Sunday September 1, 1957
MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE VEW :
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Fresh Ideas, Enthusiasm
Please Record Audiences
The regret which the end of
every Oregon Shakespearean fes
tival season brings is tempered
this year with extreme pleasure
and pride, for this has been one
of the festival's best years.
The company was excellent,
and a number of fine, new actors
added their talent to the old
guard which festival fans have
come to appreciate more and
more as the years have gone by.
Directors approached their tasks
this year with fresh ideas and
enthusiasm, and the results have
pleased the audiences audi
ences which broke attendance
records night after night. Even
Mother Nature smiled on the
1957 festival, and no perform
ances were ruined by weather.
The Ashland event is truly
a "festival." Signs and banners
in the city of Ashland proclaim
this and anticipation is height
ened by the pathway lights in
Lithia park, the banners atop
the theater walls, the gay booths
where food and gifts are sold
and the colorful plantings of
flowers. This year the crowds
which gathered at the back of
the theater grounds long before
play time seemed always to be
In a holiday mood; they respond
ed warmly to the costumed sing
ers and dancers who performed
each evening before curtain
time.
No Mar Carnival
However, the Shakespearean
festival at Ashland is no mere
carnival. It is a worthwhile ar
tistic endeavor, a significant cul
tural, dramatic and academic
achievement as well as a civic
project in which hundreds take
pride. With the addition of the
Institute of Renaissance Studies,
lectures, and concerts of both
music and dance, the festival
now offer both the academic
and dramatic fare which the
Shakespearean student and
lover demands.
This reviewer sees every play
every season and each yar our
choice of the best play of the
year is always the history. They
offer more to hold the interest
than even the tragedies, which
run a close second there is
more meat to the plots and more
excitement in their unfolding.
This year is no exception we
choose "Henry VIII" as the best
play of the year, with "Pericles"
as runner-up.
Directors and theaters seem
to shy away from "Pericles."
Could it be because, as hap
pened in Ashland, this melo
dramatic play produces a mixed
reaction in the audience which
is disconcerting? Thursday dur
ing the performance in Ashland
some in the audience would
laugh aloud at a moment when
others were deeply stirred. A
divided audience often is a dis
tracting influence, lessening the
enjoyment of the play.
Seen Three "Othellos"
Our theatrical fare this sum
mer Included three perform
ances of "Othello", one at the
Stratford, Conn., Shakespearean
theater and two Ashland pro
ductions. They offered interest
ing contrast. Stratford achieved
more dramatic staging, although
the entire theater is less Eliza
bethan than Ashland, and the
Stratford performance had a
greater impact for this patron.
Alfred Drake's playing of
Iago at Stratford was aptly de
scribed b;- the Saturday Review
writer as a "top sergeant mad
at the general." William Oyler's
portrayal at Ashland was that
of an intelligent man who de
liberately and coldly plots
treachery. The latter we found
more effective, but many play
goers are dissatisfied unless
Iago is portrayed as a truly
vicious person, and expressed
disappointment not in Oyler's
acting but over the choice of
characterization.
There were many outstanding
performances among the men
players. Remembered will be
Richard Graham's excellent por
trayal of Henry VIII, Michael
O'Sullivan for his wonderful
Cardinal Wolsey, George Vafi
adis for his vivid acting as
Orlando and as Pericles and
David O'Brien who seemed made
for the role of Touchstone but
turned in equally outstanding
performances in "Two Gentle
men of Verona" and the Duke
of Buckingham in "Henry."
Angus Bowmer, with his dog,
Crab, and Nagle Jackson as
Speed, turned in delightful
comedy performances which
saved "Two Gentlemen" from
being a mediocre event.
Also due praise for their sub
stantial portrayals are Kenneth
Geist for his playing of Jaques,
Jerry Mickey for his portrayal
of Cassio in "Othello" and his
equally intelligent presentation
of roles in the other plays, and
William Sharp for his good
scenes in both "As You Like
It" and "Pericles." Reviewing
the month, it becomes evident
that from the least player to
the most outstanding, the com
pany of men was better as a
whole this year than in some
past years.
Mary Jo Randall
Honors among the women go
to Mary Jo Randall. She capti
vated audiences as Rosalind, and
in the heavier role of Emilia
was equally fine. Rosalyn New
port gave a sensitive and tender
performance as Desdemona, a
role which is always overshad
owed by the men of "Othello."
No one is likely to forget Muriel
Eisenberg for her playing of the
flighty country wench, Audrey,
and her broad characterization
of the bawd in "Pericles."
