Evening star., 1951-03-25
Drama News and Reviews
Fry Plays Gay Hero
A Postwar Psyche
Model Of Soldier Played by GieIgud
Found by Author in Vets Hospital
By Joy Cormody


Would you like Christopher Fry found his
soder-hero character in "The Lady Not Burning?"
This is dramatic early 18th century sort with
sensational flair for melod witty speech which
2oth century has heard before only Of William
Shakespeare.
Take it from John Gegud who this
Mndp into the seasons most sensational stage figure found
his man In no such remote era Of history.
The playwright hospital for
neuro-psychopaths in England after World War II.
Finds Fry Fascinating Author
Fascinating Fry" Gielgud says with
completely simple, direct personality He quite religious
Quaker you know Well during the he volunteered for
military duty and assigned uned labor work.
ing on the maintenance of roads and bridges
HE complained but after three OF close
citation with the of basic humans
tangled he
to tell the story Of how he found the hero of The Lad Not
Burning there Obviously Fry found this fellow snguary
interesting type intelligent gifted through
mental depression sort of desperation mind
Whatever Thomas Mndps medical history. Gegud found
him equally interesting His first knowledge of the play
unlikely that he would the role talk
OF the profession when Gelgud got back from America three
and he absorbed in evybodys interest in the
Got Poy Through Good Fortune r.,...s..-.
actor had control of it, however and any professional
production almost certain his Gielguds
AS luck would have it. Gegud recalls with pleased smile
actor became eooay involved as both actors and non
actors have been known left play
management and Gegud of all actors the with the sharpes
eye for the freshest drama seized upon it,
II had not read three under
stood these, before was in love with it, he says
Speaking of understanding THE Ladys Not for
the original piece in seasons Gegud
has patience with the notion the play obscure
Laughs vary there across the long hilarious
of the Engands provinces to washingtons
Gayety with fuseason stops in London and New York But
the variation small play says
the broad reaction is different ALL
Delight delight wherever felt
not, II feel is fault" he says.
by that mean the directors and the actors fault"
Finds Fry and Eliot Different
this score having worked with both Fry and T s. Eliot
the two outstanding poet-paywrighs time. Gguds
analysis is especially interesting.
Fry, he sis much the playwright he the poet
In Eliot is not Rightly wrongly, he primarily the
poet Actors know have kind of chidlke
Directors also They like to know the meaning of things base
of
move and what they saying Unless they do know this much
audiences not likely to know enough either.
FRY. when asked him for meaning would sometimes
that he did try it out
together When could not find meaning
would ask him to make changes He disagreed Most
amenable man worked with this
Eliot, other gracious firm When he has
not written clearly it often intellectual clarity
his purpose passages plays obs,e to others we'll
He rather insists that the obscriy
is the thing and that shall stand did in The Cocktail
Party play of last season.
Fry Likes Recent Prosperity
The greater adapabil of Fry and his simplicity reflected
In his reaction engung prosperity Gegud says
He likes prosperity and all that with it," the
of "The Lady's Not for Burning
why not?" Gielgud asks
On the of his Brown Gielgud the
same quiet enthusiasm he has for Fry.
1ve always been extraordinarily lucky leading ladies'
he When actor played with the
greatest in the English theater Syb Thondyke
Edith Evans and all the others Now that old
have as brilliant and actress Pamela. I'm
nate man"
Of major moment with "The Lady" due to
close three weeks Gelgud's
England the summer to work and see what
be done about arranging Naton-w
1858 with the Stratford repertory
Another fading sort dream right now the direction
of production of The Ladys Burning
and modern setting He thinks would
and he the brilliantly proved his ideas
that disagreement is impossible.
He terribly project right now how
formance of delghtfu two years in delightful play.
aIyu