Evening star., 1934-10-07

"HE creator of de Lawd" and
Green Pastures" is a restless
gentleman full of vigor for the
L theater, q bear on details, and
man who believes Holly
wood has purged the theater."
Caught yesterday afternoon sitting
in an orchestra chair of the National
Theater, contemplating the kerosene
lamps before him on the stage set OF
his new play, THE Farmer Takes a
Wife" Marc Connolly seemed a long
wav off from his former heavenly"
paStimeS.
How does it feel to go from Green
Pastures to the Erie Canal?" We
asked suddenly realizing Mr.. Con-
nelly's new play written in conjunc-
ton with Frank Elser) was built on
Walter Edmond's novel of canal LIE
in the 185Os-"Rome Haul"
Believes in Theater.
''It feels" said Mr.. Connolly, rails
ing his hat an inch or two higher on
his brow-"it feels, he said again
like America"
That's Marc Connolly for you
America. He doesn't care whether its
the great white pillars of the South,
or the square New England windows
of the North. He doesn't care
whether his characters are white or
black-juSt so long as they're char
acters. He believes in the theater-in
the full blood and meaning o: the
theater-and says he: HOLLYWOOD and
| the movies have done it a lot Of good
What's let on the stage now must
be good-it has to have vitality and
IMAGINATION 1t must be better than
it has ever been before. AS a matter
of fact" said the author of Green
Pastures" which was produced full
| five wears ago, the theater is better
right now than it has been within
the memory of living man."
Strict on Details.
Mr.. Connolly spoke all this with the
mark of the man who has something
on his mind Hey there" said ht
suddenly to a stage hand who wa'
cruising about the National stage with
a lamp in his hand-"we can't have
a kerosene lamp hanging on the wall
No sir-it was oil in 1852-keroSene
in 1953-wasn't it?" he said to g
tall dark man who looked like stage
manager and who sat in seat just
ahead of us beside a cheerful lady
in red who smiled every time Connolly
opened his mouth.
81 guess it was" said the man, with
| of tn hi JyniPe
We'll then" said Mr.. Connolly
time on details We can't go wrong
on something like lamp"
Through With de Lawd."
Apparently Connolly can't gc
wrong on anything. Writer, director
electrician, stage hand and whatnot
he puts his plays together with his
mind, his hands and possibly his feet
He is the father not only of the spoken
words, but of every stick and stone on
the stage In the middle of a SEN
tence he will bounce into action like
a soldier at command of his officer
If a table is an inch too near the
footlights he will shout an order
that makes the setting back of that
table seem as vital as the whole Of
the play itself. If there's kerosene
around instead of oil-beWare.
In between orders for this and that
and the other, Mr.. Connolly said that
he was through with de Lawd." u
can't tempt good fortune again" sale
he-the next minute admitting "Greer
Pastures" will have its fifth birthday
in February and that on that day i
will be brought back to New York fol
another run-with its cast mostly
| intact.
NO" he continued, I'm through
with the South-my next play, which
will not be finished for another year
will deal with another section of the
country. America, though-oh, yes
America"-and he lifted his hat of
his somewhat bald head and smiled