The costuming, the music and
sound effects, the dancing, the
lighting all continue to im
prove and to enhance the fes
tival plays. One pertinent com
ment goes well here one play
goer who has been attending
the festival for years complain
ed that the "trappings" par
ticularly the gorgeous costumes,
distract her from watching the
actor s faces and from concen
trating on the beauty and poetry
of Shakespeare's lines. Director
Bowmer and his assistants might
mull this over year by year
something is added more stage
decorations, more props, more
music, more dancing, more
lavish costumes. As long as the
trappings enhance the drama
and poetry of Mr. Shakespeare's
plays, fine; they should not dis
tract. O.S.
Friends Compere
Similar Productions
This summer several friends of
the writer attended productions
of Shakespeare's plays in vari
ous parts -of the United States
and England- It was indeed a
pleasure to hear favorable com
ments on the Oregon Shake
spearean Festival by them and
have the local productions com
pared with those they had
viewed previously.
This writer's vote for most de
lightful play for 1957 would so
10 as you L,ike It." Most memor
able are the parts of Audrey and
Touchstone played by Muriel
Eisenberg and David O'Brien.
The clothing in last vear's
"Love's Labour's Lost" is still
vivid in this reviewer's mind
and it is wished that lasffvear's
plays could be forgotten (mo
mentarily, at least) while view
ing the current season's selec
tions. Coloring Excellent
Coloring this year was put to
excellent use. To cite a few ex
amples, the rich red and white
of Cardinal Walsey's garments
in 'King Henry VIII," the pur
ples for Pericles and his follow
ers, and the bright, sharp orange
used in the brothel in "Pericles"
in sharp contrast to the pale blue
garments worn by Jean Cart
wright as Marina in the same
scene. And then, of course, there
were the white robes of Diana in
the final scene of "Pericles."
In Shakespeare's time some
speeches or lines were directed
to the audience in the "pit."
Through the years this audience
has vanished but the "spicy"
speeches still remain. Thelisten
er sometimes wonders if the
speeches should have vanished
with their audience.
The splendid acting In all the
plays represented many hours of
hard work. Special mention
should be made of Ed Brubaker
as Gower in "Pericles," and the
staging in varous scenes in that
same production. The beginning
o the play was enhanced by the
excellent lighting and makeup
of the daughter of Antiochus
which emphasized the evil in the
part.
The wandering minstrel sing
ers before the plays provided de
lightful entertainment for early
playgoers. But this writer won
ders if the singers harkened to
"medical claims" this year, not
a word was heard about a cig
arette P.H.
Bard Wrote For and
About All People
William Shakespeare wrote
plays to entertain an audience,
and even today, his plays are
popular. It is the audience, and
its response to a play, which
make the play either a success
or a failure. That Shakespeare's
plays are entertaining is evi
denced by attendance at the
Oregon Shakespearean Festival
which ended a highly . success
ful season at Ashland last night.
There are those who claim
they do not like Shakespeare,
basing their' opinion largely on
the idea that his plays are "high
brow." But the Elizabethan play
wright wrote to entertain peo
ple from all walks of life, and
he included all classes of people
in his- plays. This is obvious
in the productions at . Ashland
this year.
Those same type of people can
be seen in various walks of life
today. It is true, there are few
royal courts, but there are
merchants, working people, and
today's "country folk." But the
majority of Shakespeare's char
acters can be transplanted into
contemporary settings.
Shakespeare distinguished be
tween classes of people by using
verse and prose, specifically be
tween the royalty and merchant
class and the country folk, crim
inal elements and servants. It
was done partly because cos-
Mary Jo Randall of Kansas City was a
favorite with Oregon Shakespearean festival
audiences this year. Miss Randall, from Kan
sas City, is seen here as Queen Katherine in
"Henry VIII" and also played Rosalind in
"As You Like It" and Emilia in "Othello."
'
&&t 1 ' .qjLa
Ellen Kay of New York and Jerry Mickey, Spokane, were
two of the capable actors who made the 1957 Oregon Shake
spearean festival an outstanding success this year. Miss Kay
is pictured here as the courtesan, Bianca, in "Othello" and
Jerry Mickey played Cassio in the production. Both also ap
peared in other roles of the five plays presented in repertory
style this summer by America's first Elizabethan theater. This
was the 17th season.
turning during the Elizabethan
period was not as elaborate as
today, and partly because it was
an accepted form of writing.
