Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-12


palace" built for movie ex-<
hibition in Washington. Re-
Gently. the Metropolitan has been
more useful than an ornamen-
tai and comfortable theater.
Now it is destined for quick
and expensive face lifting that
will make it an attractive and
comfortable showcase as BELTS
the Stanley-Warner company's
major downtown house. It ac-
coded to this prestige, for all it's
seedineSs, when the Warner be-
came Washington's Cinerama
theater last November. It's re-
novation, prophesied then. be-
comes an actuality now.
= \ \ 4
It is an extensive interior job
that is planned on the Met.
Most expensive of the multiple
items in the program is the re-
seating Of the house with chairs
designed for the ultimate in
comfort and relaxation. Beyond
this. the theater will be COM
pletely recarpeted, fitted with a
new modern steel and glass mar
quee, given new and larger
lobby equipped with new Cathode
lighting, equipped with modern
lounges, and completely redeco-
rated on the interior. including
new stage apron treatment.
There will also be a new candy
bar, an unheard of adjunct
when the Met was a young
movie theater, and the front of
the theater will be redone.
For all the scope of its face
lifting. the Met will be given no
such esthetic as a shutdown.
Working crews will take over
the house after every perform
ance at night. have it exclu-
sively until the regular opening |
time in the morning.
AS the schedule shapes I'D, |
matinee performances will be |
lost on only five of the working |
days, from next Thursday until |
Wednesday, March "a.
The renovated theater will be
ready on March Is for the show
ing of the newest of Warner
Bros. Sd thrillers, Phantom of /
the Rue Morgue." The film stars
Karl Maiden, Claude Dauphin,
Patricia Medina and Steve For
rest
HONEST DIRECTOR: The
Blue Ridge Players of Berryville,
Va, are a fairly remote off, I
Broadway group. but they have
a director this department ad-
mireS.
Her name is Nancy Bryant |
and she called long distance |
Obut not very long, yesterday to |
ask if critics ever went as far as
Berryville. We told her that |
critics SELDOM got west of the
National Theater, adding that |
drama departments would be
glad to announce Blue Ridge |
productions. however.
why didn't you write. or call |
earlier?" we asked.
WELL" said Miss Bryant of |
her production Of "Berkely |
Square" 81 didn't know it was
going to turn out so we'll"
The play which opened last
night in the new Clark County
High School Auditorium, will be
repeated tonight. It's principal /
performer is William Mitchell
and its sets were designed by
Mrs. Alex MacKay- Smith. Both
are corking, Miss Bryant said.
CHEERFUL NOTE: Also help
ing to take the sting out of |
springs early ending, is the fol-
lowing note from Martin L. A.
Sternberg with reference to the
Kappa Gamma production Of
Journeys End" at Gallaudet
College.
1--WE can guarantee something
out of the ordinary" he says.
"Here you will see a play put on
entirely in sign language. you'll
have an interpreter. thought.
You'll see how expressive and
meaningful this medium can be.
A couple of years back, the pro-
Queer Of Arsenic and Old Lace
was so impressive with our treat
ment of it that he chartered
plane for the whole troupe and