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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (July 2, 1950)
Excitement Mounts Behind Scenes of Shakespearean Festival Cast Struggles With Production Problems By Bill Force Mail Tribune Siaif Writer Anyone venturing inside the vine-clad old Chautauqua shell In Ashland last week would nave tnougni me lum annual anaices riearean festival was due to come off the next day. He would have found the place a nest of seething activity, peopled with nonnescripuy cosiumea aciors, sweating electricians aim i-m-penters, overalled gardeners and shirtless, wildly gesturing di rectors each anDarentlv unaware of the existence of the others. The sun-bathed, grass-carpeted ampitheater has sprung to life again for another summer of resurrected Elizabethan drama. Sev eral score intensely interested young actors are rehearsing roles for plays that will delight hundreds of tourists and local residents next month when the curtains are drawn apart on another festival of Shakespearean plays, "played as Shakespeare might have seen MEDFORDtPTRIBUNE Second Section MEDFORD, OREGON, SUNDAY, JULY 2, 1950 Pages 1-6 - thrCi iff v 4 V::J : i I - ; A t i yt them Intensive Rehearsals Though the Shakespearean festival is still a month away, the tempo of researsals and prep arations has hit a near-hysteric Ditch. Afternoon and evening, every day, the hardworking troupe of talented young people labors through a back-bending 1 routine that probably no other ' 'summer theater in the world would dream of attempting. This festival cast is not prepar ing one play for a week's stand it is slowly moulding into shape four different plays to be presented on four successive niehts an almost unheard of feat. The magnitude of the task can hardly be imagined by anyone who has not witnessed the pains taking attention that is given to every line, every gesture ana every artful glance in each scene of each lengthy play. One of last week's rehearsals of "The Comedy of Errors gives an idea of the sweat and toil in volved. Downstage are two act ors, library volumes of Shakes peare in hand, pencils poised to mau notations. Standing in front is Director Richard Gra- ham of New York, stripped to the waist in the hot sun that beat down on the concrete movement of the arena. With him are Technical Adviser Dr. Curt Zimansky of the University of Iowa, a speech coacn ana script-holder. The actors start to read their parts. Perhaps they speak a doz en lines before Graham cuts them off to suggest that a posi tion be changed, that a smue is wrong or that there is inade quate motivation for some move ment. The actors make careful notes in the margins of their books and then start the passage over again. This time the speech coach calls a halt. One of the i lads has said DIS-course. He should have said dis-COURSE. He tries again but still does not give the word its proper Eliza bethan syllabic accent. After sev eral attempts the coach is satis fied the prosody is correct and the rehearsal can continue. Must Understand Parti But not for long. A few lines farther along .in the scene an actor comes across an unfamil iar word or an abstruse phrase. "I don't understand that," he complains, and for one of these actors to act out a scene with out understanding its full mean ing would be unthinkable. Here Dr. Zimansky goes to work. From a long background of aca demic research into the Eliza bethan period, he provides the needed information. Every mem ber of the cast, with Dr. Ziman sky's help, understands the role he is playing, its meaning, pur pose and sociological and artistic background. This process goes on endlessly through the long hours of rehear sal until a flawless finished pro duct of artistic effort is present ed to impressed audiences who have little conception of the '1 hours or tedium that have gone into each of the four plays. Fluff Absent For the 10 years that the Shakespearean festival has been produced in Ashland, the little group of scholars in charge has maintained an uncompromising devotion to one aesthetic ideal: Shakespeare must be presented free of any theatrical fluff not present at the time the Bard himself presented his plays to the irreverent Elizabethan-age audiences. Angus Bowmer, the guiding spirit behind the festival, ex plains that this principle is so unorthodox it astounds contem porary producers. They consid er that Shakespeare stripped of all but its elemental muscle would be devoid of audience ap peal. Bowmer has found the opposite to be true and a couple of amazed directors from the Globe theater in San Diego were so impressed with his success two years ago they have inau gurated a program that is the