Variety (February 1957)

LEGITIMATE Off-Broadway Shows The Taming of the Shrew American Shakespeare Festival. Theatre 6c Academy (under the. direction of John Houseman) revival of farce In three acts, by William Shakespeare. Staged by Nor¬ man Lloyd; settings, Rouben Ter-Arutun- ian; costumes. Dorothy Jeakins; lighting and additional decor, Jean Rosenthal; music, Irwin Bazelon. At Phoenix Theatre, N.Y., Feb. 20, *57; $3.85 top ($4.60 open¬ ing). a Christopher Sly . Mike Kellin Hostess . Pamela Saunders A Lord . -i ... Louis Edmonds Bartholom^\r--.,.. Susan Lloyd TJ'irst Player ... . Byron Russell Huntsmen andjServants Tucker Ashworth, William Cottrell Lucentio... Richard Easton His Servants...Mitchell Agruss, Jerry Stiller Baptista . Patrick Hines Katherina . Nina Foch .Blanca . Barbara Lord Gremio .. Philip Bourneuf Hortensio . .T .. Kendall Clark Grumio . Morris Carnovsky Petruchio .Pernell Roberts His Servants .Rod Colbin. James Cahill, Michael Llndsay-Hogg, Joseph Myers. David Milton. Robert Morris Tailor . William Cottrell Haberdasher . Tucker Ashworth Pedant . Ellis Rabb Vincentio . BS^ron Russell Lusty Widow .. Pamela. Saunders Baptlsta's Servants.Michael Miller, Charles Meier Ribald, raucous Shakespearean farce as welcome on a bleak win¬ ter night on lower 2d avr, as on a balmy summer evening at Strat- ford-on-the-Housatonic. With the revival of “The Taming of the Shrew" following its “Measure for Measure" at the Phoenix Theatre, the American Shakespeare Festival Theatre & Academy demonstrates some of the scope and flexibility that was hoped for when it was only an optical gleam. Intimations of the advantages of ensemble playing are~l?eginning to be discernible, and in tneir Phoe¬ nix incarnations, both “Measure" and “Slirew" reflect polish and planning. ASFTA's mid-winter so¬ journ in the off-Broadway oasis may begin to convert skeptics and Avon-idolaters to the notion that it can happen here. How much the Shakespeare Academy has contributed thus far is hard to tell. A number of the company, however, have been able to train together over a winter, even if intermittently due to com¬ mercial commitments, and to work in repertory at Stratford during a summer. Inevitably they’re a step ahead of those of their peers who wandered in to an open casting call. “Slirew" belongs primarily to Katherina and Petruchio. A revival can stand or fall by the playing of this tempestuous pair, so the bur¬ den is on Nina Foch and Pernell Roberts. Miss Foch’s Kate is visually worth fighting for. As directed, or as prompted by her aiitress’ in¬ stinct, she kicks, punches, snarls and in direst frustration she chews' on the proscenium arch. This is a racing, posturing shrew, yet prop¬ erly demure when mastered. Roberts’ Petruchio is the intel¬ lectual woman-tamer, the dry, sub¬ tle, psychological type. Every inch and whisker capable of the job, Roberts’ only weakness is vocal, and on some of his more introspec¬ tive moments a report from the top balcony might be instructive. So many of the company have energy to burn that it’s difficult to discriminate. Morris Carnovsky’s blustering Grumio, Kendall Clark’s mooning Hortensio, Richard Eat¬ on’s love-sick swain, Philip Bourn- euf’s pernickety Gremio, and Mike Kellin’s tippling Christopher Sly •are very much with it. In his few moments as a near-sighted ancient, Ellis Rabb garners some of the deeper yocks, and Jerry Stiller, with his constant reappearance at the Phoenix in eccentric comedy bits, is becoming almost as much a fixture as the theatre itself. Norman Lloyd’s staging extracts both traditional, and inventive com¬ edy. The images of Petruchio’s I I f . I for THEATRICAL FOLK ' a CHEERFUL ROOMS with BATH )OMS i / PING 4 48th St., West of B way Circle 6-8800 five verminy servants creeping out of the woodwork, or Sly’s unerring nose to wake him from a drunken stupor the instant a flask is un¬ loosed, are minor but integral. Rpuben Ter-Arutunian’s slatted- blind setting is again made adapta¬ ble in a manner resembling the geography of the Elizabethan stage. At second intermission, Hiram Sherman comes to the apron to en¬ large on “Will Shakespeare, Con- ,-necticut Boy,” and speaks of the' Festival's desire for early subscrip¬ tions for the ’57 sumjmer on a “pay-now-go-later" plan. With his accustomed deprecation, Sher¬ man’s low - pressure commercial generates the evening’s most spon¬ taneous laughter. There’s a moral there somewhere. . Gcor. A Box of Watcreolors Broadway Chapel Players production of drama in one act, by G. Wood. Staged by Bill Penn; setting, Ed Flesh, costu'mes, Rennie Procopio. At Broadway Congre¬ gational Church, N.Y., Feb. 17, '37; admis¬ sion by contribution. Cast: G. Wood. Lilytn Wilder, Olive Dunbar, Paula Bauersmith, Carleton Car¬ penter, Jatne McArthur. j \ -- “Or the strange goings-on In Hedgeville, Ind." would be a plau¬ sible sub-title for the new religious drama by G. Wood opening of the Broadway Chapel Players fourth year. Announced as the story of a man who breaks the First Com¬ mandment, “A Box of Watercolors’^ .dallies with a couple of other vio¬ lations during its 85-minute single act, without coming to specific grips with any. Hedgeville’s a gas station stop (Continued on page 61) Show on Broadway Lc Cliicn Dll Jardinier (The Gardener's Dog) S. Hurok presentation of Madeleine Renaud 6c Jean-Louis Barrult Co. in three- act comedy by Georges Neaux after Lope de Vega. Staged by Barrault; features Barrault, Miss Renaud. Jean-Pierre Gran- val, Gabriel Cattand, Georges Cusin. Simone Valere, Natalie Nerval, Francoise Ledoux, Andre Jobin, Regis Outin, Jean Lancelot, Emile Noel, Jean JuiUard, Pierre Bertln, Gerard Dournel: sets and costumes by Jean-Denis Malcles: music. Pierre Boulez. At Winter (larden Theatre, N.Y., Feb. 18, '57; $5.75 top. Theodore . Jean-Louis Barrault Tristan .Jean-Pierre Granval Countess Diane .Madeleine Renaud Fabio ..*.. .. Gabriel Cattand Octavio . Georges Cusin Marcel! . Simone Valere Assunta . Natalie "Nerval Dorothee . Francoise Ledoux Marquis Ricardo . Andre Jobin Count Frederic . Regis Outin Leonido . Jean Lancelot Celio ... Emile Noel Antonio . Jean JuiUard Count Ludovlc . Pierre Bertin Camille . Jacques Galland Furlo . Gerard Dournel The charm and superb skill of the Renaud-Barrault company is evident in this final bill, an affec¬ tionate adieu tq appreciative audi¬ ences. The last offering, Georges Neveux’s adaptation of the Lope de Vega stoiy, “Le Chien Du Jar¬ dinier," a delightful period piece brought up to date to make its sly humor applicable to modern taste. While Barrault has done excel¬ lent work in past performances, he outdoes himself as..,the love-torn Theodore, caught in the wiles of the coquettish Countess Diane" (Miss Renaud). It is an oldfash- ioned caf-and-mouse game, but done with great imagination and— particularly on the part of the ac¬ tors—with wit and grace. It’s hardly a novel story, about the Countess who can’t see herself marrying her secretary, but is too jealous to let him marry someone else, in this case the - attractive Simone Valere, a lady-in-waiting. If the en.ding seems contrived, the piece has to be taken in its own spirit, and as such it is a firstrate vehicle for Barrault’s company. If Barrault excells in the part. Miss Renaud gives a performance of rare merit. The Interplay be¬ tween the two is “theatre” at its best. Miss Valere is outstanding as the extrovert Marcelle; Jean-Pierre Granval is droll as Barrault’s ser¬ vant and Pierre Bertin properly outlandish as the foolish old Count. It’s quite a large cast, eveiyone playing it to the hilt. | As in mother of the Barrault group's presentations, the scenery designed by Jean-Denis Malcles is handsome and cleverly contrived. Costumes are colorful and appeal¬ ing and Pierre Boulez has arranged pleasant musical backgrounds. As a windup, the entire company appears in “Les Adieux," the high¬ light of which is Barrault’s mime act. Again, there is simple charm as various actors recreate brief scenes from plays that have gone before. But Barrault is outstand- I ing, whether he's sewing on a but- 1 ton or riding an imaginary horse. His Is an extraordinary talent, and his troupe should return soon to renew the acquaintance. Hift Plan N.E. Theatre Centre