Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-29
Fame? Just Porey White Lie and S125 Into Festival
But 1t Took Energy,
Taste and Integrity
To Make 1t Work

To Make 1t Work
tional theater and that this
theater should begin SO purely
with Shakespeare and Soph- !
ocles who, between them. have
enjoyed more than $500 years
of popularity. There is no
doubt that this is what it is,
national theater for Canada,
that has sprung so vitality
from the high plain Of Ontario.
Until now. the Dominion's.
theater fare has been what
Broadway sent on tour, the
goal Of its young drama aspir-
ants that same Broadway
where the unclassic and un-
employment flourish side by
side.
Stratford, which had no
living professional theater be-
fore the festival, is a happy
party to the correction of both
situations.
Nor has it wasted any time
on this score. This fall the
festival puts out its first shoot
in the form of repertory
company made up of members
of the Stratford group of, by
the way, 81 performers. Cecil
Clarke, artistic director of DR..
Guthrie's productions. and Mr..
Patterson have obtained Ca
madam rights to Shaw's est.
JOAN" which their company
already is booked to do in 81
communities across the Do
minion.
A Washington Date
Douglas Campbell, a stall
wart of the Stratford COM
pany, and Frances Hyland, its
leading feminine performer,
head this group. which also
will add Shakespearian read
ings to it's platform production
of Shaw's brilliant work.
At the behest of Washing
tonians who greatly admire
the Stratford operation, it may
be that the Canadian COM
pany will pay Washington a
visit. This, provided the spon-
sors are able to get clearance
from Producers Theater whose
"St. JOAN" with Jean Arthur,
will already have played there.
At the end of its second
festival season. which drew
almost twice as many as the
originals $1,000 patrons. Strait
ford is rather sure Of, as well
as surprised at, itself. It has
confidence in the artistic STAN
dards represented in a roper
tory of 1.-THE Tanning of the
Shrew," Measure for. Meas
ure," and "Oedipus the King"
It knows that the dramas best
is not too good-by q single
unsold seat-for.. the public's
taste.
He Was a Potron
1t can smile at the anec-
dote of the unkempt patron
who, to- the surprise of the
boxoffice staff which thought
he was a laborer out of work.
wanted to buy $40 worth of
tickets ''any time between
haydn and harvestin.'" And
be amused that the comr1iu-
nity's children play Richard
and Richmond Can echo of
last seasons Richard III') in
stead of cops and robbers.
While it has drawn it's audi
ence from all parts of the
world, the festival, ever so
happily to its sponsors, is most
Of all the community's pre-
ferred entertainment. Strait
fordians of all classes see each
of the plays several times, with
the children who are old
enough to get something out
of them.
Why? Well, for the best of
private reasons including that
of the housemaid who ex-
planned her third visit to "Oe-
dipus" very simply: II like
those masks" This might dis
courage Sophocles, and depress
James Mason, this years star
hidden behind the hero's mask.
It is explanation enough to
those who are satisfied that
drama has something for
everybody.
Yet as they gathered last
(See CARMODY. Page ESD