Oregon festival's only imitator. (They, however, have not been able to achieve the repertory type program practiced here.) On Broadway, productions of Shakespeare are billed as "re vivals" and the producers at tempt to enhance the original beauty of the plays with leg art, anachronistic music, and theater techniques utterly alien to the spirit of Shakespeare. In Ash land. Shakespeare has passed be yond the stage of revived enter-! tainment. It is now firmly estab- j dished tradition, as well u one' of Oregon's top-ranking tourist attractions. Problems Presented This year's schedule is putting an added strain on the produc tion staff in regard to dance scenes, music and costume. For the comedy, "As You Like It," Bowmer has ordered spectacle. The play is usually presented straight from the script, includ ing a somewhat unbelievable ending. "We're not certain," he said, "but from the historical sources that are available, we think that Shakespeare probably would approve of the spectacle type ending to show that the final scenes are not intended to be believable." A court masque, a kind of grand entertainment common to the Stuart court of old England. will be called for and most of the problem has been dumped into the lap of Miss Carol Eller. a pert little brunette from Stan ford university who is the festi val's dance director. "We're going to work on this all sum mer and it should be pretty spectacular," she enthused. Does Choreography The choreography for the two dances that will be used is by Miss Eller herself. Though she knows you won't understand what she's talking about, the youthful instructor will patient ly explain that the two dances are based on pre-classic forms allemande, bouree and gique. She will point out further that they will be a combination of court and country style dances using eight dancing girls. Miss Eller has some historic basis for her choreography but it is ob vious that her close acquaintance with Shakespeare she is also a member of the cast will do much to assure dance sequences in perfect harmony with the spirit of the production. Working with Miss Eller on this particular problem is How ard Greer of Fresno who is com posing special music for "As You Like It." His compositions are being orchestrated for Eliza bethan instruments such as the recorder, the veil d' amour, and other instruments such as the french and english horns that come about as close to approach ing instruments of that period as any modern musicians have at hand. Lavish Costumes Despite the wealth of dra matic talent and inspired direc tion that is available this year for the festival, the plays would still lack much of their popular appeal if it were not for the lav ish costumes that complete the picture of Elizabethan opulence and pageantry. In a workshop so filled with color that the eye is almost stun ned at the sight, the festival as sociation's costumier, Doug Rus sell, and a crew of seamstresses are surrounded with silks, laces, brocades, velvet and upholstery fabrics that will be used to re create costumes that would dazzle Queen Elizabeth herself. Though years of research and careful study of source materials go into Russell s designs, he ad mits that his costumes are not absolutely authentic; they are not intended to be. Ideas Don't Jibe "If we used true Elizabethan costumes," he said, "they'd be laughed off the stage because they wouldn't Jibe with what moderns consider to be beauti ful and graceful." So the medi eval form will be retained while I l The truest -form of ' j lympathy is under- j S j standing. I? m Chapel Mortuary fifi p Across from the Courthouse r f -Sll PHONE 2-8030 Frank Morgan Harold Snodgrass Funeral Directors i ??tfrrrr:r a t. r' sua- ni vkm a ljt DANCES PERFECTED Miss Carol- Eller, left, dance director for the Shakespearean festival, is shown here coaching two of her dancers in one of the sequences that will be used in the Stuart court masque the grand finale of this year's production of "As You Like It." With Miss Eller are Delores Bagley, center, and Mary Jane Pitts. (Bob Mallon photo). at the same time humoring mod ern taste with brilliant colors and luxurious draped effects. The responsibility for this delicate design problem lies with Russell, a young (23) Stanford university graduate who will join the staff of Carnegie Insti tute of Technology in Pittsburgh next September. Besides design ing costumes for the Ashland production he expects to have to make about 180 new costumes this year in addition to some of last year's that will be refur bished and repaired Russell is instructor of a class in costume design at Southern Oregon col lege. His workshop is used as a laboratory for his