Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-04-24

Ineater yesterday.
This represents a consideral
of its sponsors. The fact remain
would have benefited had more
of dramatic dexterity gone into
its making.
The major effect Of bed OF
Grass" a story of outcasts and
particularly Of an orphaned girl
is that it is too self-consciously
a shocker. The Greg Tallas pro-
duction revels in its earthiness,
seems more beady-eyed over its
theme than misty-eyed over the
plight of its anguished heroine
There have been reports that
the original four hour produc-
ton has been cut to one-half
that length. If true. this might
well raise the question whether
Producer-Director Tallas did not
throw away the wrong half.
What remains is not merely
the raw narrative of a brutal
case history but a primitively
executed. awkwardly edited and
melodramatic imitation of a
tragedy.
BED of Grass narrates the
travail of Ayoupa, a shaply fawn
Of a girl who is fate's innocent
target for all of life's evil.
Ayoupa, born informally to a
pair of PASSIONATE rustics, lives
an animal existence in the
wheat fields. Her friends are the
birds, beasts and insects of the
countryside: her enemies her
fellow humans who work the
summer harvest.
Particularly is she the quarry
Of two muscular young men,
both Of whom know she exists
beyond society's protection and
one Of whom criminally assaults
her. The resultant infant, born
in q stable, dies and Ayoupa
now more than ever a pariah, is
left to steal her food and seek
furtively whatever shelter she
can find.
This leads her briefly into the
custody of the one decent hui
man Of her experience, the
village doctor. He gives her food.
shelter, a decent dress and the
protection Of a platonic affec-
ton. What he fails to give her
Is safety from the villagers in
tense conviction that Ayoupa
Is a witch, which ultimately
leads to her being stabbed to
death by the harvesters' pitch
forks.
While presenting the most
starkly realistic Of surfaces, Bed
Of Grass" remains unreal.
Ayoupa. played by Anna Brazzou.
is the victim of the films ex-
cessive plot almost as much as
Of the villages predatory males.
The sins against her innocence
are piled so high that. instead
Of areusing pity, they evoke a
mere curiosity as to what can
possibly happen to her next.
In the original and longer
version, it is possible that
Director Tallas was able to avoid
this effect. But neither he. Miss
Brazzou or the others in the
cast are able. to give conviction
to this remorseless tide of
brutality in Ayoupa's life.
While Bed of Grass" bears
resemblances to the films of
both Italy and Sweden. these
are superficial in the first of
the Greek cinema imports to-
reach Washington.
- -
FATHERS FUND: Busy with
more than the annual spring
musical-three of which have.
gone on to Broadway-are
Catholic University's speech and
drama students.
They are also occupied with
the 10th year of Fathers Fund.
a proect which has raised thous-
ands Of dollars for the benefit
of needy students of the depart
ment. AS usual, donors of IS or
more will receive tickets to the
annual Patrons Performance of
the spring musical, set this time
for May 2.
Tradition has made this not
merely one of the gala nights of
the year at the University Theat-
er, but one marked by an in
creasingly long list Of contribu-
tors to the fund.
4
MIDWEEK MEMOS: Variety
Club will have a pink champagne
reception for new members at
the Willard Hotel Clubrooms on
Sunday. The time, 5 to 7
pm, ;. Chief Barker Marvin
Goldman will be host. Ian
Keith heads the cast of Barter
theater's THE Tempest" pro-
duction offered last night at
Williamsburg, Va, as part of
Jamestown's 350th birthday fes-
tival. Also in the cast. Will
liam Prince. another talented
Shakespearean as he proved a
couple of seasons ago at Olney
Summer Theater in Maryland
-. The play will run through
April 20. Arena Stages pro-
duction of Agatha Christie's
witness for the Prosecution.
opening next Tuesday, will be
the first in Washington. Il