Evening star., 1948-03-07
Drama Study
|lnaugurated
AT Columbia
By Jack oBrion
NEW YORK.

NEW YORK.
Columbia University will have q
course Of theatrical arts, beginning
next fall, which Composer Richard
Rodgers says will be 'the greatest
single step in the history Of the
theater in the United States"
This rather powerful statement
comes from the composer Of "Alle-
gro" "Carousel" and "Oklahoma!"
with all the earnestness born both
Of his belief In the project as .
means Of grading talent for Broad
way and as . loyal alumnus Of the
university.
It has been his pet dream for some
20 years, since as an undergraduate
he wrote q college musical with the
late Lorenz Hart Zone Of the big
numbers was built around the tune,
There's q College on Broadway).
Ever since those undergrad days
Rodgers has bemoaned the fact that
big and prosperous Columbia has
not had a theatrical course to COM
pare with other similarly well-fixed
institutions.
'The theater needs reforestation,
Rodgers told Columbia officials in
pleading for his pet project. Holly
wood cuts the trees of at the top,
and even takes the saplings-and If
that's pun mean that, too"
Subway Runs Both Ways.
The course will enable an earnest
theatrical aspirant to graduate
with bachelor Of fine arts de-.
gree, thereby adding luster both
to the profession and to the gradu-
ate as he searches for his first job.
It also will permit worthy young
sters to master their craft where
producers and scouts can search
them out, rather than the prevail
ing custom of hanging about Broad
way drugstores and one-arm lunch
rooms hoping to be discovered"
While providing access downtown
to Broadway, Rodgers noted that
"the subway runs both ways" mean
ing that Broadway veterans-ar-
fists, craftsmen, producers-wiu go
uptown to Columbia to deliver lee
lures. AS BELTS a loyal alumnus,
Rodgers said he believes 1t will be
the best college of its kind In the
country.
Ultimate dream of all concerned
is a fine arts center in which
trainees in all the theatrical crafts
will be housed in a single building,
which will include theater seating
400, and an experimental thea
ter of 300 capacity. Radio and tele-
vision also are part of the plans
but so far movies haven't been
mentioped.
Cuff Stuff:
Lambs Club may go commercial
on television with many of the
famous sketches seen through the
years at its famous "Gambols. i
Faye Emerson Roosevelt, Elliott's
wife, has been signed for "The
Plays the Thing" in which Louis
Calhern will be starred. Movie
Actor James Dunn Is in New York
on early production plans for Hero
Bill" which he'll produce in the
fall. "Icetime Of 1948" takes
a breather for a few days while
Fortune Gallos annual cut-rate
operas take over the Center Theater
in Radio City.
An operetta based on the life OF
Victor Herbert is being planned by
a Herbert protege. radios Harold
Levey. Another experimental
project has gained the recognition
it hoped and will be brought uptown
from Greenwich Village to the Cort
Theater on March Is for run.
It's the New Stages produc-
ton of The Respectful Prostitute,
by Jean-Paul Sartre, so-called high
priest" of the French existentialist
philosophy. ..
Irwin Shaw resigned as drama
critic for New Republic because OF
other writing commitments. His
place Is being taken by Harold Clur-
man, Broadway producer and direc-
tor. 1t was Clurman, as pro-
ducer of Maxwell Anderson's Truck
line Cafe" who started heavingI
brickbats, in the form of paid ad-
vertising, at the critics for their
criticisms of that play. g. He's
also one of the founders of the
Group Theater.
No theater openings are scheduled
until March 16, when the Shaw re-
vival, You Never Can Tell" comes
to the Martin Beck, Theater Guild
producing. The seasons be-
ginning to wane. Interest will
start perking again shortly as prize
time arrives-both Pulitzer and New
York Drama Critics Circle awards.
. It's generally agreed the
favorites to date for both awards
are Command Decision" "A Street.
car Named Desire" and Mister
Roberts" This departments
choice as the best play of the sea-
son-at least so far: Mister Rob-
erts" It's the biggest hit in
town. too.