students. New Problem This year Russell has a new design problem to cope with. The play "Antony and Cleo patra" is. of course, one written by an Elizabethan Englishman about Romans and Egyptians. Which period or locale are the costumes to reflect? Designer Russell has decided to incorpor ate elements of all three into what is expected to be a unique effect. Each play presents a special problem, it seems. For the his torical plays, in line with a pol icy long adhered to by Bowmer, costumes will reflect the histor ical period depicted by the play but "will not violate the taste of the Elizabethan theater," to use Russell's words. For "The Comedy of Errors", Russell plans highly stylized costumes with bold, bright, solid colors. They will be in keeping with Bowmer's interpretation of the comedy. For the most part, Russell says he relics on the paintings of classical subjects by Veronese as patterns for his costume de signs. Each costume is first sketched out by Russell himself before it is turned over to the Ruch Girl Is First Queen Contestant At Jacksonville Jacksonville, July 1 First to enter the Jacksonville Gold Rush jubilee queen contest is Dorothy Winningham, Ruch, sponsored by Taylor Drug store, Jacksonville. Others signing are Jeannie Sletten, announced by Ben's Food market, Jacksonville, as candidate for that store; Ma vis Johnson of the Applegate, sponsored by Fluhrer's bakery; and a "mystery" candidate en tered by the Golden Arrow Trading company. Identity of the mystery candidate is not to be disclosed until a short time be fore closing of the contest, ac cording to her sponsor. Four more sponsors, making a total of eleven, have signed up to entqr contestants; Helen's Kottage Kitchen and Lulu's cafe. Jacksonville; Ashland Lions club, Ashland, and the Golden students and to volunteer Ash land seamstresses to carry out. Many Donated Though much of the ornate fabrics and metallic fripperies required for the elaborate out fits come from San Francisco suppliers. Russell said that some of his choicest pieces of mater ials were donated by Ashlanders. Considering the mountainous size of their task, one would think it next to impossible for Russell and his nimble-fingered aides to complete it within the next month, but there are no worried brows in the buzzing workshop, so apparently the Shakespearean cast this year is to be garbed in the same eye filling manner as in past years. It is the art department of the production staff that has wor ries. Their most current prob lems deal with gods and burlap. The court masque in "As You Like It" is to feature Hymen, the god of marriage, descending from unspecified heights into the revelries of the court. The me chanics of the descent have not yet been worked out but Otto Wilda, the festival's art director, Summer Work Slated At City's Schools Additional playground surfac ing, installation of walks and curbs, general improvement of grounds and some interior reno vation is included in the sum mer work program of the city schools, Superintendent E. H. Hedrick has reported. He said the additional surfac ing is being done at the four grade schools and the junior high. In general the outdoor work is completing odds and ends provided for in the bond issue for school expansion and imrovement, Hedrick stated. Arrow Trading company, Med- ford. To Give Priiet Weekly prizes will be given the candidate selling the most votes, according to Dr. Roy White, chairman of the contest. Grand prize for the contest win ner will be a S300 wardrobe. Second prize will be $100 in gold; third, $50 in gold, and fourth winner will receive $25 in gold. Candidates or sponsors want ing to enter the contest should call Dr. White, phone Jackson ville 832. The chairman also stat ed that candidates may contact MEDFORD PHARMACY 127 E. 6th Just Off Central 9 A.M. 10:30 P.M., For Complete Prescription Service 2-6253 If No Answer Call 2-8582 Prompt Free Delivery Baby Needs Sick Room Supplies Rentals JIM GORDON Bidgood Hudson Medford't Own Modern Pharmacy DAY fH Ngh and YGirAf Ca" jhlf y. v 4 1 V " Tif ' ' ' J LINES AND GESTURES POLISHED These three Shakes pearean players are pictured during one of the rehearsal periods that go on hour nfter hour in the Shakespearean festival's Eliza bethan theater in Ashland in preparation for the first production, billed for August 2. These three earnest actors are, left to right, Phil Hansen, Suzanne Lamerre and Ann Lauder. (Bob Mallon photo). is confident it will be nothing short of spectacular. He declines to reveal his plans. Wilda is also concerned with a problem of supply. The vast Elizabethan staqe is to be re curtained this year and the pro- Lookouts Man 15 Forest Stations The