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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 5, 1957)
TWO MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE "Two Gentlemen of Verona7 First Time by With the production of 'Two Gentlemen of Verona" Saturday night in the Oregon Shakespear ean festival theater in Ashland, Producing Director Angus L. Bowmer is one step nearer his goal of staging all of the Bard's plays in the Ashland theater. In the Oregon festival's almost 20 years of existence, this is the first production of "Two Gentle men." One of Shakespeare's earlier works, it remains one of his less popular plays and is not often produced. However, as staged in Ashland Saturday night, it drew the approval of the audience and will probably prove to be .good "box office" this season. The presence of Director Bow mer in the cast is almost a guar antee that it will draw audi ences, for throughout the years this actor has built up a solid following of fans. Those who particularly enjoy Bowmer in comedy roles are in for a treat, for this year he plays ' Launce, one of Shakespeare's delight fully comic moronic servant characters. , Those familiar with the play know that Launce has some lines which must be delivered . with finesse lest they offend the audi ence, even though they were written by an immortal poet and playwright. Bowmer's Launce is an artless, wide-eyed innocent saying "what comes naturally." As such, the audience fecl3 free to laugh and enjoy the scene in stead of being emoarrassea. o Dog Makes Hit Too, Launce's scenes are the better for the presence on stage of Crab, an English sheep dog with a decided bit of "ham" in his majceup. If anything, Crab is a bitstoo aristocratic and well bred looking to be Launce's dog, but it doesn't really matter the audience loves him. Laurge and Crab, however, don't have all the comedy scenes. There is the role of an other servant. Speed, played in a crisp, sprightly manner by Nagle Jackson which blends well with Bowmer's portrayal of Launce. The "two gentlemen" are played by William Oyler and David O'Brien, two of the fes tival's outstanding actors this season or any season. Oyler is a polished, suave and truly' gentlemanly Valentine. O'Brien is cast as Proteus, uporr whom Shakespeare conferred the title of gentleman but who acts in a most ungentlemanly ' manner. O'Brien makes the character as believable .as possible, but the j . No More Vl j I "DoJtTourselJ5' j Summer Cottons I 1 NEXT TIME SHE'LL CALL FOR J 1' f NU-WAY CLEANERS I J i Sanitone dMml COTTON CLINIC SERVICE iU4pM4 I Ik i- -rir'-n -,u t u . J:. N. 2J .isl " I ' i.Ven U iMISS UU-ll-IiersCU tuuiu JCI Udllllji sum- l" ' ' 7 t" S mer cottons as clean as we can, she still would find rl'Jt y"s - Cl it beyond her powers to restore the just-right V5fcw "bodv" to the fabric not stiff and starchy, but Te , W I" delightfully pliable. It's our o,wn exclusive Sanitone J. m Style-Set Finish that makes the difference. u 3 Why don't you call on us right now? 1 I lj ALL GARMENTS Delivered I ? q $ 1 In PLASTIC BAGS! custom laundered f ! n n SHIRTS j WMW&!f 1 I I 601 East Main St. Phone SP 2-9169 I! Ashland Festival Cast playgoer wonders if Shakespeare didn't stretch a poif.t in making Proteus change so swiftly from good to bad and back again. Women Charming Doris VioA and Margaret Va fiadis play the two sweethearts, Julia and Silvia, with charm and grace and btjth make pleas ing stage appearances. Marcia Thayer does well as Lucetta, Julia's waiting woman who also indulged in a little earthy con versation. Surveying the cast as a whole, one finds that it is a thoroughly competent group, ably directed by James Sandoe. Richard Gra ham, wearing gorgeous purple raiment, makes an imposing Duke of Milan and Jim Sfceldon is cast as Thurio, the foolish suitor. Jerry Turner and Mich ael O'Sullivan play Proteus' father and his chamberlain; Tom .Markus. Fred Strange, Norman McPhce, Rudolf E. Vest Jr., Wil liam Crossett and Pauline Peofr ter complete the cast. The Ashland festival is fortu nate to have Douglas Russell as chief costumer. A man of knowl edge and imagination, Russell's costumes compare favorably with those designed and pro duced for the Shakespearean fes tivals of the nation. In "Two Gentlemen" he uses the pleasing