Evening star., 1941-08-14

0blS.
You see it is a place that really
does put ideas into the mind. They
come on the winds that blow
through the stunted pines and IN
the rhythmic sound of the surf at
night. They are fine ideas today,
whatever they will be tomorrow
It is good to talk them over with
Miss Lawrence lolling on the sun
drenched lawn of the Cape Play
house which her husband operates.
Lady in the Dark, that strenuous
excerpt from Moss Hart from which
she is taking a hard-earned vaca-
ton, seems very far away. SO does
this column. which one will be writ
ing few hours afterward.
The conclusion to which Miss
Lawrence has thought through
every one's-but most especially the
busy actress'-yearning for the
simple life is a radio program, a
once-Weekly affair for which one
could prepare in this unbusy atmos-
phere, do in a trice between air
plane hops to and from New York.
Elysium is just around the corner
of the imagination, million miles
away in fact. But Miss Lawrence
brings it very close until she drops
the curtain on the pretty dream
with the unconsciously ironic tag
line:
And then you go into rehearsal,
1t seems very good, and you know
you will go back again-and again.
Some day perhaps it won't be like
that. The quiet of Dennis will be
more alluring than the swirl of
Broadway or San Francisco's Mar
ket street. Rehearsal will not be
good and Miss Lawrence won't be
back again. That will be pretty
awful.
1t is silly to be surprised to find
Miss Lawrence thus far from the
glittering life. Ever since you've met
her, she has talked glowingly of the
life of rural England and the farm
which she no longer has. Then, too,
Dennis is the perfect reaction to
Broadway, and every city woman"
among actresses would necessarily
like it, even those who are not mar
ried to Mr.. Aldrich, who has been
producer or co-producer at Dennis
for seven years. But, bless ones
soul. one is surprised without regard
to the absurdity of it.
Mics ouyroono ic haro hnuouor IL,
more than a private capacity in
which she is known. and delight
fully, as Mrs. Aldrich. Even now
she is rehearsing for next weeks
attraction, in which she will play
opposite Philip Merrivale.
Miss Lawrence. a handsomely,
healthy tanned Cape Cod house
wife. had no intention of being here
through the summer. Had she been
able to book passage to England via
Clipper, she would be there now.
She might even have done it save
for the proviso that she be back in
time for the re-opening of Lady in
the Dark" next month. No one could
guarantee that and with the 100
members of the company involved
in the deal, Miss Lawrence reluc-
tantly defaulted on the yearning to
go home" Incidentally, her hus-
band fully concurred in the yearn-
ing.
X X
Miss Lawrences enjoyment of her
summer off is heightened by the fact
that it is her first vacation in five
years-a colossal number of years
as plays run.
First. there was Tonight at $780,"
then the road. Then, there was
Susan and God" followed by the
road. After that came "Skylark,"
New York to San Francisco and
back again. The road is not so much
of a certain aftermath in the case
Of Lady in the Dark" 1t is large
and expensive, too much so for I'M
duly extensive touring. 1t probably
will leave New York to do such