Variety (May 1957)

58 LEGITIMATE MB*nsfr VcdneBdiy, May 22, < Off-Broadway Shows The Congo and The Cretan Woman Equity Library Theatre production of dramatic poem by Vachel Lindsay and drama in one act by Robinson Jeffers. Staged by Ben Termlne; choreography, Sevilla Fort; settings, Kent Bpdlent; cos-" tumes, Lee Pilcher; lighting. Betsy Rap¬ port; music, Harry Salwitz. At Lenojc.Hul Playhouse, N.Y., May 2, '57; admission by contribution. . „ _ , _ Cast for "Congo : James Earl Jones, Ardie Allison, Jemima Ben-Gal, Anthony Bosse, Charles Neal, .Glory Van Scott, Felix White, Clinton Williams. Cast for ‘'Woman": Elaine Limpert,> Bobby Troka, Esther Benson, Dina Pais- ner, Sally Raynor, Kathleen Roland, Les¬ lie Turner, Dorothy . Whitney, John Granger, Louis Filett, Richard Buck, James J. Glenn, Steven Phillips, Julian Burton, Frank Brining, Edwin Colbert; Woody Randles, Karin Froden, Javotte Sutton Green, Norman Inger, Miml Shel¬ ton, Linda Sohma, Barbara Spencer. Evan Thompson. Equity Library Theatre’s double bill of Vachel Lindsay’s “The Congo” and Robinson Jeffers’ “The Cretan Woman” has the virtue of novelty. It’s refreshing to go to the Lenbx Hill Playhouse and see something that isn’t just another revival. But even though willing¬ ness and good intentions are evi¬ dent, the program falls short of its Implied promise. “The Cretan Woman” is the main event, but “The Congo” is rather more compelling despite insuffi¬ cient realization of its insistent rhythms. Sevilla. Fort has pro¬ vided thoughtfully conceived choreography, yet.. it has a soft lushness that seems at odds with the incessant beat of words and drums. . James Earl Jones plays the preacher. He has a good voice, capable of effective contrast, but muffled diction makes him occa¬ sionally difficult to understand, which is a drawback for Lindsay’s pulsating beat. ■ . Stager Ben Termine has brought] a sense of imagery, color and move¬ ment to “The Cretan Woman,” but the play remains fastidiously un¬ impassioned. Excitement does not build, dramatic impetus is lacking, and Jeffers’ tragic tale moves methodically to its inevitable doom in a series of limp speeches and rigid groupings. As the driven Phaedra, Leslie Turner limits her emotions to drawing-robm level. Except. for Kathleen Roland, as an anxiously loyal servant, and a clear-spoken lively chorus, nobody in the com¬ pany urges Miss Turner, to lustier effort. Dorothy Whitney proves help¬ fully distracting in her two appear- ' ances as a Monroe-likte Aphrodite; Otherwise, this; potentially, fervid twin bill remains frustratingly anti¬ septic. Geor. Temple Theatre. Although the co¬ authors anted up a tidy part of the coin; it’s presumably a grim expe¬ rience for a fledgling off-Broadway producer, . “ Geor. loo True to Be Good Equity Library Theatre revival of “a series Qf„ sermons" in three nets by George Bernard Shaw. Staged by Cyril Simon; settings, Sam Kaner; costumes, Robert de Mora; lighting, Jane Worley. At Lenox Hill. Playhouse, N.Y.. May 9, '57; admission by contribution. • LONDON LEGIT CUTS SCALI Action Follow* Recent B.O. Tax Relief in Budget A small airless auditorium on a hot evening is no place to listen to George Bernard Shaw’s “Too True to Be Good.” “Listen to” is the advised phrase, for there’s no play tp see in this “series of ser¬ mons by a Fellow of the Royal So¬ ciety.” If “In Good King Charle’s Golden Days” hadn’t come along later to disprove the theory, it might have been supposed that with “Too True” the master had seen his best days. It has been said that it doesn’t matter whether. anything happens in a Shaw play, because the talk is so brilliant. Nonetheless, an audi¬ ence can be talked at to a fault, and despite the lively efforts of the ELT company, this Shavian effort is a theatric soporific. At the end of the first act, a character dubbed •“The Monster”, but really the measles germ, com¬ ments that the play is about over and that, the rest of the evening will be spent in talking about it. This is a characteristically pleasant GBS touch, and in a way itfs a shame an .audience can’t be handed the next two a6ts to read