Boston, Feb. 26. A New England Theatre Centre being organized by G. Sheldon Balloch and Clifford N. Lenox is to include a downtown Hub house, a strawhatter and a summer theatre camp in Maine. The idea is to stage productions 42 weeks a year* in the intown house and shift to air conditioned John Hancock in the summer, Bal¬ loch says. The summer theatre camp is-to be operated at the Rangely Lakes. Summer . Theatre, Rangely, Mp. A kitty of $250,000 is being sought by the producers. Stock Reviews I Wednesday, February 27, 1957 Inside Stuff—Legit A new ruling limiting the length of fee^der cables for portable switch¬ boards in New Y(^k theatres has been issued by the Dept, of Water Sufiply, Gas & Electricity. The regulationnstipulates that the cables cannot extend beyond 25 feet from the main or sub,-main switches. A previously accepted practice of wrapping the heavy feeders in asbestos if the cables went beyond 25 feet will no Ipnger be permitted. The "department is also preparing an order requiring installation of a permanent metal casing to carry the heavy feeders. It’s intended as a safety measure to prevent fire, “The Potting Shed," in a rare move for a Broadway show, is using its own program instead of the regular Playbill. It’s a carryover by co-producer Carmen Capalbo & Stanley Chase from their longrun off- Broadway venture, “The Threepenny Opera," at the Theatre de Lys. The managerial firm put out its own program for that show and is using the same facilities for the Graham Greene drama at the Bijou. The “Shed" program includes articles by Greene and playwright John van Dmten, besides the usual capsule blogs. There are also sev¬ eral ads, including a half-page for “Threeuennv." ■ Curiousi} Miss Caraway Pasadena, Feb, 14. Pasadena Playhouse production o£ « comedy-mystery In two acts (four scenes), by • George Batson and Alex Gottlieb. Stars ZaSu Pitts. Directed by Stewart Smith; setting by Mike McCloskey. At Pasadena Playhouse. Feb. 14. '67; $2.40 top, Cast: ZaSu Pitts, Gene Hackman. Ron¬ ald Di Salvo, Michael Gibson, Pierre Watkin. Jean Carson, Madge Blake. John Day, Robert Anderson. Cherrio Meredith. Hokey comedy melodramas, have become a rarity in legit, but; George Batson and Alex Gottlieb have returned to that form for “The Curious Miss Caraway" in which Zasu Pitts is making a star¬ ring appearance. It’s a sorry effort. The meller involves a murder, an antique shop and some missing diamonds. A couple of schemers drug the owner and kill one of their own henchmen before they are finally tripped up. The only real. comedy derives from inter¬ polated bits. Stewart Smith’s staging does lit¬ tle to clarify matters. Miss Pitts, as a sort of amateur sleuth, doesn’t succeed in overcoming the script deficiencies. Others of the c?ist fare no better. Kap. ' View From the Bridge Chicago, Feb. 19. Studebaker Theatre Co. production of drama m two acts by Arthur Miller. Stars Luther Adler. Staged by George Keath- ley; scMery. Clive Rlckabaugh; costumes, Theonl V. Aldredge. At Studebaker Thea¬ tre. Chicago, Feb. 19, '57; $4.50 top: Cast: Luther Adler. Sylvia Gassel, Col¬ lin Wilcox, Louis Zorich, Alan Mixon, Arthur Peterson, Moultrie Patten, Lee Henry, Eugene Troobnick, Maury Cooper, David C. Jones. Arthur Miller’s “'View from the Bridge," running for three weeks, should register the best business of Studebaker Theatre’s ' young ca¬ reer. . The author has expanded what was originally a long one-act play into two acts and lost consid¬ erable momentum in the process. The writing probes with keen, sympathetic insight into the un¬ healthy love of an uncle for his niece. The dialog is crisp and al¬ most always believable, and there are several gripping episodes lead¬ ing up to the final death scene. But the tension sometimes slackens as the next dramatic punch is tele¬ graphed and what remains borders on postured melodrama. Much that apparently was implied before is now spelled out, to the sacrifice of pace and subtlety. Under George Keathley’s direc-^ tion, the cast unfurls the big scenes with a real wallop, but now and again the company’s loss of focus, such of faltering dialects, accentu¬ ates that of the author’s. Luther Adler generally scores powerfully as the Brooklyn stevedore whose tragic ' attachment to his niece turns him into the betrayer of her lover, an illegal Sicilian immigrant. Sylvia Gassel likewise gives, a sturdy portrayal as the wife, ne¬ glected by her husband’s incestu¬ ous passion. k Some moving moments are pro¬ vided by Collin Wilcox as the niece and Alan Mixon as her lover. Ar¬ thur Peterson is proficient as Al- fieri, the lawyer who serves as the narrator. Louis Zorich is effec¬ tively foreboding as the other im¬ migrant who knocks off the mixed up dockwalloper in the final scene. Dave, SCHEDULED N. Y. OPENINGS (Theatres indicated' if set) Good As Gold, Belasco (3-7). Beggar's Opera, City Center (3-13). Sin of Pat Muldoon, Cort (3-13). Malden Voyage, Barrymore (3-14). Orpheus Descending, Beck (3-21). Hide & Seek (wk. 3-25) Brigadoon, City Center (3-27). Liza (4-2). Hotel Paradlso, Miller (4-3). Joker (4-4). Merry Widow, City Center (4-10). Shinbone Alley, B'way (4-13). South Pacific, City Center (4-24). First Gentleman (4-25). Moon for Misbegotten, Bijou (4-30). New Girl in Town, 46th St. (5-9). Pajama Game, City Center (5-15). OFF-BROADWAY Dr. In Spite of Himself, Tempo (2-27). Right You Are,. Fischer (3-4). Synge Trilogy, Theatre East (3-6). Exiles, Renata (3-12). Land Beyond the River, Mews (3-13). Trojan Trio, Theatre Marquee (3-18). Blalico Posnet, Provincetown (3-19). Duress of Malfl, Phoenix (3-10). eral ads, including a half-page for “Threepenny." ■ “Body Beautiful," new musical scheduled for production by Richard Kollmar, Is a repeat of a title previously used on Broadway. The pre¬ vious show of that name was a three-act comedy by Robert Rossen, which ran for four performances at the Plymouth Theatre in 1935. It was produced by Sidney Harmon and staged by Rossen, with a cast including Garson Kanin and Arlene Francis. The upcoming tuner was written by Joseph Stein and Will Glickman, with Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick supplying the songs. Legit Bits The initial stock production of “The Pajama Game" preemed yes¬ terday (Tues.) at* the. Stamford (Conn.) Playhouse. “An Evening of Lyric Theatre" will be presented by the After Din¬ ner Opera Co. as a Phoenix Thea¬ tre (N.Y.) Sideshow one-shot April i: New additions to the Maurice Evans production staff are Walter Williams, a former associate of the actor-prGducer, and Martin Tahse, previously associated with the- Cherry Lane Theatre, N.Y.,- and launcher of the Cincinnati Show Trains. Richard Grayson, until re¬ cently a mdinber of Evans' staff, is now out on the road as stage man¬ ager for the touring “Apple Cart." George Platt, formerly active in the agency field, is now tv and in¬ dustrial films casting director for Lou Walters’ Enterprises. Robert. Van Hooten, who plays the psychiatrist in the Chicago company of “No Time for Ser¬ geants," is appearing in that role in New York this week as substi¬ tute for James Millhollin, who’s on a week's leave. The 11th annual American Thea¬ tre .Wing “Tony" awards dinner- dance will be held April 21 in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf- Astoria Hotel, N.Y. E. B. Radcliffe, drama critic for the Cincinnati (O.) Enquh’er will be in New York tomorrow (Thurs.) through March 8 for an o.o. of the Broadway legit scene. Theodore will offer his one-man show, “Confessions of a Cynic," at Town Hall, N.Y., next Saturday (2) night. ^ , John Owen, producer of indus¬ trial shows and expositions, has optioned the dramatic rights to the Ludwig Lewisohn novel, “The Case of Mr. Crump." John D. Hess' “The Better Mousetrap," which Michael Ellis tried out at his Bucks County (Pa.) Playhouse two summers ago, has been optioned for Broadway produ<ftion by Ellis and Albert Sel- den, with Bretaignc Windust as director. Theatre party agent Lenore To¬ bin and her publisher’s rep-hus¬ band Meyer Schattner are due back this week or next from a vacation trip to Cuba and Mexico. Frank Wagner took over on short notice last week to provide new choreography for the “Ziegfeld Follies/’ succeeding Richard and Edith