Evening star., 1947-04-15

the first cast with some quite COM
petent actors. The latter still trust
the play to be funnier than they
are and this is not a happy thing.
It takes less out of Dear Ruth
than time otherwise might have
done. The play therefore, retains
most Of its uproariously amusing
moments.
Author Krasna wrote too funda-
mentally for any contrary result.
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By now, only a minute portion of
the population can remain un-
familiar with the details of Dear
Ruth" It is the story of the middle
class wilkins family, father, mother,
older sister Ruth, and the brat one,
Miriam. Unknown to the elder
Wilkinses, Miriam has a trick of
writing love letters to service men
and using therein the name of her
older sister. Miriam's letters are
the sort that drive soldiers and
sailors wild, and the three acts of
the play deal with life's comphca-
tions when the warriors come
home and turn to wooing dear Ruth.
It is an entirely new team that
performs Dear Ruth" but it is
generally up to the standard of last
summers group which included
Howard Smith, Leona Powers, Lois
Wheeler and Joan Winninger.
Miss Wheeler's old role of Ruth
has fallen to Anne Henderson who
gives it no less of either charm or
harrassment. The demonic Miriam
Of the letter writing skill Is now
played by Peggy Romano who has
more of a femme fatale look than
seems quite right for the wide-eyed
innocense which Is implied in the
letter writer.
Dear Ruth" however, remains
good for laughs for those who have
not seen it before. And some who
have.
Full Of respect and reverence
though they may be for the Lunts,
the Mount Vernon players can see
no reason why the famous acting
teams should have exclusive rights
to any such romp as Shakespeare's
Tanning of the Shrew."
Accordingly the Mount Vernon
group, under the direction of Ed
ward Mangum viii tame their own
shrew, and Shakespeare's, for two
weeks beginning Thursday night.
Like the Lunts before them, the
local group will sprinkle the classic
comedy with modernistic fiavors, one
of the most notable of which will
be its setting.
The Mount Vernon players are
rather old hands at the classical
drama by now and have shown quite
a flair for endowing them with con-
temporary touches.
AS matter of record, Shakespear,
like June, will be soon, is popping
out all over this week.
Tomorrow night, the most difficult
of all his plays from the production
standpoint, will become the attrac-
ton at Lisner Auditorium, as the
curtain production Of the George
Washington University drama sea-
son.
The play, directed by Floyd l..
Sparks, will be offered in four per-
formances, through Saturday night.
X y X n 5Sl@t
Another closing production Of the
season Is "Outwardbound," set for
April 27 and % by the Alexandria
Little Theater, recent winner of the
one-act play tournament under the
sponsorship Of the District Recrea-
ton Department.
This production marks q change
in the dictatorship of the Alexan-
dria players with Charles Dillon
taking over for James Allen, recently
returned to New York.
Mr.. Dillon, an old hand at the
little theater business from St.
Louis, through Dallas, to Washing
ton, was an active participant in the
affairs Of the Washington Civic
Theater In its heyday.