at home. For festivities proceed unabated for an additional two hours; with words tending to outrun ideas. Among ELT-ers striving faith¬ fully are Fran Malis.. as an elderly lady, Ellen'Madison, as a wealthy measles, patient who conspires in her own kidnapping, Michaele Myers, as a nurse with a perpetual smile, Gerald E. Mc.Gbnagi.il, as a stuffy British colonel (hasn’t that become a stereotype?), and James Harwood who, as a quizzical Pri¬ vate Meek, is responsible for-most of the humorous moments. . Cyril Simon has staged ade¬ quately, although the take. Is really beyond him and his company. A possible distinction of “Too True” is that the audience can tlose its eyes for the evening and not miss a thing. ' Geor. London, May 21. First London theatre to cut its admission prices since complete relief from admissions tax was granted to the live theatre in the Budget, is the Princes. Middle priced stalls have been reduced from $1.80 to . $1.50, and unre- serverd balcony seats, which were 40c, are now 30c. The top remains unchanged at $2.20. The Edward J. and Harry Lee Danziger presentation of “A Hat¬ ful of Rain,” is in its 10th week at the theatre. The Pigeon Peter J. Fleming production of three- act drama by Sidney S. Antebi and Ar¬ thur Ndlan. Staged by Beh Zavih; setting. .Max Aranoff; lighting; Frank .Rinaldi; music/ Mathew Kahan; .costumes, Jean . Gancone. At Temple Theatre, N. Y., May 16. '57; $2.80 top. Cast: Al. Rusclo, Sy Kalan; Lindy Kaye, Ace Adams; Geena Goodwin,' Barrie Della- iiora, Patricia RoseftWald, Joanna Merlin. . It has been said that when a,play drags, the audience can always while away time by counting the crystals in the chandelier. Ih Sid¬ ney S.‘Antebi’S and Arthur Nolan’s new drama, “The Pigeon,” there’s no chandelier. ' * . Why is it that young dramatists writing family plays knust always • make the matriarch’s death the climactic moment, thus bringing peace to warring elements within the family . circle? Is there no other way in theatre, for, hearth- side disputes to be settled? How about a play, for instance, giving mother a new lease on life? In “pigeon,” a discharged G.I. comes home determined to conceal from his family and fiancee the gravity of a service-incurred head wound 4 , that will plague him for life. Misunderstandings ensue, the engagement is off and on and off again, mother dies shortly after . learning the truth via a domestic p.a. system installed at her bed¬ side, and the survivors are-shortly ~ reconciled. Significance of title? Kid brother has a handicapped pigeon that gets its tailfeathers back at about the same time the ex-soldier decides he can live with his injury. Occasionally scripters Antebi and Nolan have injected sufficient¬ ly amusing lines to indicate that perhaps they should stop soul- searching and have a fling at com¬ edy. Stager Ben Zavin has en¬ sured that at one time or another each actor must fall on every other actor’s shoulder with a sob. Perky Patricia Rosenwald, as young sis¬ ter with a yen 'for ballet, suffers less torturedly than most. Producer Peter J. Fleming budg¬ eted $5,000 to give “Pigeon” wings, hut it ultimately cost $8,500 to see it plop from the stage apron to the auditorium floor of E. 14th St.’s Waiting for Godot Chicago, May 14. Studebaker Theatre Co. production of a two-act drama by. Samuel. Beckett. Stars Louis Zorich; Harvey Korman. Staged by Walter Biakel. At Studebaker Theatre, Chicago, May 14, -'57; $4.50 top. Cast; Louis Zorich, Harvey Korman, Moultrie - Patten. Mike Nichols, Andrew Duncan. Canadian Legit Revue Angled for London By Moore-Greene-Braden Toronto, May 21. Mavor Moore, who resigned as drama chief of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. a year ago to produce Jegit "plays and revues here and on tour, planed from To¬ ronto last, week to London, where he plans to go into West End pro¬ duction of his Canadian stage works. Triple partnership in for¬ mation of new Canadian company includes Mavor Moore; Lome Greene of Broadway and Holly¬ wood; Bernard Braden, of the-LOn- don theatre and BBC. In .the talk stage is Moore’s Spring Thaw?’ revue, now