Barstow. The deal was agented by Hillard Elkins. Kenyon Nicholson recently ac¬ quired and is now operating the Delaware Valley Bookstore, New Hope, Pa. The playwright has been a resident of the Bucks County town for many years. Producers Shepard Traube and Georgo Axelrod wasted no time putting the article, “A," ahead of the titles of their respective new Broadway shows, “Holiday for Lovers" and “Visit to a Small Planet," thereby obtaining posi¬ tions near the top of the alphabeti¬ cal ad listings in the New York dailies. Former scenic artist-actor Charles Ellis has a one-man exhi¬ bition of paintings at the Institute of History & Art, Albany. Since retiring from the theatre he’s been living in Austerlitz, N.Y., not far from the state capital, Wiiitney R. Sponsler, who de¬ signed most of the theatrical re¬ port and accounting forms being sold by the American Legitimate Theatre Service, a coast firm, is a legit producer and former produc¬ tion manager of the U. of Southern California Dept, of Drama. Andy Devine has been men¬ tioned for the role of Captain Andy in next summers edition of Guy Lombardo’s production of “Showboat" at Jones Beach, N. Y. Frank Fay is planning to bring Paul Gerard Smith’s comedy, “Hal- ligan’s Halo" to Broadway next May. He’ll be producer, director and star. Joshua Logan will direct the James Leo Herlihy-Willlams Noble play, “The Children’s Comedy," which James Hammersteln and Barbara Wolferman plan to pre¬ sent on Broadway next season. Playwright Joseph Kramm will discuss rewriting problems and the contribution of actors and director to a play with members of the New Dramatists at the organization’s New York studio tonight (Wed.). Theatrical memorabilia provided by legit alumni of Princeton (N.J.) (Continued on page 61) Casting BROADWAY Major Barbara: Louis Latham (succeed* ing SaUy Qracle). Shinbone Alloy: David Winters. Hotel Paradito: Bert Lahr, Angela Lansbury. Arthur Treacher, Vera Pearce, Douglas Byng. James Bernard, Nancy Devlin. Joan-Ellcn Caine, Helen Quarrier. Patricia Fay. Liza: Hugh Reilly, Anne Seymour, Marlon Brash, Bert Bertram, Edward Hunt. Diary of Anna Frank: Ben Hammer (understudy to Joseph Schlldkraut). .Egghoad: Karl Malden. Joker: Anne Klmbel, Mort Marshall, Bruce Kirby. John Boyd, Truman Smith. Howard Newman. Marjorie Gateson, Frank Overton. No Time for Sergeants: Karl K. Red* coff (succeeding Edmund Johnston). Hide and Saak: Isobcl Elsom, Carl Har- bord. Dolores Dorn Heft, Walter Brooke. Peter Lazer, Marilyn Siegel. First Centlaifian; Marla Fein, Guy Spaull, Inga Swenson, Clarence Derwent, Peter Donat, Wesley Addy, Tonio Selwart, Le Roi Operti, Robert Goodlcr, Helen Burns. v. OFF-BROADWAY Dutchess of Malfl (Phoenix); Earle Hy¬ man, Jacqueline Brookes. Joseph Wise¬ man, Pernell Roberts, Hurd Hatfield. Volpone: Sylvester Campbell (succeed¬ ing A1 De Sio); Mervin Williams, Lee Richardson (succeeding Robert Black¬ burn), icaman Cometh: Bill Daniels (succeed¬ ing George Segal), Eileen Ryan (tem¬ porarily succeeding Dolly Jonah). Exiles: Mark LCnard, Jutta Wolf, Michael Kane. Betty Miller, Mabel Coch¬ ran. Forest Van Zant. Purple Dust: Liam Lenihan. Apollo of Bellac & Virtuous Island: Martyn Green, Staats Cotsworth, Berry. Kroeger. WUllam Marshall, Mary Learson, Tally Beatty. Right You Are: Vincent Gardenia. Dee Victor, Suzanne Eden. Erik Rhodc.s, Miriam Goldina, Leonard Elliott, Reuben Singer. Dolores Quinton, DennLs Drew, Maggie Uwens, Viola Swayne. _ CAN YOU FIT IN with a thdofr# ticket organization? Promption, tolei, packaging, and individual ticket brokeroge. Con-> tacts In the legitimate theatre will help. Box V-4556-57. VARIETY. 154 W. 46th St., New York 36. N.Y. Standard Legit Theotricol Forms and Reports All forms $1.00 per 100 Send for Your FREE Sample Set TODAY American Legitimate Theatre Service 6000 Sunset Bivd. Hollywood 28, California PROFESSIONAL CARDS HONORED Theatrical and TV Make Up • All Loading Cosmetic Linai • Imported & Domestic Perfumes o Oistlnctiva Fountain Service. FREE DELIVERY OPEN SUNDAYS "The Drug Store of the Stars" HADLEY REXALL DRUGS 11S1 6th Ave., Cor. 46 St., NEW YORK Telephone PLaza 7-0023