lin of the Jerome Lawrence-Robert E. Lee drama, “Inherit the Wind,” Miss Jones goes to New York Maich 31 to assist in staging the Scopes “monkey trial” play, which she preemed here in February. “Wind” has a tryout March 31 in Philadelphia and opens April 21 at the Coronet, N. Yf. Fall 40G Nick In Schwartz Foldo Abrupt closing last Sunday (20) of Maurice Schwartz’s three-play series at the Downtown National Theatre, N. Y., represented an ap- proximate loss of the venture’s full $40,000 capitalization. Presented by Russell-farrow Productions Co., in association with Cy Metrick, the series began last Feb. 15 and was to have run 16 weeks. Schwartz Was director-star of the operation, which was in its second production wheh the management called it quits. Initial presentation, Sholom Aleichem’s “Grass Is Greener.” had a four-week run, with Moliere’s “Miser” taking over last Thursday (17) for a brief six performances. “King Lear” was to have been the windup bill, begin- ning April 28. Biggest financial stake in the operation was held by Harold Ru- bin, with a $19,000 investment. Rubin, who’s with Universal Pic- tures, is also an author, writing under the name Harold Robbins. His novel, “A Stone For Danny Fisher,” was adapted by Lenard Kantor for presentation- earlier this season at the National, as the the- atre’s first play in a switch from Yiddish to English language pro- ductions. * 9 Rubin was also a general part- ner in the Schwartz series, along With Yvonne Russell-Farrow, who < put up $1,000 of the capitalization. GAXTON MAY RETURN TO STAGE IN OWN ‘QUEEN’ William Gaxton, who co-au- thored the book of an upcoming musical, “If I Were Queen,” from an original by Polan Banks, with whom he collaborated, may also make his professional reappear- ance therein. Right now Gaxton will limit himself to the co-script- ing and direction. Banks, former screenwriter and* novelist, will produce. “Queen” is based on his unpublished novel, which may see publication coinci- dentally with the legit musical, which has lyrics by Ogden Nash and music by J. Fred Coots. ” Banks’ bankrolling calls for $250,000, of which 200G is in the till. Tom Kilpatrick is his general manager. Colleges Remain Legit’s White Hope, Sez Eaton Greensboro, N.C., March 22. The hope that remains for the American theatre is in the colleges, Walter Prichard Eaton, for more than 50 years a critic, teacher and playwright, declared here in open- ing the drama program of the Women's College Festival of the Arts. The retired Yale professor de- cried the modern mechanizations of the stage, declaring that actually all that is needed is “two or three planks and emotion.” No matter how great a play reads, Eaton said, it fails if the ac- tor fails. “All mechanical produc- tions of art are substitutions,” he said. Television drama, he de- clared, is spoiled by the interrup- tions of commercials. Atlantic Beach Stock The Capri Theatre, a stock op- eration, will preem this summer in Atlantic Beach, L. I., N. Y., under the production -apspices of Helen Waren, Nina Graboi and Stanley Waren. Season, which will rim 10 weeks, is skedded to begin June 28, with-Waren directing. House. will v employ a star policy, with a permanent resident cast. Waren, incidentally, was director at the Cragsmoor (N. Y.) Summer Theatre for the past two years. Tallu Feuding Chicago, March 22. Tallulah Bankhead and “Dear Cliarles” producers Richard Aid- rich and Richard Myers have re- portedly been feuding over de- mands that she take a salary slash. It’s understood the star has been getting around $3,000 net after taxes, but has agreed to a straight $3,000 to keep the show running. There have been rumors that the play may close next Saturday (26) if the actress refuses to take the requested cuts. According to the management, there’s no clos- ing schedule until June 18, when show winds up its tour in San Francisco, with Miss Bankhead moving to Las Vegas for a nitery engagement. ItV. an Animal’s Life On And Off Broadway This Season, Real & Fancied S anislavsky may wind up taking a back seat to Clyde Beatty. r If this season’s rash of animal roles continues, the possibility of a plass- room-^o-zoo actor movement looms probable. However, it’ll be a case of boning up on animal behavior for possible stage employment rather than a fondness for the jungle road companies. Although live iauna have been used in several Main Stem produc- tions this semester, a variety of animal roles ior actors have been available oil and bff Broadway. Performers In lion, crocodile,- kangaroo., ostrich and dog costumes were spotted in “Peter Pan,” “Wayward Saint” also had an ac- tor in lion skin, as does “Flower- ing Peach,” while the off-Broad- way revue, “Once Over Lightly,” has a sketch in which three per- formers make like a dog, cat and