in its 13th week at the Avenue Theatre, Toronto, and slated for a trans- Canada tour. For the London in¬ vasion, Percy Faith is to do origi¬ nal music; Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster, Canadian video comics, , will do ^original sketches. Starring in the London production will be Bernard Braden and his wife, Barbara Kelly, both prom¬ inent on the London stage and British broadcasting programs. , Moore’s production of “Tur- vey,” • written* by Don Hamm of the Broadway cast of Terence Rat-, tigan’s “Separate Tables,” is lined up for London presentation In the new partnership deal; ditto Moore’s “Sunshine Town,” a musi¬ cal based on Stephen Leacock’s short stories of a Canadian small town; and Mpore’s other musical, “The Optimist,” based on Vol¬ taire’s “Candide” but dissimilar from Tyrone' Guthrie’s- Broadway entry.- Company title will be set¬ tled with Braden on . Moore’s arrival. ' The Studebaker concludes its second and possibly-last, season with a . sturdy production of Samuel B^kett’s existentialist play. It’s being performed for the first time in-. Chicago and rates as' one of the. company’s -likeliest successes yet—but there’s an ironical twist. Hard put for. money, theThouse has closed its boxoffice for this three- week rim in order to play off its 1 subscription obligation at lowest cost. Under Walter Biakel’s direction, “Waiting For. Godot” is poetically mounted and effectively cast, not¬ ably in the leads. Harvey Korman and Louis ZPrich respectively por¬ tray the serio-comic^*tramps, and they play*with subtlety and style, though Zorich's tone is sometimes less naive than his lines/ . Supporting . roles are well- handled. Mike Nichols is equal to the sensational histrionics de¬ manded by the role of Lucky, and Moultrie Patten’s Pozzo is properly stuffy; Latter, however, tends to milk the comedy values of his role. Withalj the four manage to rivet attention to a virtually actionless stage and a perplexingly allegori¬ cal script. The sturdiness of this production must be credited to Biakel, for his deft,. incisive direction, and to the writer for a provocative vehicle. Les. Touring Shows (May 20-June 2) Apple Cart (Maurice Evans)—Alcazar, S.F, (21-1). Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Thomas Gomez, Marjorie Steele, Alex Nicol)—Erlanger, Ghl (20-1). Fallen Angels (Hermlone GingOld, Mary McCarty)—Hartford, L.A.. (20-1). Fanny (Italo Tajo; Billy Gilbert)— Hanna, Cleve. (20-25, closes). Matchmaker (Ruth Gordon, Lorlng Smith, Patricia- Cutts)—National, Wash. (20-25); Hanna, Cleve. -(27-1). My Fair Lady (2d Co.) (Brian Aherne, Anno Rogers)—Philharmonic, L.A. (20-1). No Time for Sergeants. (2d Co.)—JBilt- more, L.A, (22-1). BETTER CHANGE TITLE OR TRIM THE BUDGET Capitalization on the projected Lynn Austin-Thoihas Noyes musical production- of “Copper and' Brass” has been set at $320,000, with pro- yisiqn for 10% overcall. The week¬ ly Broadway operating budget, based on a $55,000 gross, is es¬ timated at $43,000. That includes a'rental of 30% on the first $20,000 gross and 25% of the balance, 11% of the gross for royalties and $22,200 in estimated other ex¬ penses. The production budget on the legituner, which will star* Nancy Walker, includes $59,000, scenery; $39,000, costumes; ’ $8,000, proper¬ ties; $10,000, electrical equipment; $17,000, orchestrations; $8,500, di¬ rector, choreographer and dance arranger fees; $24,000, rehearsal expenses; $14,000, promotion; $6,000, tryout hauling in and set¬ ting up; $26,050, administrative costs; $36,000, bonds and deposits, and $72,450 reserve. The book for the musicomedy is by Ellen Violett and David Craig, with the- latter, who’s Miss Walk¬ er’s husband, also contributing the lyrics. The music is by David Baker. The production staff in¬ cludes Marc Daniels, director; Anna Sokolow, choreographer; William and Jean Eckart, set designers; Alvin Colt, costume de¬ signer, and Ralph Burns, orchestra¬ tions. Rehearsals are scheduled to begin Aug. 12, followed by a Sept. 12 'breakin in New Haven. The Broadway preem is set for Oct. 17 at the Martin Beck Theatre, N. Y. Greer