Variety (January 1956)

Wednesday, January 4, 1956 Golden Jubilee P'jj'RIETY 50th Anniversary LEGITIMATE 475 50 Years of the American Theatre B’way Legit Long-Runs ; Continued from page 474 ; Bsl Geddes, Stuart Chaney, Boris Aronson, Lemuel Ayers and Mordecai Gorelik. Women have equal status with men in the theatre, and their contribution has been equally important. In addition to brilliant actresses, they have been successful managers: Antoinette Perry, her daughter, Elaine Perry; Irene Selznick, Cheryl Crawford, Margo Jones, Theresa Helburn, Armina Marshall. Scenic artists: Aline Bernstein, Lucinda Ballard. Costume designers: Irene Sharaff, Lucinda Bal¬ lard. Choreographers: Agnes De Millc, Hanya Holm. Lighting artists: Jean Rosenthal, Peggy Clarke. Directors: Margaret Webster, Antoinette Perry, Mary Hunter, Auriol Lee. Writers: Rachel Crothers (“Susan and God”); Rose Franken (“Another Language,” “Claudia”); Zoe Akins (“Declassee,” “Morning Star”), Lillian Heilman. Russian Importations, Bernhardt, Duse, Others Many importations from abroad took place periodically during these 50 years, and among them were the farewell tours of Sarah Bernhardt and Eleanora Duse, who unhap¬ pily died in Pittsburgh. The first tour of Diaghilev’s Russian ballet, with Pavlova, and a later tour with Nijinski, with the colorful cos¬ tumes and scenery of Bakst, had a great influence on our scenic decor. They especially influenced the youthful Robert Edmond Jones, Lee Simonson, Rollo Peters and other scenic pioneers, as did Max Reinhardt’s production of the pantomime “Sumurun,” with its runway — quickly adopted by burlesque houses throughout the country with an influence not so artistic. The most important visitor, however, was the Moscow Art Theatre (1923) directed by Stanislavski and Dantchenko, which, through the superb playing of such actors as Kachalov and Woskvin in Chekhov’s plays, gave a new impetus to the American artistic theatre, an influence still felt in dramatic schools. The visits of Max Reinhardt, who directed two Ameri¬ can productions, “The Miracle” and “The Merchant of Yonkers,” were of lesser import, while the importation by Otto Kahn of the French company of Jacques Copeau at the Garrick Theatre during World War I accomplished relatively little either as a good will gesture or as an artistic influence. The Comedie Francaise has been more successful in both categories. Importations of English acting companies from time to time, such as John Gielgud’s “The Lady’s Not For Burning”; “Love for Love,” and “The Importance of Being Earnest,” set a high standard for classical comedy. We continue to rely heavily on plays from London, but success there by no means ensures success here. Indeed, until quite recently the . opposite seemed to be true. I 1 Shakespeare has .always been popular nationwide in America, although the same is not true of New York City. Shakespearean touring companies were popular when the costs of transporting large companies were such as to make ..touring profitable. . Among, the best, of the earlier, touring repertory companies were those of Sothern & Marlowe, the Ben Greet Players, Robert P. Mantel!, and Walter Hampden. Among the outstanding performances and productions of Shakespeare were Barrymore’s “Hamlet,” George Arliss and Peggy Wood in “The Merchant of Venice,” Jane Cowl and Rollo Peters’ “Romeo and Juliet,” Katherine Cornell’s “Romeo and Juliet” and “Anthony and Cleopatra,” Lunt & Fontanne’s “The Taming of the Shrew,” Maurice Evans and Judith Anderson’s “Macbeth.” There were, too, Evans as “Hamlet,” Gielgud as “Hamlet,” Helen Hayes and Evans in “Twelfth Night,” Katherine Hepburn’s “As You Like It,” Eva Le Gallienne’s “Romeo and Juliet,” Margaret Webster’s production of “Othello” with Paul Robeson and Jose Ferrer, the Mercury Theatre’s “Julius Caesar” with Orson Welles. All of these enjoyed substantial runs in New York. Later imports have included the old Vic Company with Sir Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson — and a second trip with Olivier and his wife; Vivien Leigh. Both tours were great bOxoffice successes, but the theatres were so large that the productions were largely inaudible, as was the Old Vic project presenting “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Metropolitan Opera House. Outstanding among the directors of Shakespeare have been. Arthur Hopkins, Guthrie McClintic, Margaret Web¬ ster and John Houseman. Because of increasing costs Shakespearean productions have greatly fallen off recently and the function of producing his plays has largely been taken over by small professional groups, such as the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, Mass., and by college the¬ atres using amateur actors. The American Shakespeare Festival Theatre was built by public subscription in Strat¬ ford, Conn., in 1955 to provide a Festival and Academy for American professional actors. Much is hoped for this project. _ _ ] _ Summer Slock Vs. Strawliats _ | An important factor in the growth of the American theatre is so-called “summer stock” which embraces a number of different types of enterprise. The earliest summer stock companies, such as Denver’s