Variety (May 1930)

68 VARIETY PLAY REVIEWS Wednesday, May 14, 1930 Litde Theatre Tournament Seven of the 20 playlets In the little theatre tournament just closed actually stood out as adult enter- tainment. The judges gave recogni- tion to six of the worthwhllers. The eighth annual contest among the country's amateur thespians dis- closed surprising talent and marked progress in the development of com- munity groups. Handicapped by Inadequate light- ing facilities at the Waldorf theatre and staging under the pressure of four playlets a night, every contest- ant in the tournament this year is to be commended. In only one play- let was • there the actual touch of amateurishness. That was in the most costly and lavishly staged pro- duction of Forest Hills. For the groups, of small resources in the vast majority, the lesson was plain that merit alone wins recognition, and this moral should be inspiring in the tourneys to come. Intermissions rarely exceeded 16 minutes. The reason for the ab- breviated time lapses was not be- cause some of ■ the groups carried few props but because backstage was one of the union's oldest and .most skilled "stage experts, Charlie Marx. Attendance during the six nights was excellent. The followers of the different players ran from the tux- edoed gentry from Forest Hills and KeW Gardens some nights to less suave partisans from the south and middle west on others. ■ ■ Following comment .'s upon tour- nament entries not covered in Variety previously: EYES Presented I>7 the Morse Players, St. Loulp. Written by Maxlne . BIoc)<. Staged and directed by Harry McClaln. TliA Grandmother. .Therese Marie Wittier Esther Alice G. Gallehor Max Harold Elbert Bin i Scannell Eugene B. "Wood The last of the contestants easily asserted itself as the best of thet original scripts and with a cast clearly superior in sincerity of por- trayal. .^ideep theme, splendidly put to- gether an'd staged, this playlet pla'ced orthodox and modernistic Judaism in the same picture. Therese Marie Wittier, as the ^paralyzed grandmother wh,o could use only her eyes and work a clap- per on the arm rest of her chair, would have gripped her audience bad she been alone. Lighting of the Friday candles, followed by their sacrilegious dis- regard by the grandson. Max, Is but one of the flne dramatic touches. The bringing Into the lowly Bast Side room by the little Esther of her first boy friend. Bill, a Gentile, affects a startling tempo. The neck- ing party and drinking bout In the presence of the old lady get the final punch when she, .seeing th'at her child Is trembling oh the brink, mai<es a superhuman effort and hurls herself at the young shelk. tation of the full length play. Gene- vieve Ryan as the stoical mother, the Widow Cagle, was the center of the special script. Like several others who played mother roles In the tournament Miss Ryan dis- played an artistic depth- which would win attention on the profes- sional stage. THURSDAY, MAY 8 When the Roll Call Is Up Yonder "Wayne Conimunliy Players, of Goidsboro, N. C. Written by W. Allen Royall. Di- rected by Margaret Kornegay. Scene: Llv^ Ing room In poor southern home. F. Clark W. Allen Royall Huldah, wife Anna D. Mlchaux Junior, son Whiz Smith MlB)'Jenny, mother Sudle Creech Claire Janle Burns Henry GIbbs Robert Robinson Nat Green. Lloyd Parker Royall had a good Idea here and people around him who could have carried it out to the letter. Mistake so many of the other am- ateur writers made before him was exaggerated in this. Too much in- activity and too many meaningless lines. It got underway jUst when It died. Curing a shell-shocked soldier by putting him through the exhilarat- ing pace of rum running was what Royall tried to get over. He did, but not until the patient audience was restless. Prize Winners Belasco Trophy Winner— The Studio Theatre Players of Buffalo ("The Man Who Mar- ried a Dumb Wife"). . Samuel French Awards— Morse Players of St. Louls.Mo. (Eyes"). A.P.S.C. of the 92nd Street T. M. H. A. ("Seven Against One"). Management Award—Para- vent Players of Providence ("Marshall"). Honorable Mention—Salon Players of Jackson Heights, L. I. ("So's Your Old Antique"). Henry Street Settlement players, N. T. C. ("The Sisters' Tradgey"). Loyola Players, Chicago. Miss Ryan's performance in "Sun- Up." Variety's Selections — For theme, cast and all-round pro- duction "Eyes" stood out as the cup winner. Excellent work of Miss Ham- owitz and theme of "The Sis- ters' Tragedy" entitled that to a final try-out which it did not get. Was markedly