Johnson has completed new comedy, “The Worried Song¬ birds,” based on a portion of his- previous television and legit play, “I Hear You Singing.” A Times Square information center and ticket office, has been I opened for the American Shake¬ speare Festival Theatre, Stratford, Conn. -It's under the supervision of Helen Menken and will also handle package trips for the Bard repertory series, Which opens June 22 with Alfred Drake and Earle Hyman in “Othello.” “Merchant of Venice,” with Katharine Hepburn, is next July 10, followed by an Aug. 3 preem of “Much Ado About Nothing,” costarring Miss Hepburn and Drake. Noel Behn, manager of the Cherry Lane Theatre, N.Y;; and co-producer of the house’s current tenant, “Purple Dust,” is planning a stria what tryout of the Nathaniel Benchley-Gwyn Conger Steinbeck play, ‘‘The Circus of Dr/ Lad,” prior to presenting it. off-Broadway next season. Donald Oenslager will design the sets and Anna Hill Johnstone .the costumes for “The Man in the Dog Suit,” which will tour the barn cir¬ cuit this summer. -Michael ftuttrier has been set as the new musical director and Louis G. Caldwell, formerly senior designer for Paramount pictures, as stage designer for the 12-week State Fair Musicals season in Dallas. Edgar Runkle will be company manager and Lorella Val-Mery presgagent for the Pittsburgh Civic Light Qpera Assn, this summer, John Neff, choreographer for the Festival .Music Theatre, Inc., Fort Wayne, Ind., in 1955, will handle that assignment again this summer for the organization’s outdoor musical productions in Franke P&rk. Basil Rathbone is slated for ft 14-Week rustic hike in “Witness for the Prosecution,” beginning June 10 at the Playhouse in the Park, Philadelphia. Peter Brandon v/ill also appear in the package. Jack P. Ragotzy will open his stock season June 4 at the r Barn Theatre, Augusta, Mich., and play about 15 weeks. Jean Barrere, stager of the N. Y. City Center revival of “Pajama Game,” will di¬ rect that musical, “Oklahoma” and a third production at the Music Circus, Lambertville, N. J., this summer. Nitery comedienne Jorie Remus, will play the lead femme role : in “Can-Can” at the Westchester Mu¬ sical Theatre, Rye, N. Y., in July.. Henry Barnard will appear in the role he originated on Broad¬ way in “Home of the Brave” at the Mountain Park Casino, Holyoke, Mass., in August. Nancy Walker will star .in “The Desk Set” this summer at the John Drew Theatre, East Hampton, L. I. Joan Bennett and Donald -Cook will repeat the roles they played in the touring production of “Janus” when the comedy is pre¬ sented at the Ogunquit (Me.) Play¬ house the week of June 24. as the initial bill: of the barn’s 25th sea¬ son. Michael Kane will play Laertes in “Hamlet” at the'Stratford (Ont.) Shakespearean Festival this, sum¬ mer, replacing William Shatner, who relinquished the assignment to ihake his first film under a five- year Metro pact. Charlotte HarmOLV who’s renew¬ ed her lease on the Clinton (Conn.) Playhouse begins' an eight-week season there June 29. It’ll be her seventh year, at the spot. Gloria Vanderbilt and John Ire¬ land will tour the strawhat circuit this summer in a tryout of C. Russell Hurts' “The Darkest Gar¬ den,” which will be staged by Miss' Vanderbilt's husband, Sid h e y Lumet. The play has bfeen set by Harold J. Kennedy as the June 22 opening bill of his Grist Mill Play¬ house, Andover, N.J. A Broadway production by Kennedy and Arnold Krakower may follow in the fall. June Havoc has acquired the American rights to “P a n d or a Jones,” by British authoress Julia Hannara, and plans to tour in The vehicle on the silo circuit, with John Qreenleaf packaging the pro¬ duction, She planed to the Coast last Saturday (18) to cast the show. William Hunt’s Red Bam Thea¬ tre, Northport, L.I., begins a 13- week, eighj;-play season June 11, with a three-week run pf “Tea-: house of, the August Moon.” Ex¬ cept for a closing fortnight stand of “Janus,” the -other productions will all run one week. - Richard North Gage has 15 plays lined up for his season at the Al- lehberry Playhouse, B 6 i 1 i ii g Springs, Pa., beginning May 4 and ending Nov. 2. A new play by Irving Phillips is scheduled to be tried out this sum¬ mer by Sara Stamm at her New¬ port (R.I.) Casino Theatre, which launches an eight-week season July Billy Matthews will stage ‘.