The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-11-07


here, and in each one of those cities
the O'Neill play came with the same
force of an explosion as it had when
Indianapolis first saw it, and it left
behind in all those cities some
thing of the same sort Of intensely
interested discussion.
After stops in st. Louis, Kansas
City. Denver and Salt Lake City
Strange Interlude," following its
Indianapolis engagement last jan
uary, played ten weeks in Los
Angeles and Hollywood. and while
there so many diverse opinions re-
garding the play were engendered
that a great public debate was held,
in which representatives Of the
newspapers, the church, literature
and science took part.
Clergymen, dramatic critics,
trained psychologists. and novelists
engaged in the symposium, and also
Upton Sinclair, who falls into no
known category. The hall was
packed with spectators and many
comments we're made from the floor.
In May and June, Strange In
terlude" played in San Francisco
to packed houses, of course. Here,
though public forum was also held
on the subject of the play, at which
Peter B. Kyne, Charles Caldwell
Dobie and other well known writer's
spoke, most of the controversy
aroused by Strange Interlude" took
an epistolary form.
The San Francisco newspapers be-
gan to be deluged with letters from
their readers-The Chronicle re-
ceived some 600 in two weeks and
established a Strange Interlude"
letter department in which from
three to five letters we're printed
every day.
So many urgent requests had
come from smaller cities in Cali
fornia to present Strange Inter
Jude" there before the company left
the state, that even though it was
July. when the torrid San Joaquin
valley is the hottest part of the
United States, the play was given in
Fresno and in Sacramento before
the company proceeded to the
northwest for triumphant engage
ments in Portland, Ore, Tacoma,
Seattle and Vancouver, B. G.
Then needing the requests of
smaller cities lying between Seattle
and Minneapolis, the company I'M
dertook a three weeks diet of play
ing one and two-night stands in
such cities as Walla Walla and Spo-
kane. Wash. Missoula, Butte,
Helena. Great Falls and Billings,
Mont.
Here was the old-time trouping
with a enough of a
hardship for any ordinary theatre
cal company, but a double one on
the Strange Interlude" company
because of the fact that its per-
Torrance takes twice the time to
present. With a performance start
ing at $50 in the afternoon, and
with scenery for nine-acts to set
up, late train connections would
have been disastrous.
But, of course, the show went on
every time. The players took it as a
great lark and enjoyed their Wild
West experience to the full, even
when the theaters we're sometimes
a little less than luxurious.
In one town, there were no pro-
fessional stage-hands. and college
boys. completely unframed for the
work, were employed. The boys
were so interested in the perform
ance that they blocked up all the
exits, gawping at the scenes, and
when the players passed them back
stage these ~stage-hands" became
starry eyed with amazement. They
had never seen any one with make
up on before.
Back now where theaters are
operated with trained stage-hands,
the Strange Interlude" company,
fresh from its western triumphs,
feels costly at home again in In
dianapolis where they were made
so welcome by theater-goerS last
winter.
This Is the first Of Strange In
terlude's" repeat dates, as it is
booked this fall to repeat engage