Evening star., 1954-11-02

40 NuoCAs ~ 0COAo WILL GlIC P11S1
traverse the choppy waters Of
pre-marriage. In doing so. at
least in the opening perform
ance, it suggests that the same
choppy watess are more har-
RAISING to Author Theodore
Reeves than to his protagonists.
Survivors Of the mating proc
ess cannot help but take kindly
to Mr.. Reeves subject. Nor can
they escape guiltlessly from the
charms Of Producer Kermit
Bloomgarden's cast, composed
of Lee Grant. Virginia Vincent.
Harvey Lembeck and Acthony
Franciosa. Nevertheless. WED
ding Breakfast" clamors for fur
ther attention from the author
and Director Herman Shumlin.
The right revisions might turn
It into a touching and amusing
report on travail Of falling in
love when you are young in a
world that is old-and far less
innocent. It would also keep
such patiently deserving players
as the wedding Breakfast"
quartet safely this side of the
economic dilemmas they act so
affectingly.
Moreover, it woul permit many
more theatergoers to see the
latest William and Jean Eckart
stage set. This is an astonlsh-
ing sort of duplex. an apart
ment with two living rooms. one
located in east midtown New
York, the other in Greenwich
Village.
"Wedding Breakfast" is an
echo of 1.-THE Voice of the Tur-
tie" as its title and its archi-
lecture intimate.
It doubles the number OF
young, human creatures who
are involved with the species
old summons to duty. These are
principally a pair of attractive
sisters. One of these is a radiant
simpleton who works at a de-
partment store perfume coun-
ter, is joyfully engaged to solid
bookkeeper. and has life planned
down to the last stick OF "gra-
cious" boudoir furniture. She is
O quite funny girl, as always.
The other is more complex.
She has worked her way through
college, cum laude, developed a
narrowing fear of life's dullness,
and worst of all, just irreparably
lost the young doctor who
summed up her total dream OF
the cultured life.
These are readily identifiable.
of course, as little people"
whose dilemmas are generally
regarded as the most difficult
to dramatize. Mr.. Reeves is
quite unfeazed by any such old
wives tale. With the two
apartments in one at his dis
posal, and the Eckarts' set flexi-
BILE enough to become a rooftop,
the bow Of a ferry boat and q
spot in Central Park, he sets
busily to work.
His big problem to be sure is
to get the heartbroken girl back
in circulation. a task which the
heartwhole sister and her beau
accomplish by introducing her
to the latter's cousin. This is a
handsome young hardware deal
er from Buffalo, a questionable
substitute for a double dealing
medico. but nevertheless one
with exciting possibilities.
These possibilities are much
more fully explored in WED
ding Breakfast" than they are
going to be here. They include
some quite funny scenes domi-
mated by the perfume sales
woman and her equally uncom-
plex flance and some poignant
ones by the other couple. They
also embrace a couple of boudoir
asides involving both couples, the
latter quite grave problems for
the author as they always are
to dramatists who find them
selves in awkard places with
nice girls.
u Il i
Miss Grant. who demonstrated
that she is a remarkably sensi.
tive actress as the shop LITTER In
Detective Story" is the domi-
nant figure in Wedding Break
fast" She got far more assistance
from Sidney Kingsley than she
does from Mr.. Reeves as the an
guiShed sister in the new play.
Nevertheless in the whirl Of
scenes here. she shows what a
wound to pride and faith and
hope that rejection in love can
be. And with the notable assist
ance of Mr.. Franciosa-a new
conner to Broadway-the desper-
alton of the cure called for by
so desperate a disillusionment.
Miss Vincent's pretty, maxim
spouting, unshakeably confident
sister provides the perfect COM
edy counterpoint to the travail
which Miss Grant illustrates.
She could not ask for a more
sure-footed colleague in this vital
enterprise than Mr.. Lembeck. AS
q monumental dope" with a
heart of gold and a large cache
of common sense in moments Of
n,.;c;c NEr av,of,nnl, ;e 49, s,ro