Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-01

Shakespeare original. 1.-THE Tam
ing of the Shrew."
This is pretty international for
a play, but that is not all. The
star is Walter Slezak. a Hungar-
ian mountaineer who came to
Mahom-beg pardon. America.
some years ago to prove himself
charming and versatile player.
Moreover, as it begins the
month on a world note. the Shu-
bert will also end on one. Start
ing March Is, the theater'S stage
will be taken over for another
fortnight by Roland Petit'S
"BalletS de Paris" This is theater
ballet at its most scintillating.
the kind with a dramatic dash
that would delight a certain
news editor we know if he would
only relax his savage antipathy
for the dance.
It is the one which stars Co
lette Marchand, who took New
York by storm as La Legs" long
before she was introduced to
the rest of the country in the
film. Moulin Rouge"
Also. for the Washington en-
gagement, it will co-star Leslie
Caron, the lovely. wistful canine
of "An American in Paris" the
first musical to win an Academy
Award. Miss Caron. up for an
other Academy Award as the
star of 'Lili," has a brief leave
from MGM. which she will use
to make International Theater
Month that much more appro-
priately observed here.
There are those who are not
sure they prefer Sadler's Wells
to NJ. Petit's dancers. Come to
think of it. this department is
one Of them.
So, just as the National was
international throughout Febru-
airy with the plays of T. S. Eliot
and Charles Morgan, the Shubert
will be the same in March with
a French accent. incidentally,
the National through no fault of
its own, will be closed during
March.
Local drama groups will make
their special contributions to In
ternational Theater Month.
Arena Stage, for one. will con-
tinue its Summer and Smoke"
hit, the work of Americas most
widely known younger dramatist,
Tennessee Williams.
And Catholic University, which
achieved it's first major recog-
milton with its production more
than a dozen years ago. van
again present T. S. Eliot's Muir
der in the Cathedral" the poets
first venture into dramatic writ
ing.
Meantime. Theater Lobby
carries over into March with its
production of James Joyce's only
play. "Exiles." In a preliminary
way. at least. George Washington
University's university con1mu-
nifty theater gets into the month
with tIyouts for Moliere's 'Imag-
mary Invalid" on Wednesday
and Friday Of this week. The
place is Room /, Hall of Govern
ment. the time both nights, 8 pm.
The biggest splash locally of
iTheater Month will be created
tomorrow night with the finals
of the Recreation Departments
One-Act Play Tournament. The
event will be held as for more
than two decades. at Roosevelt |
high school auditorium, at Which
time not only the best play will
be chosen but the best performer
in the tournament will be hon.
ored with the Maude Howell |
Smith medal.
Children's theater will also
have a busy March schedule.
Heading the list of attractions
is Rose Robinson Cowan's pro-
duction of Tom Sawyer" which
will be presented in five per-
formances late in the month.
Three additional performances
are scheduled for the benefit of
Korean War Orphans, the third
year in which Children's Thea
ter of Washington has contrib
uted to this fund.
Also busy on productions for
youngsters are Montgomery
County's Adventure Theater,
Washington and Lee high
schools TELL A-Tale" group,
Miner Teachers College "Cinder-
ella" and the puppet plays of
Arena Stage and Theater Lobby.