super- ior to "Seven Against One." Otherwise, same as the judges. THE LAST MAN IN - Dramatic Society of Cathedral College, Manhattan. Written by W. B. Maxwell. Directed by Rev. Robert M. Gibson. Scene: English tavern. Mrs. Judd Robert Skelly Mr. Blllett Paul Maher Mr. Judd , James Ross Last Man In ...William Kenealy Doctor V James Walsh Customers. .William O'Neill, John Sullivan, George Wallace One of those London murder mys- teries solved In a tavern, with the pay-off revealed In the first few lines. Curtain hardly goes up before the Inkeep and his wife start worrying about a strange man offstage. Some of the characterizations, in- cluding Mr. Judd, are good. TUESDAY (MAY 6) THE ROAD TO RIO Presented by members of the Sunny- side Playhouse, Sunnyslde, L. I. Written by Joseph B. Flelsler and directed by David Barr. Scene, reception room at morgue. Dan Adams Starr Gephart Jack Curry David Barr Lll • Elinor Barr Bill Burke Albert Rubenstein Connors...> David Harrltan THE CHOICE ■Albany (N. T.) Players. Written by Thomas C. Stowell. Directed by Stowull, with scenery designed and built by Dorothy Lathrop and Paul M. Hewlett. Scene: Room In caatle of Duke of Perlgord. Duke Thomas C. Stowell Meluslne '. Fayc Smiley Mellsse Catherine Cherry Marco, Jester Norman R. Sturgia Manon, nurse. Gladys Wilson Boyce Father Josef '. Ray Becker Hugh Carlet .R. Compton Charles, soldier R. K, Townscnd A NIGHT AT AN INN Presented by the Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College Dramatic Club, Starkvllle, Miss. Written by Lord Dun- sany. Directed by H. P, Cooper. Scene: Room at Inn. A. E. Scott-Fortescue H. S. Chilton William Jones S. B. Powers Albert Thomas Newton Townaend Jacob Smith H, G. Brannon First Priest of ICIesh David Thomas Second Priest of Klcsh E. P. Williams Third Priest of Klesh W. C. Cozlne Klesh '.....J. A. Ruffln The theme is hokey and old fash- ioned enough to make it a tough subject for skilled professionals. The agricultural boys did their best, but they evidenced Jerkiness and uncertainty which eliminated this entry. Murdering the three priests was the only scene per formed effectively. Back home, however, it can be appreciated why such a theme so performed would be figured on tak Ing New York by storm. MARSHALL Presented by the Para vent Players, Prbvldence. Written by Ferenc Molnar. k Directed by Rosalba Joy. Scene: Hunting ■ lodge near BudapcHt. ■ Edith, Baron's wife i?earlo Wlnburg Mnld Servant ..Mory H. Brigham • Imre, an actor, Kenneth Bruce Barson Jean B. Pinatilt Dr. Janosy T. S. MacDonald This stirring Molnar playlet, a favorite among amateur groups, was convincingly presented by the Providence i^layors. Particularly good were the performances of Pearle Wlnburg and Jean PlnauU Kenneth Bruce, as the actor, took a little time In warming up, but he closed with one of the outstanding performances In the cast to his credit. Piece especially well dressed with candles against back sugges tive of black velvet and Miss Win burg costumed to match. SUN-UP Presented by Loyola Community theatre Chicago. Written by Lulu Vollmei. Scene: Interior of a Carolina mountain oabln. Play adapted and directed by Charles Costello. Widow Cagle Genevieve Ryan Rufe Cagle, her son Eugene V. O'Brien Emmy, bla wife Louise Wlllmarth Strangei* Paul Brenner Sherin Weeks J. Paul Ardoeser Bud Allen Krimbelblne.. Chicago has a great little troupe In the Loyola Players. They all fitted into a neat 30-mlnute adap- Atmospherically, "The Choice" rated highest up to this time In tlie tournament. An artistic set, with many candles and prettily costumed players. But that was all. Theme was of the kind that could have been typed off in a half hour by the average hack writer. Weakest character In cast was the author, Stowell. Big in build and effectively attired, Stowell recited his lines as they were probably written. THE MAN WHO MARRIED A DUMB WIFE Studio Players. Buffalo. Written by Ana- tole France. Dlreotion by Jahe Keeler and settings by Sheldon K. Vlele. Musical ac- .companlment by Charme Allen. Scene: House of a Paris Judge. Master Botal, Judge Spencer Whedon Master Fumee, lawyer David Day Master Colllne, doctor Sheldon Spangler Master Maugler. Willis Martyn Master Do Laurler, apothecary Buell Tallman, Jr. Bolscourtler, seqretary.Bernard Hammlll, Jr. A Blind Man Henry Potter Catherine Botal, wife Ethel Meyer Alison, servant Virginia Butler M. de la Garandlere Helen Gardner Madame de la Brulne Jane Franklin Lackeys and passersby: Done TulIIs, Betty Becker, Margaret Sossaman, Susan Ro- sengren, Betty