Variety (January 1961)

Show on Broadway Rhinoceros | Leo Kerz. in association with Seven Arts Associates Corp.. presentation of . drama in three acts (four scenes), by Eugene Ionesco, translated by Derek Prouse. Staged by Joseph Anthony; costumes, Michael Travis; setting, Leo Kerz ; Stars Eii Wallach, Zero Mostel: features j Morris Carnovsky. Michael Strong. Mike ■ Keihn. Jean Stapleton. Philip Coolidge, ; Jane Hoffman. Leslie Barrett, Lucille ■ Patton. Joseph Bernard. Flora Elkins, Dolph Sweet. Anne Jackson. Opened Jan. 9. ’61: SS.90 top. Waitress . Flora Elkins Logicion . Morris Carnovsky j Grocer . Dolph Sweet \ Grocer’s Wife . Lucille Patton Housewife . Jane Hoffman Berrenger . Eli Wallach John . . Zero Mostel Old Gentleman . Leslie Barrett . Cafe Proprietor . Joseph Bernard Daisv Anne Jackson ; Mr. Nicklebush . Philip Coolidge ; Dribble . , . Mike Kallin Shiftor . Michael Strong Mrs. Ochs . Jean Stapleton Fireman . . Dolph Sweet Others: William Meyers, Robert Jacquin, Roland Wood. Off-Broadway ought to be just ,! the place for “Rhinoceros.” The trouble is. the Eugene Ionesco ; comed\ -drama opened . Monday j night ‘9> at the Longacre Theatre, which is quite definitely oh* Broadway. In these surroundings^ nhat has been greeted as eloquent, j challenging theatre in various Eu i ropean countries seems self-con; sciously arty. As a boxoffice pros ‘ pect it appears dubious and as • screen material it’s negligible, but it shoifld be a staple for college theatres and egghead drama groups. Ionesco, the Roumanian born • French avent garde idol, has never bothered with anything as com¬ monplace as intelligibility. In this internationally acclaimed work, however, he is comprehensible in general terms with the symbolic : fantasy about people who conform [ to the herd instinct by turning into ; rhinoceroses. The idea of the play is amusing and might do for a satirical sketch, but stretched to full c-veiing length, at least in this Derek Prouse translation and the j Leo Kerz production, it is labored, j repetitious and inclined to be tire-! sonfte. Although he’s generally been an exponent of dpubietaik nihilism. • expressing the rationale of noth i ingness and the gospei of despair, ‘ the playwright this time has a posi : live theme, offering a meek little j man who represents human dig1 nity and individuality in defiance; of amorality and regimentation. 1 There are numerous comedy side: scenes, mostly in the meancleiing first act. that ridicule assorted con j temporary pretentions and ioliics. 1 but don’t vitally affect the basic riot. I The real trouble with “Rhinocer' os” a*. theatre for general populari J t v, and hence boxoffice. is that with 1 the exception of tne imperfectly defined anu motivated hero, the characters don’t seem real or hu¬ man. They don’t, in the jargon of today, have identification for an audience, so the play tends to : be an intellectual exeicise without emotional involvement or coihpul Joseph Anthony’s direction is rather fussy, substituting frequent business for vital action, and re¬ peating small c'e-ails and effects. Particularly in the finale sccr.e. where the frightened but still in: domintable hero is alone in a . v.orid of unthinking, unfeeling; beasts, the staging tends to accen; tuate the author's fault in dissi. peting the play’s one really : poignant moment. And while pro¬ ducer-designer Kerz’s scenery is sketchily impressionistic in overall style, the overall effect is inclined to be literal. Under the circumstances, it’s commendable that the perform : ar.ee is generally convincing. E’.i 1 Wallach. as the little man played ■ in London by Laurence Olivier. I gives aii intense but flexible por i trayal that rises to several moving • peaks and approaches eloquence in 5 the ill-written and staged climacticscene. Zero Mostel, costarred. is notable as the preening, quarrel' some friend, and he has an actor’s ; field day in the flamboyant scone in which he takes on the rampag¬ ing qualities of a rhinoceros. Among the featured players. Anne Jackson is persuasively sim¬ pering the demure sweetheart