device of using the same color for tHe clothing of each pair of sweethearts which adds to the imDact of the costuming. ftugh Morton, Julia Sandoe and Diane Cochran provide a bit of music for the play, and Di rector Sandoe and Marcia Thay er, festival choreographer, have added dash to the production by closing it with dancing, rather thai the traditional assemblage of the cast for routine curtain bows. If here are those who find "Two Gentlemen" a bit tedious in spots, it is the fault of the play itself, and not the acting or production. It is not only present-day playgoers and critics who find fault with "Two" Gentle men." In October of 1765 an unidentified person wrote in Lady's Magazine, published in London, the following paragraph under the title "New Observa tions on the plays of Shakes peare: ' Strange Mixture "In this play (Two Gentlemen of Verona) there is a strange mixture of knowledge and igno rance, of care and negligence. The versification is often excel lent, the allusions are learned and just; but the author conveys his heroes by sea from one in Monday, Auguit S, 1957 Produced land town to another in the same country; he places the emperor at Milan, and sends his young men to attend him, but never mentions him more; he makes Protheus after an interview with Sylvia say he has only seen her picture, and, if we may credit the old copies, he has, by mistak ing places, left his scenery inex tricable. The reason of all this confusion seems to be that he took his story from a novel which he sometimes followed, and sometimes forsook, some times remembered and some times forgot." All of which proves nothing except that even Shakespeare sometimes turned out a bit of faulty writing but that faulty or not, the play deserves the at tention of all true Shakespear ean fans and playgoers who want to know the playwright in his entirety. O.S. Society St. Mary's Class Holds Reunion Members of the 1947 class of St. Mary's school recently held a reunion at Mon Desir inn near Central Point. Attending the dinner were Mr. and Mrs. James Messer, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Rickman; Mr. and Mrs. Robert Ran stead, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Rickman and Neil Murphy. Of these Mr. Messer, Mr. Rickman, Mrs. Ranstead, who was Lois Kneeland, Mrs. Rickman, the former Mary Lou Ryan, and Mr. Murphy were members of the class. Unable to attend were Mrs. Dan Tanable, Seattle; Mrs. Jo seph V:.ctorine, Malin, Ore., and Mrs. William Neeley, Eugene. The last member of the class of nine, Barbara Bell, has been "lost" and her classmates were unable to locate her. Plan Sale Central Point A sale of iris will be held during a meeting of Central Point Garden club set for Wednesday, August? 7. If. will be held at the home of Mrs. John Holmer, Old Stage road, and dessert will be served at 1:30 p.m. Save time and fuel by halving large potatoes before baking them. Good Casting Seen in Henry VIII; Three Parts Highlight Play A "history" play has been defined as one in which there are a series of historical events having no distinct formality of structure. Such a play is com posed of episodes episodes in the life of a man or an age. William Shakespeare, in "The Life of King Henry VIII." has taken four outstanding events from the busy life of Henry VIII (who had six wives and was in part responsible for the separation of the Church of Eng land from the Church of Rome) and has woven some of his fin est lines into one of his. greatest writing achievements in his his tory plays. Three - Episodes Three of the episodes serve as a basis of unity for the play. Each in itself is a type of trag edy. The three persons involved conduct themselves with dignity in the face of disaster; they main tain a grace which gives them victory over their enemies. Those episodes lead to the fourth the christening of Eli zabeth, which provides a note of assurance that England has been blessed by her birth. Thus the play ends with reverence de spite the fact three principals meet tragic ends. ' Such a play, which probably was no simple matter to write in the beginning, requires es pecially good casting for the parts of Duke of Buckingham, Queen Katherine, and Cardinal Wolsey, the three persons in the "tragedies." -Fine Selections Director Robert