Evening star., 1949-09-18
What! Young Author
Who Is Not Bitter?
Miss Hayes Lends Her Brilliance
TOa Warm American Comedy
By Joy Cormody

Theatergoers probably will get good long look
Playwright William McCleery this season.
This will be due much that McCeery has
written his best play to date in Good Housekeeping the
wright established that greater his
play than he himself claim to be- McCey promise
that Miss Hayes illness oreshortened engagement here
McCleerys words before the up
opening performance of Good oney Tuesday
night:
Whatever else don't at least for
beautiful performance"
The Audience Saw More
Audiences saw more they always must when
One Of the things they saw-and will see on Broadway later
work the playwright probably the greatest
the American family McCeery thinks the
family wonderful not in the farca Deer Ruth or
Junior Miss the sentimental
His perspective special personal reveals the
family to him collection of capable
happiness despite the of modern existence and the
standard weaknesses Of flesh and spirit
Without being unreac indeed unsophistcated
warmly clevey wisely and amusngy about such typical family
In Good Housekeeping"
Comedy Lovabe Work.
The result comedy that finds its most accurate highest
Miss Hayes Kent Of the cast than to the
author but its lovabiy certainly begins with Mccleery
This goes back some time two when he
about Charles and Marian Burnett and their
Parlor Story That play quick and merted failure
knows upon the Burnetts Not Mccleery. however.
Instead OF dropping the Burnetts. he felt he owed
better play This is not only brave thing but
Good Housekeeping is leaner play sometimes point
downright thnness Nevertheless in Marian Burnett
Miss Hayes spirited humorous whose like has been too
long apSent the dramatic
young Mdwestern university president so freed
from household duties that she has time to think.
What she thinks of course provides Good Housekeepine'
with its modest plot plan.
Not Like Grandmother
Where her grandmother mother cookbooks
and similar handbooks psychology She
her responsibility providing mental webeng of
her husband and two daughters predecessors in
attended to the physical
Inc major domestce catastrophe leads
neuVerg her husband into being She
does this merely because make the
possible Governor but
restleSsness In him which indicates he university
presidents job.
This extention plot of Parlor Story" in which
Marans manipulation moved Charles up profeorshp
the university presidencybut get
fired altogether. " -
obviously. nothing Of this be tremendously
oraatlc or ovepowerng in the impact its
pose 10 disclose that human beings situation such as
tns one can be eneagngly amunga slant them
no other playwright has been bothering recently.
Cast Is Captivated.
Miss Hayes her co-star Smith and the others
Mary Macarthur when she from her ness
theme They not crusadng for may
buried IN the work much playing to the comedy
implicit in its human relationships
They the heater something had for long
time something that has been left South
Pacific The quality in question the loosely
labeled charm
The effect of their work hardly earn
genuine hearing for Of the few
ing Tor the contemporary stage This McCleey
considerably craftsman delighted Washing
ton and later New York. four with Hope for the Best