‘Plain and Fancy” for the Lambertville (N.J.) Music Circus, " The Rye (N.Y.) Music Theatre, the first canvastQp in Westchester County, will begin a* 13-week sea¬ son June 14. The staff set by .pro¬ ducer Philip J. Moloney Includes Bob Roberts, managing director; Bertram Yarborough, directo;r Arthur Norris,' musical director, and Eric Schepard, choreographer. A seven-play,' seven-week sked has been set by Ron Rawson for the John Drew Theatre, East Hampton, L,I., beginning Juhe 29. Morris Carnovsky. will play Shy lock In? "the American Shake¬ speare Festival’s production of “The Merchant, ©f, .Venice” .at Stratford, Conn. Muriel Williams, who appears on the CBS-TV daytime .serial, “The Brighter Day,” and Ted .Baughh, newscaster-producer for WRGB, Schenectady, N.Y., will play the leading roles in “Anniversary Waltz!’ at Anthony Brady Farrell’s Sacandaga (NY.) Summer Theatre, the week of June. 24. Herman Middleton will direct Kermit Hunter’s outdoor drama, “Chucky Jack” at Gatlinburg, Ten¬ nessee, this year, with Charles and Susan Horton assisting. The Stage & Arena Guild of America is booking the Stanley Prager-John Allen-Mary Stanton package, production of '“Pajama Game.” Jerry Warren, who has his own radio show on WINS, N.Y., will double this summer as press con¬ sultant for the Souther Tier Play¬ house, Binghamton, N.Y. Richard Hughes will be stager at the spot. Ella.: Gerber will be director at the Peabody Playhouse, Daytona Beach, Fla. Productions at the Atlanta (GaJ Arena Theatre will be directed by Stanley Tackney. John Marley* will be managing director of the Hyde Park (N.Y.) Playhouse. Buster Keaton is scheduled to' play the title role in a strawhat production of “Merton of the Movies,” being packaged by Alan Harper, Paula Hays and John Bon¬ nes. Charles Olsen, currently repre¬ sented off-Broadway as director of “Career,” has been, signed for his second season as stager at the Clinton (Conn.) Playhouse. Lawrence H. Buck will be resi¬ dent : manager of the Neptune (N. J.) Music Circus. . John O’^Shaughnesiy is director, Hllmar Salle stage manager and Paul Phillips assistant stage man¬ ager of - the Ann Arbor, Mich., drama season. Lillian Roth, who’s scheduled to tpur the. stock cirguit .this summer in , “The Primrose Path,” is also slated to'star in “By tfre Beautiful Sea’-’ at the Kansas -City. Starlight Theatre the week of July 22* Production staff this summer for Jhe Hilltop Theatre, Lutherville, Md., includes Robert Rolling, di¬ rector; Herbert PeHack; head of tfie scenic department,: and Mort Caplan, stage manager,. Robert Bruce Holley, with the drama, department of The Rom¬ an’s College of the-U. of-North Car¬ olina,' Greensboro, returns as stage manager this summer for the Star¬ light Musicals, Indianapolis. Jay Russell will be pressagent for Lee Falk’s Boston (MassJ Sum¬ mer Theatre this season. Arnold Moss has a three-way in¬ volvement In the* upcoming stock tour of Bernard Shaw’s “Back to Methuselah,” which he cut down .to conventional length. Besides the adaptor credit, he’i co-producing with the Theatre Guild and imper¬ sonating the author in the produc¬ tion. Celeste Holm has already been set for the .tour. . Edith Atwater and Albert Dek- ker will tour the strawhat circuit this summer in a tryout of Harry Granick’s three-character drama, “The Guilty.” The Southern Tier Playhouse will be operated In Binghamton. N. Y., this ■summer'by Peter and Peggy Flournoy in the premises previously occupied by Gall Hill- son’s Triple Cities Playhouse. Fred Keating will play the magician-mind reader leading role in a strawhat .package of '“The Great Sebastians,” opposite Claire Luce. John Cameron will be director and Alvin Fox stage manager of the Ephrata (Pa.) Star Playhouse this summer, Irish actor-director Michael Mac- Aloney will stage and appear in the strawhat package pf “Witness for the Prosecution,” which will star Faye. Emerson.