Elitch’s Gar¬ dens and Skowhegan’s Lakeside Theatre, played old Broadway successes a week at a lime with a resident company. In 1925 Raymond Moore built a summer theatre at Dennis, Mass., from an abandoned church, and in 1931 the Westport Country Playhouse was remodelled from a Connecticut barn for the N. Y. Repertory Company which later brought one of its successes, “The -Streets of New York,” to Broadway. The success of the summer barn theatre companies resulted in additional theatres being established at Mount KiSco, Olney and Falmouth, and today the movement has grown until summer theatres are numbered in the hun¬ dreds, and give summer employment and training to actors all over the country. The movement has now spread to winter resorts in the south, such as Palm Beach and Miami. Recent developments are the packaged star shows sent out on summer theatre tours, and music circuses in tents, originated by St. John Terrell in New Jersey, and growing in popularity each year. Following the example of Westport, summer theatres arc being used increasingly for the tryout of new plays for Broadway. The past 50 years witnessed at first a resurgence of theatre building led by the enterprising Shubert brothers in their competitive struggles with the entrenched syndi¬ cate of Klaw & Erlanger. As a result, many new and excellent theatres were built throughout the country; the Shuberts favoring one balcony, whereas A. L. Erlanger insisted on a balcony and the now-outmoded gallery or second balcony. During the depression many theatres out-of-town were turned into movie houses or parking lots. With the renascence of interest in the legitimate theatre since World War II, there has also been a substantial increase in building costs, so that despite the shortage of theatres in New York in 1955, there seems little likelihood that new theatres will be constructed unless this is done in conjunction with other buildings, like hotels, office build¬ ings, etc. ■ The number of theatres in New York City now available for the legitimate theatre has reached a low point — 31. Since there are considerably more plays and financial back¬ ing available than there are theatres to house them, the opportunity is present for a man combining the energy and ability of a producer, and the real estate “know-how” of the Shuberts and K & E, to start building now theatres in New York and elsewhere. Perhaps this man already exists in the person of Roger L. Stevens, who has shown unusual talent in the fields of theatrical production (the Playwrights’ Co., Producers’ Theatre) and real estate; or in his colleague, Robert W. Dowling, of City Investing Company. _ _ _ _ ] _ Unionization of the Theatre I The evils of management in the era of rugged individual¬ ism which characterized the American theatre prior to 1919 resulted in the formation of the Actors Equity Assn., which has done wonders for the actor and has had a stabilizing effect on the theatre. Not so beneficial, however, has been the effect of the stagehands’ union, IATSE, which derives its main mem¬ bership from other fields, such as motion pictures and television, and seems to regard the theatre as a hothouse growth. This tendency to regard the theatre as a luxury is shared by some of the scenic artists, so that while scenic artistry has risen to a high point, scenic costs have risen even higher. Many farsighted scenic artists have realized that they have a responsibility toward the actors and authors and are making a stand against devoting too much of the the¬ atre’s income to scenery and scene-shifting. They wish to further the possibility of producing controversial plays or plays of limited boxoffice appeal, a possibility which becomes less and less as scenery costs , grow higher and higher. Paul Gregory, a producer with extraordinary imagina¬ tion, has shown it is possible to produce financially suc¬ cessful plays using no scenery at all. It may well be that if a halt is not called on scenic costs by the artists them¬ selves, the experimental or artistic theatre will be forced by the stern law of economics to reduce its scenic costs or die. _ j _ _ Off-Broadway ! A new phenomenon, which, may well revolutionize the theatre of tomorrow, is the off-Broadway theatre, a term applied to the half dozen or more small theatres clustered around Greenwich Village, whose formation is somewhat reminiscent of the early days of the Washington Square and Provincctown Players. These theatres have already produced several important actors and directors, and one promising playwright. Leslie Stevens. They may well provide the back door through which the creative American artist of the future may enter the larger theatre of Broadway. | ~~ ANTA _ | During the last decade, the non-profit nationally char¬ tered organization, The American National Theatre and Academy (ANTA', purchased the old Guild Theatre, and initiated the production of artistic plays which included Mary Chase’s “Mrs. McThing” starring Helen Hayes, Jef¬ fers’ “The Tower Beyond Tragedy” starring Judith Ander¬ son, and other interesting revivals. ANTA serves a nation¬ wide function as the liaison between the professional, college and community