who inevitably deserts the hero to join the rhinoceros herd, and tnere are varyingly expressive sup¬ porting performances by Jean Stapleton in the silly role of the firs: rhino recruit’s hysterical wire, Morris Carnovsky as a cra¬ zily i-'o ic-al philosopher, Michael Strong a-> a spuriously calm clerk, j [Mike Kellin as a unionist dema¬ gogue (perhaps representing total¬ itarianism^. Jane Hoffman as a shallow woman prostrated by her .cat’s death, Philip Coolidge as a j thin-lipped office tyrant given to ! pinching girls, Flora Elkins as a ; floozie, waitress, Lucille Patten as a shrill housewife, Leslie Barrett as a self-important sycophant and ; Dolph Sweet as a harried fireman. ■ ‘’Rhinoceros” has been a touted r event for the intelligentsia, but it’s too special for Broadway suc¬ cess. • Hobe. ; Raze St. Michael’s Hall, Used as Vermont Stock Winooski Park, Vt., Jan. 10. St. Michael’s Playhouse, on the ! St. Michael’s College campus here, ' is being razed to make way for ; . construction of the fourth hall in ; the dormitory quadrangle. The [new $1,000,000 student center Allliot Hall, cleared the way for de: molision of the playhouse building, [formally called Austin Hall, j The playhouse, which has occu¬ pied the structure since 1946, has I been operated as a summer stock, offering guest stars. It was first : run by a group from the Boston Tributary Theatre and since 1951 by Players. Inc., an outfit com¬ posed of graduates of Catholic jUniv., Washington. 'A'METY DISMISS PLAGIARISM SUIT VERSUS 'BLOOMER’ A plagiarism suit brought by authoress Ruth Morris against pro¬ ducer John C. Wilson and the au¬ thor-composers of the 1944 45 Broadway musical, “Bloomer Girl.” was dismissed last week in N. Y. Federal Court. In tossing out the case. Judge Edward Weinfeld ruled that the plaintiff “failed to sustain the burden of proof” and that “this labored effort failed to justify her extravagant charges.” Miss Morris claimed that her unproduced straight play, “The Lowells — Talk Only to God,” or “Little Women of the Factory,” was pirated in the preparation of “Bloomer Girl.” The musical, billed as based on a play by Lilith and Jan James, had a book by Fred Saidy, with score by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E. Y. Harburg. It was produced and directed by Wilson, with Celeste Holm as star. The show wfas later done as a film and then on television. The plaintiff declared that she first learned of the alleged simi¬ larity of the musical to her play in 1954, after she returned from sev¬ eral years’ stay in the southwest. She jvas unable to engage, an at ' torney on a contingency basis, but acted as her own lawyer, bringing suit in Federal Court in 1956. The case went to trial without a jury last November, Wednesday, January 11, 1961 Asides and Ad-Libs Columbia Scrams Sway Alliance ; Continued from page 1 ; buses for actors and trucks for scenery and (b> the fear of tour deficits by a system of local guar¬ antees through sponsoring commit* te;s of hometown “theatre and cul¬ ture addicts” who pre-sold the tickets. The Alliance scheme sized up at the outset as cozy, yielding 32.000 flat weekly royalty on each touring show, and there were usu¬ ally four out from September io May. or 38,000 weekly revenue for the Xcw York operations. Actors Equity's reesolution f> m ore against segregated cadleures in Dixie, the placers rejushtjj to appear under the r-.::e folkways of the old Con¬ ic .Vr.:c;». probably icill comnp'lc: He. future bookings by the A:. '.ji.ee — since one-nighters can .ot be too widely spaced <; ■ .graphically. However, the Dhr-.r barrier is only ctone i.. ire" (•/ the difficulties of the and or the acquir¬ ing., (.uners of the Alliance. Cvlumoia’s eagerness to get out is commonly attributed to trie eonur.