The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1958-08-28
Review of the Play
DIR. Z. /. BAUMGARTNER

win the risk OF employing GER
tain rather hackneycd cliches. as
we'll as the chance of becoming
somewhat Cloqucntly maudlin, it
must be admitted the preparation
of this review is being approached
with mixed emotions. First, that
of sadness since this is the last
play of the season-but secondly,
with the feeling of citation in that
Producer Gene Yell has seen fit
L. 90 play I've been suggesting
for the past three seasons.
Get set for an evening of laughs
not just polite filters but real
honest to goodness belly laughs.
The Moon Is Blue" is a happy.
gay comedy filled with engaging
people which manage to make the
best out of the two spheres of low
comedy and high comedy 1t is
bound to please the three great
groups which Russell Lynes de-
scribes, namely the low brow, the
high brow, as we'll as that great
group of middle broWs. Perhaps
Aunt Minnie may be shocked to
tch extent of raising a quizzical
CYcbroW-but she will have the
time of her life following the
whimsical and tidy dialogue that
the author provides.
The Moon Is Blue" is by F.
Hugh Herbert, an English writer
who has been most successful
with his chronicles of the youth of
his adopted America. Many will
recall with nostalgia his ky
serial Meet Corlis Archer" which
was so popular on radio some
years ago. This later was trans
formed into the very successful
Kiss and Tell"
This weeks play is most en-
jOyable comedy that is made quite
effective by the marriage of in
noccnce and sophistication as
well as by the mixture of whole
some, tender young love with
slightly decadent, but definitely
entertaining middle aged cvnicism
The entertaining quality Of delight
full comedy is not dependent on the
triumph of virtue and love, actual
ly foregonc conclusion, but
rather on its fireworks of dialogue
in which the candor and odd
reasoning on the subject of scduc-
ton are both droll and hilarious.
to say the least.
One might at the FISK of being
considered cute. coin a syllogism
pertaining to the play Major
premise, virtue is laudablc; minor
premise Kindness is virtue.
Therefore kindness is laudablC, at
least the kindness afforded the au-
thor's lines by this weeks cast is
laudable This is without question
the best timed play of the year so
far as dialogue, stage business. and
performances are concerned. 1t
shows evidence of hard rehearsal
work by the four persons involved.
as we'll as careful attention to de
tail by d. G.. Buckles. the director.
The lead this week is entrusted
to a newcomer, the delightful and
ingenious Miss Rebecca Valdez.
This young lady gives splendid
portrayal to the part of Patty, the
girl who is "preoccupied but not
occupied by sex" The naivete she
gives to her performance makes
for d most delightful evening.
AS her vis-a-vis. Donald, Bill
Lang is the apOthesis of a normal
successful young professional man.
This is unquestionably Bills best
weck-evcn better than Picnic.
The show this week is stolen by
Neil Flanagan turning in true
professional job as the mildly in
cbriated, cynical, David, who in the
end is found to have heart of
gold, though perhaps bit tar
nished. His Interpretation is well
studied and full of delightful nu-
ances of stage business that indi