B. Loper made extremely fine selections for those parts in David O'Brien, Mary Jo Randall and Michael O'Sullivan. O'Brien's presentation of Buckingham, crossing the stage as a condemned man, is pene trating as he delivers one of Shakespeare's best speeches by a man doomed to death. He is pathetic, and captures the aud ience's sympathy. Katherine likewise attains compassion of the audience, both at her trial and in . two later scenes. Miss Randall spoke with the eloquence and passion of a queen herself at her trial. She maintains her dignity in an argument with Cardinal Wolsey in a moment of weakness. But her final appearance is perhaps the most touching. As dowager, she retains tier finesse, although overwhelmed by her divorce from 'Henry, and stirs the aud ience to her favor. Speeches are Moving ' The third tragic episode is that of Cardinal Wolsey, . and despite his unscrupulousness, O'Sullivan portrays him as a man who captures attention and sympathy when he is left alone. His speeches are moving, al most to a point of forgiveness of his selfish ambition and pride, and the audience is left with the feeling that, after all, he is a reverend man and has been unduly accused. But Shakespeare regarded Wolsey as a great man, a fact which is borne out in early hi& tories. It was necessary then to have Wolsey reinstated, as- it Leo Miksche Is 'Marlboro Man7 Leo Miksche, son of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Miksche, 164 Greenway circle, is "The Marl boro Man" in this week's ad vertisement of Marlboro cigar ets. The advertisement is carried in Life and other national maga zines. Mr. Miksche, now living in New York City, is a free lance artist and does many illustra tions in such magazines as Es quire and The New Yorker. Recently Mr. Miksche illus- i trated an article on Caryl Chess man, the San Quentin prisoner . who has written and publisried two successful novels. Ihe arti cle will be carried in a coming issue of Esquire. ' Actress Honored At Patio Dinner Mr. and Mrs. Albert W. Gandt, 141 Clover lane, were hosts for a patio dinner Tuesday evening of last week which honored Miss Rosalyn Newport, actress in this year's cast of the Oregon Shakespearean festival in Ash land. Miss Newport, who is from Wichita, Kan., is a cousin of Mrs. Gandt. Guests for the dinner were Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Schute, Wil lian Patton, Paul Ganct, Mr. and Mrs. John Frantz and Miss Newport. This is the second year Miss Newport has appeared with the festival company. x ymim iflU were, after being "tripped by his own arrogance." It is those three characters who highlight "Henry VIII." They are the unifying trend the fall from high standing. And O'Brien, Miss Randall and O'Sullivan certainly carry their parts with the dynamic force with which the lines were writ ten. The fourth noteworthy epi sode which Shakespeare includ ed is the birth and christening of Elizabeth. The christening it self brings to light the great ness and goodness of Canmer, played by Jerry Mickey, in whom the author provided a sort of prophet. Canmer projects into the future the virtue and glory of Queen Elizabeth, and does it with moving tenderness. Portrayal of King ' Richard Graham's portrayal of King Henry is not as domin ating as the characters of Buck ingham, Katherine and Wolsey, but it is questionable if Shake speare wrote the part to be as effective as those of the latter three. Another part which is note worthy is that of the Duke of Norfolk, played by William Crossett. It is not so much the part as it is Crossett's presenta tion. Some of the lines are de livered with a fury which con trasts sharply with his more subtle words to Cardinal Wol sey when the latter's cunning ness has been revealed. Loper has directed the his tory so it progresses with flow ing ease. , Last night's performance was the fourth play. ,The series starts again tonight with "As You Like It," and if each produc tion is as smooth as those this writer has seen, the month should prove to be a success for the Shakespearen Festival. E. H. A. -4 Raccoon Coat ; ... x Staging Comeback By GAY PAULEY United Press Correspondent New York (IP) The new est fashion for coeds is as old as the flapper, the Stutz Bear cat and the Charleston. Yes, the raccoon coat is back. In