Greenbelt cooperator., 1939-11-30

Awake and Sing

The latest production of the Greenbelt Players
was by far the best presentation from points
of view, that they have made their first be-
ginning.
The play had timing, there was no blowing-up in
any Of the parts, so far apparent, almost
COMPLETE freedom from mis-cueing. There was no
question of the ease Of the players in their roles
due, doubt, to the long weeks of rehearsal under
the direction of Ellen Krebs. which we're devoted tn
this production.
This amora1 mora1izing ugnette of the lives and
Loves OF the pettiest of East Bronx bourgeois Laid
heavy stress on the unfolding of the story through
the Logical development of each character require
ment which demanded finesse in presentation of each
part. It is tribute to the casting and the spler-
did acting, no less than to the evidences of finish
ed direction, that no person attained stature
of keeping with that character that the end was
as logical as the sequence of the scenes.
This story of the Berger family and those persons
whose lives its MEMBERS mpinged s1ou the efforts
of Bessie to live life of shabby gentility when e.
conOu1c forces tend to hr1 her whole family into
the gutter because OF poverty. She must resort to
palmdng off her little draggle-tail vi tn f1ighty
ideas (Hemde) the msuspecting simpl eton (Sam)
after the little lady has let her ideas carry to
illustrates the small time racketeer and wise-gy
(~oe) Who has tasted Of Hennie's fruits, but Who's
easy and shallow cynicim will not permit him to
marry her. The sno1dering flame of passi on whi ch
these leads to their pr etense of mutual
aversion, but results In hubby SAINTS complete eclu
sion from the life of Hende, throwing him back on
discretion. Even this solace is denied him by the
pilgrim of PASSION Hennie, who reveals the truth to
him only to have Bessie rescue the feeble Sam by
making him cling to his pitiful hold in a world
which rejects him completely.
Bessie's chief burden has been the of her
family. byron is two hundred per cent Rabbit,
Ralph is boy whose mind Is du11ed by the confines
of his life, and who does not the ght until
the death Of Jacob, the grandfather, philosopher
and Dyed barber. Bessie's triple is the
need for her to be the backbone of the family
face Of Ayron's spine1essness and flabby mind, to
divert Ralph from his purpose of tying himself down
in marriage, and to hear Caruso continually, inter-
spersed wi TIL Marx, from the old Jacob.
Ralph is finally emanci pated from his mental sla
very by the death of Jacob, Hemie succ,mbs to her
passion for Noe, with whom she embarks the road
to Paradise trip to Bermuda-and perhaps event.
ua1 abandonment, leaving the Berger family to its
devices and the tragi-comdc Sam to his baby.
There is world of praise to be bestowed on the
fine acting and smooth action of the play presen-
ted. Jane cosby's "Bessie" real and authentic,
even to the "Browrx" accent. hckis "lbvron~ as
sapw and as limp odets could have pictured him.
BILL Nnsley's Moe" fine job with adequate
support from Marcia Kins1ey. The supporting cast
splendidly carried with two fine characterized
tions by Gene Wa1sly the fluttering, world-worn
"Sam" and Sidney Wetnstein Marty, the rich
uncle.