Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-05-31

Elmer Rice and for whom the COM
edy was written.
The rest of the Broadway COM
pany probably was better, as 1t
should be at Broadway's prices.
Nevertheless, Olney's master minds,
those of Reginald Allen, Glenn Tay-
lor and Evelyn Freynan, have as
sembled a quite competent, basic
group to assist visiting stars.
X X 4 X
Dream Girl" undoubtedly is des-
tined for many year of popu-
larity in the summer theater. It
could hardly be better designed for
that purpose. It's theme is the
dreams which beset 23-year-old
girl and, unless Author Rice is
wrong, there is a fine seasonal spice
in reveries of this origin.
His heroine, Georgina, does her
dreaming while awake, which has
the advantage of allowing her to
select her subjects. Those she
chooses are related usually to the
handiest males and their possibili-
ties for providing adventure of one
sort or another. They do not, how
ever, represent the limit of Geor-
gina's fancies. Vicariously, she ex-
periences such other exaltations,
ecstacies, ETC., as committing MUIR
der, becoming famous novelist,
mothering twins, falling in love with
a futile brother-in-law, and making
an illicit but triumphant tour of
exotic Mexico.
This rich, full life which grows
out of Georginas restlessness is
good for two fast acts which Charles
Dublin has staged with an admirable
recklessnesS. What these two ses-
sions lack of smoothness, which is
quite a lot, is balanced by Miss
Stoddard's light, sure hold on Geor-
giana's spread-eagle fancies. AS
Miss Fields successor in the role,
she has learned Georgina inside out
which is exactly what it takes to
show what young girls dreams
are made of.
X x X X
Dream Girl" takes its heroine,
and the actress who plays her,
through an uproariously strenuous
day. 1t begins with the alarm 60
ing off in the morning and ends up
with her elopement at night. The
interval between is filled with the
adventures enumerated above.
It is a consistently admirable
level of comedy that Playwright
Rice has attained in his public ex-
posture of Georgian subconscious. He
and Miss Stoddard see to it that she
is laughable getting UP, taking a
shower, dressing, brushing her teeth,
eating breakfast, dining with and
dreaming of married men, beguiling
the judge before whom she is tried
for murder, and finally trying to
make up her mind to marry a
scoundrelly literary critic who would
rather be a sports writer.
Clearly Dream Girls" heroine is
always in view and an amazingly
energetic girl. There are naturally
scores of others in her vicinity, but
for the most part they come and
go like frenetic rabbits Those
who have a chance to establish their
identities are principally Georgina's
matter-o fact mother, her idealistic
father, the sister who cadged Jim
when Georgina had him in mind
for herself, Jim, and the book re-
viewer chap.
These characters are competently
enough played by such basic Olney-
ties as Ruth White, Cy Farkas,
Daphne Elliott, James Karen and
Joseph Hardy. Another pair who
will be around all summer and
worth looking out for are Daphne
Elliott and Richard Briggs.
There will be eight more per-
formances of Dream Girl" before
it closes week from tonight. 1t
would be a good idea to catch one
of them even if it does set your
summer theater standard a bit high
er than you will be able to main
tain it.
Dream Girl" is that lively.