Not Lines Alone
It is not the lines of a play,
whether verse or prose, which
make the play popular. This
holds true not only with Shake
speare's works, but also with
contemporary plays on Broad
way. Without good directing,
good acting and stage managing,
a play has a slim chance of
becoming a "hit."
The Festival was indeed for
tunate this year in having a
combination of these factors.
Acting generally was improved
over the 1956 season. The sup
porting roles this year surpassed
those of last year, a fact which
distinguishes a "high caliber"
company. Many supporting roles
were done with such force they
dominated the particular scene,
and are remembered vividly by
the audience.
Such was the case of Muriel
Eisenberg as Audrey, whose tac
tics in showing her love for
Touchstone (David O'Brien)
were most amusing in "As You
Like It." Another was Jim Shel
don's interpretation of Thurio,
Silvia's suitor in "The Two
Gentlemen of Verona." Sheldon
played the part of the foolish
gentleman as such a gentleman
would seem in real life, domi
nated by those who wanted to
use him as theyvwould.
Perhaps the most domineering
supporting roles, which bordered
on being the major roles, were
those of Buckingham, Queen
Katherine, and Cardinal Wolsey
in "Henry VIII." O'Brien, Mary
Jo Randall and Michael O'Sul
livan carried those parts so well
that, with Richard Graham's por
trayal as King Henry, the play
was by far the favorite of this
writer.
O'Sullivan also was magnifi
cent in the part of Cerimon, a
lord of Ephesus, in "Pericles,
Prince of Tyre." His hands, voice
and stature played an important
part in the roles of Cerimon and
Cardinal Wolsey, and it is doubt
ful if those two parts could have
been portrayed better than
O'Sullivan did them.
Launce Memorable
Another memorable part was
that of Launce, servant to Pro
teus, in "The Two Gentlemen."
Angus L. Bowmer's interpreta
tion of Launce, and the simpli
city with which it was done, was
truly entertaining
Among the supporting female
roles was that of Anne Bullen,
King Henry's wife after his di
vorce from Katherine, portrayed
nobly by Margaret Vafiadis,
who also played charmingly the
part of Silvia, Valentine's lover
in "The Two Gentlemen." Doris
Viola's presentation of Julia in
"The Two Gentlemen" convinced
the audience of her love for
Proteus.
The part of Gower, played ad
mirably by Ed Brubaker, in
"Pericles," can hardly be called
a supporting role, but it war
rants some mention. His Is the
part of a narrator, who sets
the stage for the action, keeps
the audience up to date during
the years between acts, and
finally wraps up the production.
To keep audience attention in
purely narrative appearances re
quires an exceptionally fine
presentation. Brubaker retained
the audience's attention with
physical movements and voice
variations which coincided with
the subject of the narrative.
In all the plays, of course,
were the principal characters,
who fitted the part in which they
were cast exceedingly well.
Among the most notable were
Graham as Othello and King
Henry, George Vafiadis as Peri
cles, and William Oyler and
David O'Brien as Valentine and
Proteus in "The Two Gentle
men." There are those and others,
some only appearances on stage
as curtain pages, guards, sol
diers, knights, messengers, for
esters, or country folk, who
took Shakespeare's verse and
prose and brought it to life.
And they brought into, that life
the audience.
Good Costuming
But there also was excellent
costuming, which reached its
perfection in "Pericles," and in
particular the first and final
scenes of the play. The two
scenes were costumed beauti
fully with the play the first,
a weird situation in which evil
dominated and the shadow of
death prevailed, and the final
scene in which the bright white
robes of Diana and her priest
esses all but illuminated the out
door theater at Ashland.
From the gay, fanciful clothes
in "As You Like It," the bright
red of cardinals' robes in "Henry
VIII," and the mourning attire
of Pericles, the Festival com
pany under the direction oi
Douglas A. Russell did a wonder-
ful job of capturing the cos-
Michael O'Sullivan, Redwood City, Calif.,
(center) was praised for his portrayal of Car
dinal Wolsey in "Henry," and Jim Sheldon,
Hollywood, appeared as Cardinal Campeius.
(Arbuckle and Moran photo)
Woman Chemist
Earns Living
Testing Fabrics
By RUDY CERNKOVIC
United Press Correspondent
Mrs. Lisle Zehner is a chem
ist by profession and a scientific
trouble shooter by choice. ,
The brown-haired researcher
runs thousands of tests a month
in her laboratory at Mellon In
stitute to determine whether
fabrics are resistant to water
and sun.
