Evening star., 1939-12-11

Wardman Park. Its production post
more than two years, the play at las
Civic's determination, but for It's skill
its sharp portraiture of variety of*
innocents trapped by economic de-
preston and its emotional strains,
Director Day Tuttle's cast does an
exceptional job-even down to a
Bronx accent that represents a
never-ending pitfall
Long denied an opportunity to see
production of Awake and Sing"
Washington will perceive in this one
the reason for the plays general
standing as the finest of Odets'
dramas. His simple people are
drawn with an unwavering clarity
and the forces which make the
routine of their life dramatic are
manipulated with skill that escapes
the blotches which a love for lofty
language has placed upon some of
Odets' subsequent work. 1t was
a grimly determined young man
with a high purpose who wrote
Awake and Sing" and Civic's pro-
duction is faithful to the play
wrights method and his aim.
An excellent cast has been assem-
bled for the play which will run
through Saturday night at Ward
man. It's members represent an
expertly directed mixture of players
new and old to Civic audiences.
Particularly fine is Marian Carroll
Conway In the difficult. unsympa-
thetic part of the Bronx mother.
the matriarchial figure whose ira
ditional administration of family
affairs is sadly out of line with the
new world training of her children.
Equally impressive is Norman Rose
as the venerable grandfather, the
futile dreamer of mans brother
hood who forgets his disappoint-
ments in the gospel of Marx and the
music of Caruso. The cynical,
earthly family friend, Moe Aelrod Is
handsomely portrayed by William F.
Zuckert, jr., and Milton Freedman
is excellent as the lusty, successful
dress manufacturer son of old Jacob.
OF the newcomers, Arnold Ostrow
gives good account of himself as
the sensitive, repressed younger son
and Betty Linda Burko is nicely
suited by face, figure and talent to
the role of the storm beset daughter.
Obviously inspired by the drama
inherent in the setting of that Bronx
apartment. William Girvan has done
done notably fine job of creating
the background for the second play
of Civic's season.
That two-year wait for an un-
hampered opportunity to produce
Awake and Sing" definitely was
not in vain. It merits the attention
of every one who likes his drama
taut and telling as Odets certainly |
can write it on such occasions as
this.
With "The Dictator" still merely
in the impending stage the Little
Theater yesterday gave Washing
ton another chance to see Modern |
Times" the last available express
sion of the genius of Charlie Chap
lin. Shown with Don Quixote,'
with the late Feodor Chaliapin as
Sancho Panza, the inspired Chaplin
commentary on the machine age
the one in which he sings one song
but otherwise sticks to pantomime
became the second combination of
the Little's second annual film fes-
tival.
Savoyards, those proud worship
pers at the original shrine of Gill
bert and Sullivan, are assured by
Producer Michael Todd that his
Hot Mikado." which opens at the
National tonight has no quality pf
irreverence that may offend them.
That it is G. and S. in swing has not
yet bothered the most exacting of
the D'Oyly-Carte followers, says Mr..
Todd, whose show has met so many
other vicissitudes that the escape of
this one is one of the blessings he
counts greatest. Instead of taking
umbrage at hat superficially might
seem disrespectful gesture toward
the great comic opera team, Savoy
ards in other audiences have found
a pleasant aura of fantasy about the
show to which Bill Robinson lends
his magnificent talents. Mr.. Todd,
we'll aware of Washington's devo-
ton to D'Oyly-Carte, is certain of
the same reaction here.
And why shouldn't he be?