Wilcox, Roswell Rosen- grea. One Of the best all-around exhi- bitions of theatricalism was made of this France, comedy by the Buffalo Players. Artistic from costumes to the set of cut-away drops. Able handling of the lines and many mannerisms by the players lifted this world-known playlet into a professional atmos- phere. Incidental music and well-timed spots of pantomime aided. The theme about the Judge who, after having his wife's speech restored, was so riled that he had the same doctors render him deaf, Is in itself the kind of brilliant wit and satire that placed Buffalo at a decided advan- tage over contestants with home- made scripts. RIGHT OF POSSESSION Little Theatre of St. Louis. Written by Edna Worrcn. Directed by F. K. Cowley with setting by F. Ray Leimkuehlor. Scene Juvenile court. 2?"'''p'srk .Gordon Sommers Mrs. Howard Elolsc Frazler Miss Harris.. Irene Delcko Judge Garlond Samuel Goddard w""- Ijowrence Frank Nacon Mr. Curtis Percy Ramsey Mrs. bimmons .• jj, Devlin Freddy Hargrave Ralph Friedman A bastardy case. Involving black mail and the adoption of the child by a woman anxious to qualify for a legacy. Plenty of tiresome court detail, with the judge swearing all of the witnesses in at one time the only divergence. All the players composed, but themo hardly deserving. Long way away—St. Louis. WEDNESDAY (MAY 7) SO'S YOUR OLD ANTIQUE Snion Players of Jnckson 'Holght.-", L. I. AVrltten by flnlre Kummer nnd directed by Blanche Talbot Kimball. Scene: antique shop. Dick Barlow John Talbot Kimball Sally, his wife Barbiira Bruce Tappan Mrs. Pettis Ina Brown MacDougall Mr. Malster .Rexford Kendrlck William, a chauffeur Elliott S. Moses One of the few comedies in the tournament proving of merit In the hands of the Salon Players. In every respect- this playlet placed Itself on the high rung for consideration by the judges of the material presented before and In- cluding Wednesday night. Rexford Kendrlck as Mr. Malster, eccentric on antiques, gave an out- standing performance. The theme, as handled by these amateurs, is full of enough laughs, interest and sus- pense' to rhake an ideal talker or vaude act. Th^ antique proprietor and his dissatisfied wife were well essayed by John Talbot Kimball and Ear- bat a Bruce Tappan. ROGUES AND VAGABONDS Presented by Gardens Players, Forest Hills, L. I. Directed by Albert S. Howson, with words by H. B. Smith and music by G. O'Hara. Scene: An English estate. In ensemble, 30 members of the association. Robin Henry Porter, Jr. Sir Thomas Lucy Alan Hudson Stalker John B. Bruns Bullock Ted Molr Will Shakespeare William Linton Mary Fytton Elsie Cropper Jack Kemp Walter Claypoole Tom Green Fred Kiendl Audrey Lyle Loretta Howson Condell Andrew Shuman Richard Burbage Walter Savell Dol o' Fortune u Agnes Kiendl A Lord Frederick Seward Oldncld E. R. Carter Craig Collyer Elliott Gamekeeper Cameron Sblpp Only offering along musical oper- etta lines, the largest cast, most elaborately costumed and set, Forest Hills' most obvious attempt to com- mand retention of the Belasco Cup for another year ov-erlooked the most Important factor. It had a few peo- ple who looked natural, but more who registered greater amateurish- ness than any In the comparatively simple 11 playlets preceding this In the tournament. Trying to get a song out of a voice that is Inclined to monotone can't be done with all of the Hills'' dough. It was especially pathetic the way William Linton cut medium register notes and waved an elon- gated neck every time he was called upon to ditty. Mr- Linton was gawky enough as a talking Shake- speare and his love scenes were equally as anguishing. Alan Hudson as Sir Thomas Lucy, the gentleman who tried to hang Shakespeare for poaching, is a far better amateur performer, but with a husky voice, scarce strong enough to get the notes over the lights. Laurels for singing sololstlcally unquestionably went to Elsie drop- per as Mary Fytton, Shakespeare's girl friend in this writing. With well placed light lyric voice she was the only individual who could a,r- ticulate while singing. For a play llricked by a profes- sional and directed by a profession- al, "Rogues and Vagabonds" had its only commendable feature in the choral work. But, as soon as they weren't all working, middle-aged women In the chorus who should have known better, especialy with that CUP at stake, tried taking Indi- vidual bows and distracting from the principals, who were none too good, in view of the seml-profcs- slonal atmosphere. The .morgue angle on gangster leaders