Evening star., 1955-05-08
THE BROADWAY WEEK
Barb Is BewiIdered
Only When on Stage
By WILLIAM GLOVER
Associated Press Stan Writer

Is scared to jump from the hot
roof to the safety Of the dis
tant ground.
To develop this dramatic
situation. pretty Barbara gets
an assignment that any red
blooded woman would envy,
taxing though 1t is. The first
act of the play is virtually q
monologue. in which she talks
continuously for As minutes
with only minor interruption.
But It's No Rest
To make up for that stint,
Miss Bel Geddes is off-stage
all the second act-but she
finds that gives her no rest.
II thought I would be able
to read all that time" she
says. But I sit peering at
myself in the mirror and I'D
ding with my f1ngernails.
Then after the play I'm just
tired. just talk and relax"
Miss Bel GeddeS, who off,
stage is the wife of Windsor
Lewis and the mother Of q
couple Of girls, calls herself
an outdoors girl but not a par
ticularly energetic one.
I'm school I was contrary,
and wouldn't learn any
sports" she admits, but since
she has gone In for sailfiSh
and tuna fishing.
Her toughest professional
problem-and many an actress
would envy her its getting
involved In shows that run on
and on and on.
"Rehearsals are the most ex-
citing time of ALL" says Bar
bara. Then getting into the
part and getting everything
out of it is just great. But 1t
can get awful along in the
second year. Then my mind
wants to wander"
Dance Premieres
Dance theater: A good spring
tonic and change from usual
drama is being afforded Broad
way theatergoers currently
with a three-week season Of
somewhat exotic divertisse-
ment called American Dance
at the ANITA Theater.
Participating in the series
of attractions, which change
nightly, are such great lights 0f
terpsichore as Martha Graham,
Jose Limon, Pearl Lang, Doris
Humphrey. Valerie Belts and
Paul Draper.
Eighteen premieres of vari-
GUS dances are included.
All sorts of weird and sur
prising effects are accom-
plished with an unlikely as
sortment of meager props.
streaming cascades of fabric,
lights and a small but highly
articulate pit orchestra per-
forming strange music.
1t wouldn't be surprising II
this entertainment form for
the general public shouldn't
become as popular as ballet.
Loaded Dice
Roaming the Rialto: New
est arrival on the Main Stem
in the drama division is "The
Honeys," or murder with a
chuckle, at the Longacre.
Hume Cronyn plays with
vibrant skill a couple of aging
twins who are done in by
Jessica Tandy and Dorothy
Stickney, their respective
spouses.
A fairy-tale OF matriarchal
society, and an allegory Of
the put-upon female, "The
Honeys" rouses a number Of
chuckles but never quite
comes up to its undoubted
model of mayhem melodrama,
arsenic and Old Lace" May
be the dice are too loaded
against cantankerous males.
A very listenable set of re-
cordings by three stage greats
Helen Hayes, Raymond
Massey and Thomas Mitchell
have just been made Of
poems you learned in school
or otherwise meant to read
ometime. Called Poets
Gold" (RCA-Victor) the re-
cordings include everything
from the "Rubaiyat" to THE
Rhine Of the Ancient Mariner"
Booked in already as a
highlight of the new theater
season next fall is the Coincide
Francaise, world nous
French company, for its first
American visit beginning Oc-
tober Is for four weeks.