She investigates claims by
manufacturers regarding their
products. She advises the best
soaps, detergents and other
cleaning agents fof use on vari
ous materials.
Gen. Matthew Ridgway, head
of Mellon Institute, came into
Mrs. Zehner's office with a per
sonal problem recently. His suit
had a dab of ink and he was to
attend an important meeting.
Mrs. Zehner whipped up a
cleaning agent of detergent and
water. The general went spot
less Into the meeting.
Mrs. Zehner spends one day
a week in a downtown depart
ment store studying complaints
If tests show the merchandise
is faulty, both the store and cust
omers can claim refunds.
Early this summer one store
received numerous complaints
about an expensive bathing suit.
Customers said yellow stains ap
peared in the suit after a few
wearings.
Tests convinced Mrs. Zehner
that sponge rubber in the suits
was responsible for the discolor
tion. The suits were recalled by
the stores and returned to the
manufacturer who made re
funds. A laundryman who does Mrs.
Zehner's work finally worked
up enough courage to ask her
a question recently. He said for
years he had been puzzled be
cause her husbands's shirts had
been neatly clipped at the back.
Mrs. Zehner smilingly ex
plained she snipped off the shirt
ends for materials used for tests.
Housewives frequently call
Mrs. Zehner's office to ask how
tn remove stains, what synthe
tics are the best for household
use and what soaps and deter
gents are the best.
Mrs. Zehner advises the call
ers to read the labels on clothing
and fabrics.
She advises ironing synthet
ics at a low heat. Such mate
rials should not be wrung by
hand or machine or they will
acquire permanent wrinkles. It
is best to hang them dripping
from the rinse water.
It is suggested tryiing a single
color at first, so the child gets
the "feel" of his work before
mixing colors.
tumes most suitable for the play
settings.
Along with costuming goes
make-up, directed by Graham.
His make-up of Othello is prob
ably the most notable, but also
outstanding was his treatment
of Pericles who must be trans
formed from youth through mid
dleage to an old man with a
beard.
David A. Thayer's lighting di
rectorship proved effective and
was most appropriate perhaps
in the first scene of "Pericles"
to add to the scene's weirdness.
Night scenes seemed more effec
tive this year.
All these the play itself,
actors, directors, costuming,
make-up, lightning go to make
a successful play, and that they
did at Ashland. E.H.A.
Art Critics
Laud Young
American
By HENRY F. SCHULTE
United Press Correspondent
Madrid (IF) The Spanish
have labeled 20-year-old Joan
M a r k s o n "the millionairess
American painter with the Italian
name who exhibits bullfight pic
tures in Madrid."
It was with such a headline
that the evening newspaper
."Pueblo" recently introduced a
series of articles on the New
York-born Miss Markson, known
professionally as "Giovannella."
"Pueblo's" critic, Sanches Ca
margo, praised her as an artist
whose work was "surprisingly
good." She had, he said, captured
"the flavor' 'of Spain.
Other papers and other critics
here hailed Giovanella as at
least a potentially great artist.
One Mariano Tomas, writ
ing in "Madrid" compared her
to Goya and Rembrandt.
The outburst of laudatory
criticisms, which welcomed her
one-woman show, was climaxed
when the respected Madrid
"Circle of Fine Arts" elected her
to honorary membership. She
was the second American and
the first young person of any
nationality to receive such an
honor.
Miss Markson, well into her
sixteenth year of painting, is
quick to discard the "million
airess" tag as "just a bunch of
baloney."
Began Studies
Her father, John Markson,
New York businesman art
collector, appears rich to Eu
ropeans. In early 1954 he took
a leave of absence from his firm
to bring her to Europe. He, Mrs.
Markson and Joan are still here.
When the family arrived In
Rome in 1954, Joan began a
study of painters, especially the
Renaissance masters. Then she
had a solo showing in Rome.
She studied by herself during
2Vi years there, because, accord
ing to her father, "There is no
one who can teach Joan, I mean
Giovannella, anything."
In February of 1956, the fam
ily flew to Madrid for a few
weeks at the sprawling Prado,
with nearly 3,000 pictures.
By this time, Joan was "Gio
vannella," an Italianization of
her name, in tribute to the
Italian greats.
She liked Spain especially
the bullfights, a favorite subject
of recent drawings and paintings
and the weeks stretched into
months.
New York In November
The family's departure has
been postponed until November,
when they hope to head back to
New York.