-tra.ncci men on its board. They grew more nervous under their own question: why legit? Negotia¬ tions with half a dozen prospective purchasers accelerated in Decem¬ ber. partly ior calendar year tax ica-jiis and partly in the wish to c\\ do a 1931 operating budget commitment of perhaps S150.000. It is believed Columbia consumatod Uw something less than its December asking price of $200,000. Play’s the Thing Meanwhile this seems to be the basic trun.ni applicable to this net¬ work of one-nighters as also to the longer engagements, also under subscription ticket, sale, of the Theater Guild: the trouble is not in securing local support, even though; that becomes harder; rather the trouble is. in getting an ade1 quote supply of plays of sufficient qualify which can come under ; touring economics. j Broadway hits are not always ! 'Uitabjo. The script-content may be dubious, or the financial overhead. 1 Hinterlands yelp, too, if the road ca^t inferior, the production too curtailed, etc. Road Rentals High Meanwhile the sponsoring com¬ merces must expend much enthu:-ia*m in selling subscriptions to ’ meet economic conditions over v.hmh they have small control and occasional puzzlement. Reports this ^oaon have emphasized that the ; e'.e-uight stand must often occupy ] a iilm theatre, the landlords of: which display small sympathy and ’ no merev on the rental price. Typi¬ cal quotes this season: Springfield. M'VS.; 31.500; Buffalo. $2,000. (Giv¬ ing a new twist to the old “off to Buffalo” theatrical maxim.) j Tiie selection of the right plays ; ; for touring does, to some minor • extent, bring a conflict of opinion between “culture” and “boxoffice,” the local sponsors being sub¬ divided on occasion and. in turn, battling, with the New York oper¬ ators’ judgment. Archibald Mac ; Leish’s blank verse play. “J.B.”, , has especially created such dis; pute. It is one of the BTA shows r new out, along with “Anderson' ville Trial,” “Pleasure of His Com: pany” and “Once Upon a Mattress,” “Fiorello" and Marcel Marceau, the French Mime. The Alliance is undoubtedly a welcome addition to the dwindling U.S. legitimate. Showmen concede that. They applauded Columbia’s original daring when the concert bureaucrats accepted the concept brought them by Charles Jones, a former aide of Warren Caro at the i Theatre Guild, after the Guild elected to eschew one-nighters and st:ck. with its weekly and fortjnightlv subscription situations. Thereafter the Guild assumed a ! defensive posture against the BTA’s expansion and refused to permit Guild-affiliated shows to : play for the Alliance, too. Losses, Too ! It’s believed that Columbia in¬ vented in some of the shows hitI ting the one-nighters. There were : profits both ways in certain in¬ stances but'apparently a number of frightening losses in others. This is believed to have propelled Co • lumbia to rush, not walk, toward the exit. Lee Guber, Frank Ford, Shelly j Gross as one and Dennis McDonald !of Theatrical Interest Plan (TIP) were among those conducting nego¬ tiations at the moment the Alliance I was sold to the Dean . syndicate • with Wall Street roots, and former or present connection with Lubon . Vicbcy. the former basso at the Metropolitan Opera who became a ; concert impresario and now con; trols National Concerts, traditional : rival to Columbia Management in! ! subserintion and non-subscription : bookings. Martin Tahse is thought to have , cleaned up with “No Time for Ser¬ geants” and to have done well, teamed with Eddie Knill, in tour¬ ing “Two for the Seesaw.” Cur¬ rently they have “Fiorello” up. Al¬ though extensively booked “L’il Abner” iGuber-Ford-Gross produc¬ tion' is thoiyrht to have barely . squeaked through. Present expectation is that Herb Fox will stay with the Broadway Theatre Alliance for one year ; under the new owners. Charles j Jone^ and Ron Wilford will be ; absorbed as executives in one of ; the several units of the C&MI con¬ cert empire. EquUy Library Theatre has opened its file of stage managers (to producers in need of qualified j personnel. Producer David Merrick, wrho recently charged that playwrightauthoress Jean Kerr “nudges’' her husband, Walter Kerr, drama critic of the Herald Tribune, during opening-night performances of Broadway shows, and whispers comments which he then uses in his reviews, apparently doesn’t mind if the notices are favorable. At least, he didn’t hesitate