squirrel. Among the live animals on the boards this semester was a horse in “One Eye Closed” and a cat in “Southwest Corner.” “Tonight in Samarkand” had a tiger cub who caught pneumonia and was unable to appear during the show’s last week on Broadway. Cub didn’t, have an understudy and the ro’e remained vacant. Still to hit Broadway this sea- son is a real monkey in “Inherit the Wind,” Which opens April 21 at the National Theatre. Not to be overlooked among the live animal contingent is the goat in the long- run “Teahouse of the August Moon.” However, In this case there's little possibility of an ac-' tor moving in, since the goat has an understudy of the same breed. Carolina Thunder’ To Sound Off in June Greensboro, N.C., March 22. An original outdoor musical drama entitled “Thunder Over Carolina” will open a four-week run at Lincolnton, June 10, it was announced by the author, Charles W. Loveland, program director of WLON, Lincolnton. The drama, depicting the battle of Ramsour’s Mill there 175 years ago between Whigs and Tories, will have showings Friday, Saturday and Monday evenings, ending July 4. Handy Hallow Management of “Anastasia,” currently at the Lyceum, N. Y., is keeping actor John Hallow active. At last Satur- day’s (19) matinee perform-r ance he subbed for Michael Strong and earlier in the week he went 6n for William Callan, He's actually Hurd Hat- 1 , field's understudy. Tubthumper Bill Doll hit the Jackpot with picture layouts and features on different clients in Life magazine running in succession for five of the last six weeks. These included “Anastasia,” “Saint of Bleecker St.,” “Plain And Fancy,” Spike Jones and the Joel Sayre profile on Mike Todd. Martin Schwartz, currently asso- ciate to Barry Hyams, leaves New York April 4 to travel ahead to “Kismet.”. . .Mary Ward is press representative at the Papermill (N. J).; Playhouse until she leaves for England oh April 29...Anne Sloper replacing A1 Jones as com- pany manager for “Plain And Fancy” during latter’s illness. Jones is recupisig at home after hospitalization «and ought to be back in a couple of weeks. St, John Terrell will package his production of “Three By Thurber,” which had two Monday night only performances at the off-Broadway Theatre de Lys this season, for a strawhat tour next summer . . . “Tonight At Noel Coward’s,” a collection of Coward’s' songs, sketches and scenes from his plays, is slated for production next sea- son by Davyd Brooks . . . Howard Liebling’s “The Porcelain* Clay” is planned for off-Broadway produc- tion by a group tagged “Stage So- ciety,” with the venture capitalized at $8,500. Arthur Sircom will direct the musicals at the Iroquois Amphi- theatre, Louisville, next summer . . . Operation of Brooks Costume Co. is detailed in the April issues of Esquire mag in an article labelled “Glamour for Rent” . . , Solly Pernick, business agent of Theatrical Protective Union No. 1, chairmanning the Legitimate The- atre Group of the United Jewish Appeal’s Motion - Picture and Amusement Division. Bucks County Playhouse, New Hope, Pa., kicks off its summer season May *13 with Kim Hunter, Biff McGuire and Jerome Cowan in “King of Hearts” . . . Music Circus, Lambertville, N. J., begins its seventh season June 4 with “Merry Widow” . . . Production staff for “Cat On a Hot Tin Roof” includes Ben Rosenberg, company manager; Robert Downing, produc- tion stage manager; Daniel Broun, stage manager, and Richard Dur- ham, assistant stage manager. Correct gross on “Anastasia” for the week ending March 12 Vas $19,600 . . . Fairfax Burgher has exited the cast of “Lunatics and Lovers” to join “King and I” on the road, replacing Leon Shaw... Richard Aldrich returned from Florida last week and this month planes to Europe with Julius Fleischmann . . . Group 20 Players begins its third season of classic repertory at Wellesley (Mass.) College June 27, with a 10-week run skedded.. .Henry Duffy is any- thing but “late” or dead, as er- ratumed in a fetter in last week’s issue. Gross for the two-week run of “Kind Lady,” with Fay Bainter starred, at the Miller Theatre, Milwaukee, was a little over $12,- 700 on a potential capacity of $14,- 101 . Richard Collett, Swedish bari- tone who Will, play Emile de Becque in “South Pacific” at the City Center, N.Y., beginning May 4, will be featured on Ed Sullivan’s CBS-TV’er Sunday, (27) in a trib- ute to Rodgers & Hammerstein. Morton Da Costa took off last Monday (21) for a two-week vaca- tion in Haiti . . . Lewis Hannon, who went into St. Luke’s Hospital, N.Y., last Thursday (17) for . sur- gery, is due to get out today (Wed.) . . . John Effrat planes to London next Sunday (27) after winding up jury duty Friday (25). Anthony Buttiita, due back In New York April 4 aboard the He de France from Le Havre> has completed the manuscript