Evening star., 1946-05-06

into his confidence concerning fu-
ture plans, it was some one else.
Whether the theater, located on
the Rockville pike just beyond
Georgetown Prep School, could be
reconverted, or is even available, is
something no one seems to know.
New York and Baltimore interests
have been reported in cagey con-
temptation of doing something about
the Olney Theater, Steve Cochran's
rather elaborate prewar, long mori-
bund, house which had the novel
feature of trees growing right
through the middle of it.
When, and if, the local projects
take on a definite form, one of the
fair certainties is that they will raise
their prices over prewar levels. All
over the country, entrepeneurs of
barnyard, pasture, or whatever,
drama have discovered that costs
are greater this season than ever
before. Housing costs have attained
a level which has Influenced barn
ing (why not?) costs most pro-
foundly. In common with all other
segments of humanity, actors, di-
rectors, playwrights and even ushers
have come to the conclusion that
their time and talent are more
valuable and are in a mood to ask
producers to shell out accordingly.
The latter, never widely recognized
for shining hearted idealism, can see
nothing for it but to pass along these
increased operating costs to the
public.
In their practical way, producers
have reasoned that if the public did
not have more money, as well as
more gas and tires, it would not
come to the resort and recreation
areas in which most of the summer
theaters will operate. Further, real
izing as they do that escape" is
the deepest yearning of the aver
age human, they think that the
theater which provides it in the
form Of a Noel Coward romantic
farce, or. something equivalent
thereto, should be paid proper
tionately.
The promise is for dizzy sort
of summer, and that you will be
unable to escape the theater wher-
ever you go. And, of course, the
correlative Sun-tanned actresses
and actors in saddle-shoes and
sneakers who pursue success more
hotly at the shore and in the noun
tains even more furiously than they
do On Broadway.
4 X X II
When Elizabeth Taylor gets
around to writing the story of her
menagerie, you can bet there will
be no room for the word glass in
its title. Elizabeth has finished the
first chapter in the saga, about
Nibbles, her chipmunk. That leaves
her to catch up with only three
dogs, three horses, three cats, two
birds and a Siamese kitten. The
"Nibbies'' book already has been
published, but what with her school
and her acting, M-G-M's pretty,
dark child is kept too occupied for
a really concentrated literary
career.
Elizabeth, by the way, keeps pop
ping into the minds of Broadway
producers who think she should
desert Hollywood for season.
She might do that, in the fall.
| Y X
Bulletin board: Today's social
event in the theater will be g. cock
tail party at Herb Sachs Club Duet
in honor of Charles Coburn Mr..
Coburn is currently busy with Fal-
staff in 1.-The Merry Wives of Wind
sor," but his hosts, Loew's, Inc,
locally, are thinking more of "The
Green Years." a Coburn picture
coming soon. Lionel Hampton
will give a special midnight per-
formance Wednesday at the How
ard Theater, all funds of which
will be turned over to the Junior
Police and Citizens Corps. :.
Story Productions, Inc, whose first
film will be This Side of Inno-
cence," adapted from Taylor Cald-
wells novel, will introduce the au-
thor at a cocktail party at the
Washington Hotel on Friday {.
1 TYTl-