with the moU preaching over a corpse why she let the lead go about sums up this theme. Grue- some and with lines choked with bromidic slang, "The Road to Rio" would have been a little less ap- parent as an amateur offering and more entertaining had Lil's mono- log been cut and had the detective under another shroud not been so abrupt in granting her Immediate pardon after the recitation. Elinor Barr does a tough Lll in a way more convincing than a few of the same that have been seen on the professional boards. The de- tectives and the morgue proprietor are good in their parts. ' LITTLE THEATEES' FULL LENGTH PLAYS Prompted by the success of skit presentations during the past eight years, the Little Theatre movement Inaugurated for the first time a sec- ond week relay Into full-length plays. The Inaugural evening Monday was a pathetically obnoxious affair. A theme that would make any pro- fessional company (other than on© of exceptional ability) flop was han- dled by an amateur group which would find it difficult to convince with the most simple script. Why Walter Hartwlg, tournament overseer, let the thing go on Mon- day night after Its rehearsal in the afternoon Is probably because Hart- wig had no other to fill the bill. Good showmanship for a new idea, and one which he expects to foster, should have witnessed bologna of this kind being at least slipped to the end. The audience walked out in droves o5i the opening eve. There are two other New York outfits and delegations from Chicago and St. Louis that will have to show something real, or else the amateurs should be happy to stick to their playlets and live. THE WOODEN IDOL Guild iPiayers of University Settlement, Manhattan. Written by Leonard White. Directed and staged by Mrs. J. Glenwood. Jones. Three acts and two scenes. Ponti- fcx Musuem In prolog and the Pontitex Hall In second. LEGEND Presented by members of the Staten Is- land Little Theatre, S. I. Written by Philip Johnson and directed by Joseph I.atham. Scene, Interior of cottage in New England Ashing village. Mrs. Reed Eva Meyer Mrs. Walters Betty McCrum Rev. Mr. Fallows Irving Hopkins Stranger. Chas. Campion Eva Meyer plays with a feeling that makes the audience forget the tournament atmosphere, the Mrs. Reed, superstitious widow expecting the return of her husband 12 years after he has drowned. There Is a lot of irrelevant conversation of the repetitious kind between the min- ister ..nd a neighbor, Mrs. Walters, before they exit and the stranger appears. Strangely enough it is Mrs. Reed's own boy, also believed to have drowned. It takes a Miss Meyer, however, to make "The Legend" entertaining, even before an amateur audience. SEVEN AGAINST ONE Presented by the Associated Flayers Stock Co., Y. M. H. A., Manhattan. Writ- ten by Maxlne Finsterwald. Directed oy Myron Sattler. Double sets, one of pri- vate meeting room and other of prison recreation hall; arranged by Lionel Q. Field. Splitting the set and the action is difficult when handled by profes- sionals. Dealing with a Bed leader and conspiracy is of the sub-cellar meller kind. The Y. M. H. A. boys, however, appear In numbers and make a commendable attempt to do both. It Is a big theme to be run off In a few minutes but the dialog is so arranged that the seven boys In the. cabinet meeting get over the Idea that Vegan, the leader, is near the end of the rope and that he has not lived up to his revolutionary promises. Then the other half of the set, a prison yard, with seven lads In priestly attire, solemnly silent, is shown. The idea is also fiashed here that, while awaiting execution because of their number (this Ve- gan has no use for sevens) the clerics are praying for the death of Vegan. No sooner Is the prayer over than the cellar part of the set shows the leader expiring. Letting this mob out of the parlor and on a two-buck stage, even with amateur fans the chumps, rankest kind of l.TiposItJon. There's a. limi- tation to even the good will of rela- tives. This exceeded that. Out and out the hooey even to the casting, which had big girls for little men'. ^ , And when will those Bronxltes grow ui) and know they can never ape the limey language of merry but bona fide England? , The dialog in this stupid play, la- beled "preposterous" in the program, dwelt on six-syllable diction, diffi- cult enough for these folk to enun- ciate without the British smooch. Touching a wooden Idol made good folk bad and bad folk good. So the pontlfexes had It Wished on them by some Greek townsmen, and they all went flooey. It nearly