of a new novel, “Bright Horizon,” which he wrote during five months in Mal- lorca, off the coast of Spain. Fol- lowing his N.Y. arrival, he’ll plane to the Coast for another season with Edwin Lester’s San Francisco Light Opera Co. . . . The Jay Gor- ney-Lionel Stander musical revue, “Meet the People i 1955,” is sched- uled for New York production April 13 at the Cafe Theatre, for- merly the Diamond Horseshoe nitery. A $2,458 suit against John Car- radine goes to trial today (Wed.) in the N. Y.’s First District Municipal Court. Action was instituted by di- rector Peter Glenn and is for rent allegedly due on the N.Y. apart- ment that he leased to Carradine from Oct. 15, 1949 to Oct. 15,1951. Hollywood Irwin Parnes will present the eighth annual International Folk Dapce Festival Saturday (26) at Philharmonic Aud, L. A., narrated by ‘Harlow* • Wilcox, .radiq4v > an- nouncer . . . L. A. Civic Light Opera auditions dancers for “Kiss Me Kate,” first presentation of season, tdnight (Wed.), girl singers on Friday and boy singers on Sat- urday . . . Carthay Productions moved back opening of “Anniver- sary Waltz? from Easter to April 11 at Carthay Circle Theatre, L.A, . . . Dick Erdman set for one of leads in Stage Society’s “Misal- liance,” opening April 27 in L. A. . . Benay Venuta opens with Fernando Lamas and Arlene Dahl in “Liliom” at Sombrero Play- house, Phoenix, March 28 . . , Rod Steiger contacted by Broadway producer Cheryl f^rawford with a view to his making a musicomedy bow in “Reuben, Reuben,” to be staged next fall from Mare Blitz- stein’s book, lyrics and music. Chicago Chicago Actors Club, which folded a couple years back, has been revived with new quarters in - the Mike Fish Cafe. Vet actor Phil Lord; Ralph Bellamy, who has‘ been starring - in “Oh Men, Oh Women” at the Harris, and Sun- Times columnist Irv Kupcinet spearheaded the reactivation of the club . . . William Marshall has been signed to play the title role in Chicago Playwright Theatre’s production of “Oedipus Rex” start- ing March 31 . . . Touring “Tea and Sympathy” plays a special matinee benefit March 31 for the Actors Fund . . ; Pressagent Joe Flynn in Chicago advancing dancer Escudero’s stand, which s opens at the .Great Northern Monday (28). London c London, March 15. Jack Weller’s “Sailor Beware,” by Philip King, broke the house record at'the Strand Saturday (12),. Previous record was held by Ver- non Sylvaine’s “Any Gentleman Please,” done at this theatre in 1950. Weller has created another record for a West End manager. He gave the entire cast a raise in salary four days after show opened . . . Tom Arnold, who recently purchased (through Harry Foster) Richard Waring and ■ Francis Essex’s intimate revue, “Blame It On Adam,” which was tried out at the Lindsey Theatre in January, has called in several writers to inject new items in the show be- fore starting to cast. it. Show is expected to go to the Ambassadors sometime in May . . . Peter Daube- ney’s presentation of Antonio and His Spanish Ballet has proved such a hit at the Palace that it is being transferred to the Saville, where it stays a further six weeks. After which George & Alfred Black’s American show, “The Tender Trap,” by Max Robert Paul, goes there, with- cast including Brian Reece, Phil Brown and Geraldine McEwan, Early May is opening date. After year’s moneymaking run, George & Alfred Black’s “Wedding in Paris” closes April 2, and im- mediately starts provincial tour, staying three to four weeks in each town. New show going in there two weeks later is Joseph Hayes’ Broadway hit, “The Desperate Hours.” Sigmund Miller, American playwright, is here to supervise the production of his play, “One Bright Day,” which is being tried out at the Connaught Theatre, Worthing, April 18. Paris Stock Company Guesting in Montreal Montreal, March 22, Le Theatre de Paris, the first French stock company of any cali- bre to play here in several years, is currently appearing at the Arcade Theatrte. The cast, with few exceptions, is direct from Paris and most are reputable legiters with a few film headliners being used in leading roles. The stars are brought in every two weeks, as the shows change, to ap- pear in the five plays being pre- sented until April 7. Project is being bankrolled by . Film France. Idea is the brainchild of Eloi de Grandmont and Andre Roche, both familiar with legit. Pair took over the Arcade, a 755-seater in the east end of Montreal and are offering the series at a $2.50 top. Venture has produced some excellent stage- craft, but has failed to measure up to b.o. expectations. First offering, “Le Captaine Smith” with Alexandre Rignault, was a opening choice, drew a gen- eral pan from critics and few cus- tomers, Andre Clave has directed all shows, with detior by Francine Galliard-Risler.