theatres throughout the country, and, as the official agent for the State Department, has acted very successfully in sending American plays to fes¬ tivals abroad. ANTA has been especially helped by three new producers: Robert Dowling, President; Roger Stevens, Treasurer, and Robert Whitehead, who together formed a new producing organization called Producers’ Theatre Inc., which has produced a number of successful plays and operates five Broadway theatres. _ | The Newest Look | Notwithstanding the high cost's of the theatre, conditions are always good for hits. The play continues to be the thing, and here we have reason to be optimistic. As never before, the writing talents of young America have the opportunity of learning their writing trade in the sister art of television, and earning a good living at the same time. Paddy Chaycfsky, whose new play, “The Middle of the Night,” is in production by Joshua Logan, and Ira Levin (whose hour tele adaptation of “No Time for Sergeants,” on the U. S. Steel Hour led to discovery by the Theatre Guild of a new star, Andy Griffith) are examples of an ever-increasing pattern of relationship between the two media. In acting, too, never before has there been such an in¬ flux of talent and the means of training it as the Actors Studio, the American Academy of Dramatic Art, the Amer¬ ican Theatre Wing, the American Shakespeare Academy, and dramatic schools and college departments throughout the country, all of which are flourishing. As the automa¬ tion of industry cuts down the working hours of the popu¬ lation, the demand for entertainment will grow greater and greater. Mass entertainment like motion pictures and television will never be completely free of censorship prob¬ lems, and to this extent cannot purvey the fullest excite¬ ment of the li\ing theatre which flourishes in an atmos¬ phere of artistic freedom. The living theatre alone of all the entertainment media stands preeminent, not merely because more than all the others it depends upon the art of acting and the magical relationship which exists in the contact between the living actor and the living audience, but also because on its stages the freedom to express thought in the form of plays will keep it as vigorous and eternal as life itself. Life With Father . 3.224 Tobacco Road . 3.182 Abie’s Irish Rose . 2.327 Oklahoma! . 2.243 South Pacific . 1 -925 Harvey . 1.775 Born Yesterday . 1,642 The Voice of the Turtle . 1,557 Arsenic and Old Lace . . . . 1.444 Hellzapoppin . 1.404 Angel Street . 1.295 Lightnin’ . 1.291 The King and I . . . 1 -346 Guys and Dolls . 1.200 Mister Roberts . 1.157 Annie Gel Your Gun . 1.147 The Seven Year Itch . . 1.141 Pins and Needles . 1.103 Kiss Me. Kate . 1.070 The Teahouse of the August Moon . 1.033* Anna Lueasla . 957 Kiss and Tell . 957 The Moon Is Blue . 928 Can-Can . 892 Carousel . 890 llais Off to lee . 889 Follow the Girls . 832 The Bat . 867 My Sister Eileen . 885 While Cargo . 864 Song of Norway . 880 A Streetcar Named Desire . 855 You Can’t Take It With You . 837 Three Men on a Horse . 835 Stars on Ice 830 Comedy in Music (Victor Borge) . 828* Where’s Charlev? . . . . 792 The Ladder . 789 Slate of the Union . 765 Tne First Year . 760 Death of a Salesman.... . 742 Sons o’ Fun . 742 The Man Who Came to Dinner . 739 Call Me .Mister . 734 High Button Shoes . 727 Finian’s Rainbow . 725 Claudia . 722 The Gold Diggers . 720 I Remember Mama . 714 Junior Miss . 710 Tea and Sympathy . 709 Seventh Heaven (straight play) . 704 Peg o’ My Heart . 692 The Children’s Hour . 691 Dead End . 687 The Lien and the Mouse . 686 The Pajama Game . . . . 684* Dear Ruth . 683 East Is West . 680 The Dough, girls . 671 Irene . 670 Boy Meets Girl . 609 Blithe .Spirit . 657 The Womc n . . 657 A Trip to Chinatown.... . 657 Bloomer Girl . 654 The Fifth Season . 653 Rain 648 Call Me Madam . 644 Janie . 642 The Green Pastures.... . . 640 The Fourposter . 632 Is Zat So? . 618 The Happy Time . 614 Separate Rooms . 613 Anniversary Waltz . 61 1 Affairs of Slate . . . *. .. . 610 Star and Garter'.... 609 The Student Prince . 608 Broadway . 603 Adonis . . . 603 Street Scene . 601 Kiki . 600 Wish You Were Here . 598 A Society Circus . 596 B'ossom Time . 592 The Two Mrs. Carrolls . 535 Detective Story . 581 (Note: Asterisk indicates total for current shows as of Dec. 31, 1955). London’s Long-Runners 1. Chu-Chin-Chow . 2.238 2. Blithe Spirit . 1.997 3. Worms-Eye View . . . 1.745 4. Me and My Girl . 1.646 5. Reluctant Heroes . 1.610 6. Together Again . 1.566 7. Seagulls Over Sorrento...... . 1.551 8. Oklahoma" . 1.543 9. Charley's Aunt . 1.466 10. Beggar’s Opera . 1.463 11. Our Boys . 1,362 12. Knights of Madness . 1.361 13. Maid of the .Mountains. . . . 1.352 14. Arsenic and Old Lace* . 1.337 15. Farmer’s Wife . . 1.329 16. Annie Get Your Gun* . 1.304 17. Mousetrap? . 1.288 18. Little Hut . 1.261 19. Little Bit of Fluff . 1.241 20. While the Sun Shines . 1.154 21. Chinese Honeymoon . 1,075 22. Quiet Weekend . 1.059 23. Romance . 1,049 24. French Without Tears . 1.039 25. Perchance to Dream . . 1.022 26. Wind and the Rain . 1.001 American import. •' Opened Nov. 25, ‘52; still running; total perform¬ ances as of Jan. 1, ’56.