to cite from Kerr’s rave review of “Do Re Mi” in full-page quote ads for the musical. Possibly h& assumed that Mrs, Kerr hadn’t supplied any of the glowing statements in this instance, as he didn’t credit her in the ad copy. Just because Harvard spent about $2,000,000 for its new Loeb Drama Center, don’t expect the university to reverse the policy set some 30-odd years ago by the late president Abbott Lawrence Lowell. There’s absolutely no prospect of offering theatre instruction, except’the estab¬ lished course in playwriting as part of the regular English literature curriculum. As a faculty member explained, “We don’t regard instruc¬ tion in acting, stage design or the other theatre crafts as in our realm — we’ve never taught carpentry, plumbing or meat-cutting, either.” It was because of Lowell’s decision, and after Yale built a new theatre and agreed to offer theatre courses, that the late George F. Baker moved his famous ’47 Workshop from Harvard to New Haven. Whatever became of that so-called Interim Committee formed last summer, as an aftermath of the Actors Equity-League of N. Y. Theatres dispute, to study possible ways of saving legit? Melvyn Douglas was appointed chairman, with Hume Cronyn vice-chairman (Leland Hayward acting vice-chairman during the latter’s absence) and Peter Zeisler secretary, arid the members included Kermit Bloomgarden, Tom Bosley, Warren Caro, Jerome Chodorov, Tom Ewell, the late Harold Goldberg, Henry Hewes (who subsequently withdrew after a couple of actors had objected to the presence of a critic at supposedly confidehtial dis¬ cussions), George Roy Hill, Harry Homey, Nancy Kelly, Philip Langner, .Peter Larkin, Louis A. Lotito, Helen Menken, Jo Mielziner, Worthington Miner, Frances Fuller, Arthur Penn, Robert Preston, Herman Shumlin, Jessica Tandy and Howard Teichmann. With the exit of the Republican administration and the advent of the Kennedy regime, John Lodge is due for replacement as U, S, Ambassador to Spain, but presumably won’t return to his almost * forgotten carrer of legit acting. However, it’s figured possible that Richard Aldrich, major demo of the Embassy at Madrid, may resume Broadway producing, or perhaps the operation of his old strawhat ventures, the Cape Playhouse, Dennis, Mass.; the Falmouth Playhouse, Coonamessett. and the Cape Cod Musical Tent. Hyannis . . . Readers in both England and the U. S. think that Kenneth Tynan has “mellowed” a bit in his drama criticism for the London Observer. There’s specula¬ tion whether his two-year stint as visiting reviewer for the New York mag may have “matured” him a bit, or perhaps the entry of a couple of slashing-style young colleagues on leading London dailies has been a factor. A new Christopher Fry play, “Curtmantle ” dealing with King Henry II, who died in France in the 12th century, is due for premiere in Antwerp next Spring, according to Nathan Cohen, drama critic for the Toronto Star . . . Vet company manager Emmett Callahan has been offered the job of executive secretary of the Cleveland Indians baseball club . , . Bill Fields, now general Rressagent for the Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey circus on a 52-week basis, returned last week from a trip to the show’s winter quarters in Florida. He’s handling publicity on the Roger L. Stevenis-John Shubert production of “Julie, Jake and Uncle Joe,” the comedy by Howard Teichmann, based on the book by Oriana Atkinson, wife of former N. Y. Times drama critic Brooks Atkinson. . Elliot Norton, drama critic for the Boston Daily Record and Sunday Advertiser, devoted his column this week in the latter sheet to be¬ labor the touring company of “My Fair Lady,” currently playing a repeat stand in the Hub. The troupe has been taking a number of beatings recently, another notable case being Nathan Cohen, critic of the Toronto Star . . . Robert Preston, Joan Crawford and Helen Hayes will be host of a cocktailery tomorrow (Thurs.) at the Commodore in N. Y.. for the benefit of the N. Y. Shakespeare Festival. With “Do Re Mi” an immediate boxoffice hit. producer David Mer* rick