The Washington times., 1936-04-22

When Estelle Wentworth, local.
light opera director, presents Gil
bert and Sullivan'S popular THE
Gondoliers" tomorrow night In
the Roosevelt High School audi
forum, one Of this city's most
favored and popular actors, Eu-
gene Kressin, chief melodrama
villain of the Roadside Theater,
and leading man with many
groups, will appear as one-half Of
the title role the other half being
Ray Baine, tenor par excellence OF
the Wentworth Group.
It Is said these two are heard to
great advantage in the lifting
melodies. Of the Sullivan score,
and their comedy Is one Of the
high spots of the Gilbertian IL
brettO.
A large east Of principals and
the always excellent Wentworth
chorus should make this one of
the outstanding theatrical events
Of the spring season.
An amusing drama Of Russian.
American life, with the dialogue
bijingual, and cast with both
Americans and Russians speaking
their own language, will be pre-
sented by the Russian Dramatic
Society tonight in Pierce Hall, The
play Is who's Who" and was
written by Nathalie Gcheffer.
The energy and versatility Of
the. Russians is lightly satirized,
and added picturesqueness is
given this plot by the introduction
Of Q play within play, q gay
parody Of q French historic naelO-
drama. Fencing, music and the
stately ceremony Of the sixteenth
century give an unusual twist to
this clever play.
An important change is i'm
pending In the cast of "The
Scarecrow," the Percy MacKaye
drama which the Pierce Hall
Players have in production for
presentation the middle Of May.
Jack Aracey, well remembered
for his virtual stealing of Meet
the Wife," will probably take over
the difficult part earlier assigned
TO John Mann.
When 1.-THE Scarecrow: or, The
Glass Of Truth: A Tragedy of
the Ludicrous'' was first pro-
duced by Edgar Selwyn at the
Garrick Theater in New York on
January II, 1911, the distin-
guiShed Edmund BreeSe was seen
In the second lead to Frank
Reicher and Fola LaFollette.
The play was actually written
in 1907, but it was not until De-
cember Z, 1909 that the first pro-
duetion was given, and then by
the Harvard Dramatic Club.
Muriel Pratt produced '"The Scare
crow" in England ct the Royal
Theater, Bristol, on November 30,
1914. The German production
was under the direction Of Max
Reinhardt, at the Deutscher
Theater.
Items From Here and There
Tomorrow and Friday nights
the Opera Players Club Of the I'm
maculate Conception Church will
present "Luana," an Hawaiian
interlude, written and composed
by Harry Wheaton Howard, in the
Immaculate Conception Parish
Hall on N Street between Seventh
and Eighth Streets Northwest. Of
$50 O'Clock.
The title role viii be played by
Agnes Dowd, with Charles Quig'
ley, william T. Hannah, John
Sherman, Marie Veronica Nolte,
Cathsrine Ryan, George Yocum.
Fred Brown and Richard Towns.
end depicting the other major
parts. A chorus Of %, will be
heard in support.
This is the twenty.fifth annual
performance Of the group, and is
being presented as o benefit for
the schools Of the parish.
Sidney Towards successful 1.-THE
Late Christopher Bean" viii be
offered on April % and 30 by the
Studio Of Theater Arts Of the
Wardman Park Theater. Under
the direction of Constance Conner
Brown, one of Washington's more
sagacious producers, Dorothy Boil
ton (who replaces Ethel Gottlieb) t,
Betty Rice, Elinor Evans, Louise
Shaw. Frank Westbrook, Ralph
Howenstein, James Kelley, Karl