some" cases, it is available second hand and in "magnifi cent disrepair," as advertised by one New York specialty shop. But mostly, it is new raccoon copied after those worn 30 years ago or else shortened to car coat length. Revival of the long-haired fur in coats and accessories, is just part of fashion's return to the Roaring 20s for ideas especially for the campus and young car eer girl group. The "so's your old man" era also is reflected in new cloche hats, shorter skirts, fringed and beaded dresses, and lowered waistlines. Even Christian Dior last week in Paris dropped the waist to the hipbone, a la the flapper. Three-Length Types The vintage racoons, which the specialty shop bought from a private collection, retailed for S25 each. The new ones will cost S150 and up. One New York shop featured three lengths of racoon the shortest, actu ally a jacket length; another, 32 inches or car coat style; the third, to mid-calf. Most of the new old-timers rolled collars. Others have ad justable hoods and bright plaid linings. Raccoon also abounds in ac cessories and. trim. One college shop used the fur for huge, pouch, bags and hats, and as cuffs for wool knit gloves. One red leather car coat has a rac coon collar. Another store even included raccoon scuffs, or lounge slippers, in its collection of be-furred accessories. Trims Suits With Raccoon Designer Jeanne Campbell of Sportswhirl trimmed two-piece tweed suits with raccoon collars. Goldworm Sportswear used the fur for collars of its two-piece knits. Here are other trends in coed fashions for fall: Red in all shades is a leading color in everything from shirts to suits. Other color leaders are black, olive green, gold and beige. Jackets mainly are short and semi-fitted, some of them piped and suggestive of the loose jack et made famous by Chanel of Paris. Elizabeth Taylor Resting in Hospital New YorkUl Actress Eliza beth Taylor spent a restful night and was reported progressing satisfactorily today in a second attack of premature labor pains at Harkness Pavilion hospital. The actress is due to give birth Oct. 15 but doctors say it may be necessary to perform a cae sarean section. They said they would prefer not to do so until she reached the seven-month point in her pregnancy in about two weeks. Mike Todd, who married Miss Taylor Feb. 2, rushed her to the hospital from their Westport, Conn., home Saturday night when she began feeling ill. She had left the hospital last Thurs day after a week's stay for the same trouble. Riverside Bridge Club Has Tournament Play . Tournament play was held by the Riverside Bridge club at the last meeting. , Winners, north-south, were Mrs. George Dean and Mrs. Wal ter Winner, first; Dr. Dean and Paul A. Hatton, second; M r s. Richard Milestone and Roy Pruitt, third; Mrs. Berg Marten and Mrs. Jack Mitchell, fourth. East-west winners were Mrs. M. M. Herman and Mrs. J. J. Beaman, first; Mrs. Frank R. Baker and Mrs. Paul McDuffee, second; Mrs. E. K. Ricker and Mrs. Harold Jaffrey, third; Mrs. Louise Lee and Mrs. Mary Trout, fourth. Storage Dams Break; Homes Under Water Las Vegas, N.M. (IP) Three I storage dams on the upper Gal-1 linas Canyon broke early today I after a severe rain storm and swept 14 to 20 feet of water i over low lying homes here. j. Police said 20 to 25 families; were evacuated but that the im-'j mediate threat to the town pro- -per was believed to be over and j the water was receding. Heavy rains started Sunday I afternoon in the Sangre De Christo mountain region north of here and up to two inches was reported in that watershed area. Police said no one was miss ing and that no sandbagging was necessary along the river front of the town. r ; -', v - . ffrii'm1'' FREE HOME TREATMENT WOMEN SAY: "Four inches removed from abdo men, 3" from hips' Jf. F. "3". from hips"M. A. "First time since I've hid my 3 children my tummy is flat" . S. "Dress size uas 16, now IT C. P. You may lose less . . . or MORE. Many women lose an inch the first few treatments at home while they rest. Ceylon Ambassador Given Endorsement By Ceylonese Envoy Washington OP Maxwell H. Gluck, controversial new V. S. envoy to Ceylon, has been given an important endorsement from the Ceylonese ambassador to the United States. 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