rescinded notice to the backers, exercising the provision for 20ro overcall, amounting to $80,000 . . . Metro has agreed to supply half the $250,000 capitalization for Merrick’s upcoming production of “Car¬ nival," the legit musical based on the film “Lili,” which the studio released. Although “Camelot” opened to a claimed advance sale of $3,000,000, including theatre parties, the management has been taking display ads with the apparent aim of spurring boxoffice sales . . . A release from pressagent Bill Doll last week asserted that “Taste of Honey,” at the Lyceum, N. Y., “is expected to win every ‘best-play-of-the-season’ prize”. . . The Bergen Players, of Oradel, N. J., will revive “Arsenic and Old Lace" this spring, and will present it May 5 at the Greeneville (X. Y.> Highschool as a benefit for the Durham (N. Y.) Museum. He'en Andrews will stage the show. Nathan Cohen, amusement editor and critic of the Montreal Star, was in New York last week to catch up on the new shows. He’ll be back week after next. The stepped-up pace of the local theatre this season, sparked by the new O’Keefe Center, has kept Cohen from maintaining his usual .schedule of alternate-weekend visits to New York . . . T. Edward Haimbleton, managing director of the Phoenix Theatre. X. Y., says that the local school student attendance was 9,00® at previews and 4,500 at regular performances of “She Stoops to Con¬ quer.” and 9,500 at previews of “The Plough and the Stars.” LONDON SHOWS ( Figures denote opening dates) Amorous Prawn, Saville (12-9-59). And Another Thing, Fortune (10-6-60). Antonio, Royally (11-30-60). Art of Living, Criterion (8-18.-60). Billy Liar, Cambridge (9-13-60). Bride Comes Back, Vaude (11-25-60). Careraker, Duchess (4-27-60). Chin-Chin, Wyndham’s (11-3-60). Cinderella, Ailelphi (12-23-60). D'Gyly Carte Opera, Princes (12-19-60). Emil & Detectives, Mermaid (12-15-60). Finns Ain't, Garrick (2-11-60). Flower Drum Song, Palace (3-24-60). Gazebo, Savoy v3-29-60). Hooray for Daisy, Lyric Ham. (12-20-60). Imperial Nightingale, Arts (12-21-60). Irhia La Douce. Lyric (7-17-58) Life of Party, Lyric H’smith (11-22-60). Lion in Love, Royal Court (12-21-60). Mon for All Seasons, Globe (7-1-60). Most Happy Fella, Coliseum (4-21-60). Mouse)rap, Ambassadors (11-25-52). My Fair Lady, Drury Lane (4-30-58). Naked Island, Ats (11-28-60). Oliver, New (6-30-60). Peter Pan, Scala (12-16-60). Playboy W. World, St. Mart (10-12-60). Progress Park, T’tre Royal E. (11-16-60). Repertory, Aldwjch (12-15-60). Repertory, Old Vic <9-3*59). Rose Marie, Victoria Pal. (8-22-60). Ross, Hsj market (5-12-60). Settled Out of Court, Strand (10-19-60). Simple Spymen, Whitehall (3-19-58). Sive, Lyric Hammersmith (10-24-60). Suzie Wong, Prince Wales (11-17-59). Tiger & Horse, Queen's (8-24-60). Tinker, Comedy (12-7-60T Toad of Toad Hall, W’stm’st’r (12-20-60). Toys in Attic, Piccadilly (11-10-60). Waiting in Wings, Duke York’s (9-7-60). Watch It, Sailor, Apollo (2-24-60). Way to the Tomb, Arts (11-2-60). V/est Side Story, Ma.iesiy’s ’212 58). Young in Heart, Vic. Pal. (12-21-60). ‘Tokyo’ Spec at Glasgow; Then Going to London Glasgow, Jan. 10. “Tokyo 1961,” the first major Japanese stage unit to play the United Kingdom, preemed Dec. 17 at the King’s Theatre here. The company of 80 from the Nighigcki Theatre, Tokyo, will stay until Jan. 21. The show is presented by S. A. Gorlinsky for a five-week local engagement, and a London run at the Coliseum is likely to follow. Scenes include the burning of a castle, an earthquake, a Cineramalike effort of sea rolling in to meet the audience, and lavish Oriental numbers. There is also a 1961 ver; sion of “Swan Lake,” set in Tokyo, with Tchaikovsky music. Scheduled B’ way Preems Show Girl, O’Xdll (1-12-61). Conquering Hero, ANTA (1-16-61). Gilbert & Sullivan, Center (1-17-61). Juli?, Jake, Booth (1-25-61). Midgie Purvis, Beck (1-26-61). Octoroon, Phoenix (1-27-61). Hamburg Playhouse, Center (2-7-fil). Comedie Frantaise, Center (2-21-61). Come Blow Horn, Atkinson (2-22-61). Devil's Advocate, Rose (3-9-61). Happiest Girl, Beck (4-1-61).