The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1946-02-22
CLUB
NOTES
"OUey. Fl" Ably
Staged BY NeVC
;TheateY' Director
ny yosEPH Q. oAI.r.AN

~over a." q play BY ruth COR
don, produced at the waterbury |
wOmsn's club BY the Civic Theater
Of waterbury, directed and staged
hy CLAY Franklyn.
CAST Of Characters: Jan Lupton,
rita sepanski; Roy Lupton, 81 Rah-
inoWits: Paula wharton, Rye Trier
jackson: Max wharton, David Dav-
les: Robert Drexel Cow, Talcott
Clam: An Elderly Gent, Peter
Trier; Mrs. Amanda Gates, Rita
Clark Miller; Colonel II. Q. Foley,
Tom Hogarth; Mrs. Foley, Catherine
Mcorath Joel I. Nixon, Charles T.
Lynch; Miss Manley, Nancy Seett-
baciler. -,
expecting TO witness the usual
amateurlsh performance last nlgnt
Of the Civic Theater's "Over 81 and
entering the theater with the idea IN
mind OF finding things with which
We could pan the professional d.
rection OF the much Wanted Clay
Franklin, we were pleasantly sur
prised to discover ourselves viewing
one Of the best professional per-
fortnances seen here In many day.
There we're only two criticislns 70
be found. The first was that the
play itself was untimely In that 1t
had to do with a 40-year-old editor
Of q newspaper who attempted to
compete with his younger country
men in attaining a commission In
the Air Forces. This theme as
saiable product, lost Its selling point
August IA, the day the war ended.
Nevertheless. the skillful acting
Of each and every member OF the
cast made the theme, which other
wise might have proved unwelcome,
one OF the better, perhaps the best,
comedy to date.
The second critical point is that
in the second act there was one
spot where q line was "muffed."
This bad line was such a trivial
thing however, that it is hardly
worthy Of mention, and we mention
IL merely to point out the Surpris-
ing perfection Of t;e play. The usual
muffing Of lines is such that after
the first few minutes ones nerves
begin to feel raw. And these are
The only two "gripes" TO be found.
Miss Rye Trier jackson, playing
the leading role Of Paula wharton
the affectionate wife OF editor Max
Wharton, ably enacted by David
Davies, made a capacity audience
think II was sitting in Broadway
theater. 50 smoothly were her lines
spoken, and so skillfull were her
mannerisms and handling Of hu-
morous situations, that the same
performance by q less able actress
would have resulted in disaster.
Talcott Clapp as the owner-pub-
Usher OF the paper who attempted
70 have his editor funk out OF Of
ficer's Training School. 70 return to
the handling Of the paper, bounced
and breezed through the perform
anoe with . realism that smacked
OF dear old Broadway. His handling
OF comedy brought many q chuckle
and hardy laughs where otherwise
there would have been bored ex-
pressions on the faces Of the happy
audience.
Col. H. G. Foley, the elderly head
Of the Officers Training School
enacted by Tom Hogarth, was one
Of the more mentlonable minor
roles. Col. Foley, married to
young and giddy peroxide blonde
handled his part OF a frustrated
henpecked husband to perfection
and ELECTED a number of laughs a.
he gaZed open mouthed at his wife
during one scene wherein he wa
brought up short by tina. young ladl
every time he tried 70 get q wore
IN edgewise."
The play, set IN . Florida autt
court Just outside Of the Officers
Training School told Of the attemp
Of q 40-year-old candidate for
second lieutenant's commission wh'
eventually succeeded In overcoming
his age handicap in making tn
grade.
The entire performance, ably di
rected by Mr.. FTanklyn, was pep
pered with witty, laugh-provokinI
lines, written for the most par
around the crowded condition of tn
auto court and the attempt by pub
Usher Cow b have his editor return
TO the fold.
The underlying theme. a seriou
note on the duties OF q newspape
during the war. 9 theme that woul'
have been worthy Of mention las
year at this time. was hardly
thought provoker now that the wa
Is over.
All IN al. last nights Civic thea
ter presentation was something tina
we are happy TO say we did no
miss. II toniRht's performance
equally as well done-and there
no reason why It should be other
wise-then those who invest In tn
price Of admission, viii not hav
paid In vain.