had the audience groggy, as well. Waly. - Ada Beats the Drum Farce-comedy in three acts presented at the John Golden by the latter; written by John Klrkpatrlck; Mary Boland featured; staged by Geoffrey Kerr; opened May 8. Ada Hubbard Mary Boland Leila Hubbard Nydla Westman Ed Hubbard George W. Barbler Mr.' Sims Frank Charlton Jacqueline Louza RIane A Cure ...Edgar Stehli Bow-Tle ...Hal Thompson Nadlne Wentworth NaUlIo Schafer Alonzo ....Marcel Rousseau Dlmltrl Julee Bpallly Gendarmes August Aramlnl, N. GellkhovBky BURSTING THE BARRIERS Presented by the Town Club Players of the Women's Town Club, Manhattan. Writ- ten by Benjamin Felner, Jr. , Directed by author and Henrietta Klper Morse. Three scenes: English drawing room, Third Ave. flat, ante room of Italian Renaissance ban- quet hall. H ouse With the Twisty Windows Players of Bronxvllle, N. T. Written by Mary Parklngton and directed by Charlton Barnes. Scene: A cellar in Petrograd. James Roper Dale S. Bartlett Charles Olive Edward McGce Lady Pontlng .Kathleen Clementso Heather Sorrell Ann McGee Anne Sorrrll Ruth Bretz Derrick Moore Edward Zlmmer Stepan; Lawrence Bartlett Sing-songj', droney and painfully slow was the Bronxvllle Players' Interjjretation of the playlet, used with far more success by another group in the 1929 tourney. That fairy tale Derrick Moore tells never seemed to end with Edward ZImmer's telling. When it did there was a quick plng-plng of stage bul- lets outside, and the comments within that the shooting arrived too late. Dale S. Bartlett was the most In- teresting ntember of the cast, but over-conversation and little action found him as tiresome as the others with the welcomed curtain. Thirteen members of the Town Club players are given a chance to strut their artistry by having three versions of the way in which wives leave their husbands In as many countries. It is well staged entertainment with some bright lines and quite a few of the per- formers showing knowledge of their parts. The English version Is not as well enacted as the American; admitted- ly with an O'Neill twist and set In an elevator conductor's living room. The Italian way has all of the Borgia methods, -friend husband, an impressive personality in L. Law- rence Stearns, having the lover murdered and then poisoning the wife. Waly. CAST CHANGES Wally Ford will replace Douglass Montgomery In "Many a Slip" Chi- cago May 18. Montgomery will re- turn to New York to undergo an operation on kis throat. Opening a comedy In the face of unusually early summer heat last Thursday was not so lucky for John Golden. "Ada Beats the Drum" (first called "When in Rome") might have had a chance earlier in the season. It isn't strong enough to Combat the mercury handicap. "Ada" has the elements of farce, but is not paced with any especial speed. It has some smart lines, most of which won giggles from a smart first night audience. First act was liked more than the others. The play is spotted In a villa in Southwestern France, where Ed Hubbard, his wife, Ada, and their daughter, Leila, are on a vacation. They are middle-western Americans. It is Ada's idea that the matter-of- fact- Leila should put a finish on her education, acquire a poise and perhaps some culture. Old man Hubbard is dubious. At the opening Ed is scouting for- eign talent at the Casino bar and without success. One of his finds wears one of those skimpy mus- taches and a beret. Ed thinks he Is a French youth but is Bow-tie Jones, the bass drummer in the American jazz band at the Casino. Leila had been attracted to the lad. When her mother finds out that Jones Is just one of her own people, she has no interest. Ada meets the kind, of people she sought through the village priest. They are Alonzo, a Spanish artist; Dimitrl, a Russian composer, and Nadlne Wentworth, who thinks She writes poetry. The trio Is living nearby. Nadlne and the Russian, are "living In what used to be called sin," which shocks Ed, who is tired of having the strangers around the house, idling and drinking his booze. The woman has a husband some- where in England, but there was no divofce, which she describes as "a fad for rich puritans." Ed prefers Coca-Cola, but Ada In- sists he drink liquor. A week passes and Ada is being taken to the game rooms by Alonzo. Leila and the Jones boy have gotten them- selves engaged. Mother takes a fit that her daughter should como to Europe and end up with a bass drummer. Leila has it all planned out—^to sail back home and after six months marry the boy. He In the meantime la to work in father's