extensive forest fire look out system of the Rogue River national forest was fully-manned yesterday and ready for any de mands that may be made on it during the hazardous summer dry season. There are now 17 men and women manning 15 lookout stations in all four dist ricts of the forest and they will remain on 24-hour duty until September 30, or later if condi tions merit. Lookouts in the Applegate district are William Godfrey, Tallowbox: Paul Slibran, Whis key peak: Harry Helms, Cinna bar; Arthur Chisholm, Dutch man peak, and Don LaRose, Squaw peak. Lookouts in the Ashland dist rict are Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Oliver on Robinson butte and Brooke Adkinson on Wagner butte. Those manning stations in the Butte Falls district are Ben Rush, Bessie rock; Mr. and Mrs. Manly Bryant. Rustler peak: Ray Oden, Devils peak, and Fred Hussey, Blue rock. In the Union Creek district lookouts are Jack Nelson, Hcrshbergcr; Paul McFarlan. Mt. Stella; Bob Serber, Abbott butte, and George Brown, Butler butte. sponsors who have not announc ed candidates, including the Big-Y market, Medford hotel, Colonial inn and Trowbridge and Flynn, Medford. First weekly prize to the con testant selling the most votes will be given Saturday, July 8, according to Dr. White, and suc ceeding prizes will be given each Saturday during the contest. 4ft WEDNESDAY Wednesday n I ject will require 450 yards of burlap. Suppliers who have been asked to fill the order swallow hard and throw up their hands and Wilda has got almost to the point where he will ask chance passersby if they know where he can get 450 yards of burlap. But the re sourceful crew that works be hind the scenes at the theater can be depended on to go direct to the Indian jute mills if ncces- yfM X" x i-vj Today . . . Monday . . . Tuesday ! Take the Mt. Ashland Drive! (Driving time 4 hours). For a few months during the sum mer, a panoramic drive surpassed by none, proceeds up the Applegate and its tributary, Beaver Creek, over Mt. Ash land, and down again into the Rogue Valley. On a clear day from the top of Mt. Ashland, the Pacific Ocean can be seen! Visit Beautiful Lithia Park Cool and restful, this natural park, constructed and land scaped by Andrew McLaren, the man responsible for the famed Golden Gate Park, features a 200 with many fasci nating animals and birds. The kids will love it! It's FUN Southern a FROM JOE COLLEGE TO ELIZABETHAN GENTLEMAN Douglas Russell, left, is fitting Fred Whited with an elegant medie val costume like dozens of others Russell is creating to transform casual collegians into ladies and gentlemen like those who peopled the courts of Elizabeth's England. On the wall in the background can be seen some of the sketches Russell has prepared as guides for his crew of seamstresses. (Bob Mallon photo.) sary. After 10 years of festival production, they are beginning to grow immune to obstacles. Wilda is also charged with carrying out the ideas of the directors in the construction of stage settings only they're not settings, he says. When asked, "Well then, what are they?", he appeals to Bowmer for an ans wer. After a moment's thought, the director says. "Let's call them 'suggestive set pieces.' " In other words, the painted "flats" common to the modern stage are foreign to Elizabethan thea ter techniques. Only the barest essentials of a scene appear on Yes, Snider's suggest a delightful 4th of July week-end at Ashlanfl's outstand ing celebration . . . there will be enter tainment for EVERYONE . . . from out door organ recitals and band concerts to children's games, barbecue, rodeo events, air show and fireworks displays. And, on the side, why not make a few trips that all the family will enjoy and enable YOU to better inform your tourist guests this sumrner? It PAYS to become a really GOOD TOURIST HOST! There are many fine camping spots near Ashland in the Siskiyous, Greensprings and in the Mt. Ashland and Wagner Creek sections. Swim in Ashland's fine pools . , . dance at the Elks Club and on the Plaza . . . And be SURE to tell tour ists this summer of the fun they can have in Ashland. to KNOW Your Own Oregon Vacation Land! the stage to suggest a far more elaborate setting. Audiences seem to have no difficulty in using their imaginations to fill in the blanks. Those who crowd the pictur esque theater on the Ashland hillside August 2 to 24 to enjoy polished performances will sea litle that would reveal all the work that went on behind the scenes weeks before opening night. To them the whole thing will appear effortless and spoiv taneous and that fact alone is tribute enough to those respon sible for Oregon's rarest enter tainment treat. FINE DAIRY PRODUCTS
