Evening star., 1954-05-23
NEW YOT

4NAVv 4O4AAAs
It's orchid, aspirin and alibi
time the Broadway theater
takes an end-of-season look in
the mirror this week.
Mays end. is the traditional
time for winding up the pro-
duction year and taking in
ventory, so here are some re-
suits of the 1953-54 race for
glory and greenbacks:
Total cost of shows arriving
on the main stem: $3,200,O0O,
give or take a few thousand;
Number Of productions: SO,
one less than last year. OF
these, eight were musicals
lowest in years; 4 melodramas;
5 one-man Cor woman) shows;
10 comedies and 26 dramas.
Seventeen are currently en-.
joying healthy business with
the final hit-or-flop verdict still
out on about a half dozen.
Bolonce in Doubt
The final balance sheet of
profit or loss on this outpour-
ing Of talent and grit can't be
given because road tours,
screen and other rights still
to be realized may recoup some
production losses, initiate the
profits Of others.
The risky gamut of show
business investment can be
shown by a few season speci-
mems. The musical Carnival
in Flanders" and the melo-
drama Sherlock Holiness" took
a dive at a cost of more than
100000 each. At the other
end of the scale, the drama
"Tea and Sympathy" has al
ready netted $4,000 profit on
a 100000 investment, and
"Teahouse of the August
Moon" has posted a net so far
of $4,000 on a 100000
budget.
The 1884 season has been
notable in other regards.
Virtually none of the great
drama masters was represented
there wasn't a single Shaw,
Isben or O'Neill; Shakespeare
only made it on the Broadway
fringe with two repertory group
productions, and there was a
single Chekhov, in an Off
Broadway house.
NotobIe Absentees
Similarly, Maxwell Ander-
son, Robert Sherwood, Clifford
Odets and Arthur Miller,
among the better known con-
temporaries, were not repre-
sented. Only George S. Kauf-
man, collaborating with How
ard Teichmann on "The Solid
Gold Cadillac" succeeded
among top-run scripters.
Elmer Rice was represented
by The Winner" which
wasn't, and Howard Lindsay
and Russell Grouse did not
match previous successes with
"The Prescott Proposals"
Several promising new play
wrights did emerge. They were
Louis Peterson, who wrote
Take a Giant Step; Robert
Anderson with his first Broad
way play, "Tea and Sympa-
thy" and Jane Bowles who
scripted I'm the Summer
House"
Another interesting trend
was the number of hit novels
converted into drama. Most
notable were John Patrick's
adaptation of Vern Sneider'S
"The Teahouse of the August
Moon" and Herman Wouk's
transfer of a portion of his
own book into the hit show,
1.-THE Caine Mutiny Court Mar
tial."
From Television
Several television writer's un-
successfully essayed the leap to
stage authorship, and another
dismal note of the season was
failure of plays from abroad to
establish hit status.
Swiftly looking at other
show world activities on this
anniversary, Broadway was
visited by a Spanish language
repertory from Madrid, by the
sensationally exciting Kabuki
Dancers of Tokyo, and by the
equally amazing Jose Ferrer of
practically everywhere, who
achieved a tour de force by
producing and appearing in
four varied shows at the City
Center.
Broadway'S summer menu:
Here's a rundown for sum-
mertime visitors to New York
on the 81 dramas, musicals and
comedies now on tap.
Getting tickets to all but a
few of the solid sellouts
shouldn't be too difficult on
fairly short notice, but it's
highly desirable to make ar
rangements as far ahead as
possible on every one to assure
choice seats.
Broadway ticket brokers will
be able to take care Of your
needs at regular box-off1ce
prices plus commission. Other
wise a letter plus check in
advance, addressed to the
treasurer of the theater where
the show is running will get
prompt service.
Top evening prices average
about $40 for straight shows,
about $3.50 for musicals,
nearly all scales up slightly for
Friday and Saturday perform