No one has greater faith in
her abilities than her father who
said he recognized genius when
at four, she took up the brush.
"She was offered a one-man
show by a New York gallery at
the age of eight when she paint
ed in a bold primitive style on
the order of Picasso, only better
he said.
He predicted she would be
come one of the great painters
of the ages. The critics, while
lacking some of the enthusiasm
of the fond father, haven't done
anything to throw cold water on
such dreams.
After all, to be compared in
print with Goya and Rembrandt
isn't bad for a girl of 20.
Youngsters E noy
Finger Painting
Urbana, 111. W Young
sters enjoy finger painting and
learn a sense of design at the
same time, says University of
Illinois child development spec
ialist Patricia Robinson.
But for best results, child and
parent must be properly pre
pared. Try dressing the young artist
in one of Dad's old shirts. Miss
Robinson suggests cutting the
collar and sleeves off and put
ting the shirts on the "artist"
backwards, thus making a neat
coverall smock.
A utility room, or any large
place that is easily cleaned up,
a large piece of oil cloth or a
porcelain top table and junior
is ready to create.
Tax Payer Lodged
After Rights Confused
Cincinnati, Ohio (IP) A. G.
Falen, 46, figured as a taxpayer
in good standing he was entitled
to city-owned property.
He was stopped by two patrol
men recently and questioned
about a heavy package he was
carrying. The package contained
five window weights "from a
building the city owns."
"I'm a taxpayer," Falen told
the officers. "I need them."
The understanding officers
offered him city "hospitality"
and escorted him to a well
known lodging on city property.
Use M-T Classified Ads-
Easy-Just Dial SP 2-61 41
OLDEST GRAD O. Meredith Wilson, president of the Univer
sity of Oregon, recently visited with George Dunn of Ashland.
At 93, Dunn is the oldest living university graduate. He was
graduated with the class of 1886, and before retirement wai a
president of the First National Bank of Ashland and a state
senator from 1923 to 1936. President Wilson stopped for a chat
at the Dunn home while in Ashland for the Oregon Shake
spearean Festival.
GRANDVIEW-LONE PINE
School To Open Wednesday
By LILLIAN KNIGHT
Grandview-Lone Pine Lone
Pine school will open Wednes
day, Sept. 4 for the registration
of all students. Buses will run
on approximately the same
schedule as last year and will
return the children to their
homes before lunch. The cafe
teria will open Monday, Sept. 9,
when the regular school sched-i
ule begins, according to princi
pal Lee Merriman.
First graders must bring some
proof of their birth date and a
health examination record be
fore they can be admitted to
classes. Sept. 5 and 6 are in-
service training days for teach
ers, so school will not be in full
session until Monday.
leacners lor tms year are
Mrs. Mabel Hundley and Mrs.
Rachel Guetzlaff, first grade;
Mrs. Edith M. Thornton, second
grade; Mrs. Rachel Scheel, third
grade; Mrs. Ruth Brostad and
Mrs. Dorothy Rix, fourth grade;
Mildred Schwendener, fifth
grade; Mrs. Beatrice Lindsay,
sixth grade; Mrs. Frances Hen
ry, seventh grade and Girls' PE;
Niles B. Smith, eighth grade and
Boys' PE; Richard L. Michaelis,
eighth grade and music; Lee
Merriman, principal; and Mrs.
Estelle Ballard, clerk and office
secretary.
Mrs. Margaret Verstegan and
Mrs. June Hult will again man
age the cafeteria. Ivar Hult, Bert
Cook, and William Wheeler will
be the bus drivers and custodi
ans. Bud Lowery, son of Mr. and
Mrs. W. A. Lowery, has been
in Sandy, near Portland, for the
past two weeks, visiting with
relatives.
Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Lowery
and son Garland will spend the
Labor Day week end camping
and fishing at Dog lake near
Lakeview.
Mr. and Mrs. George Knight
and two little boys have return
ed to their home in Palmdale,
CLOSE OUT SALE
ON
SCHOOL CASES
y2FF
Several Styles and Colors
While They Last!
Calif., after spending a few days
with his parents and visiting
other relatives and friends in the
valley. Knight is with Convair,
in the painting department,
where the finishing touches are
applied to the jet planes.
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Vroman and
family returned Aug. 22 from
their vacation, the first week of
which was spent on the Skyline
trail and hiking into Heavenly
Twins, leaving their car at Cold
Springs. Later they went to San
Francisco, where they visited
relatives, and went to the zoo,
Chinatown, Playland, Fisher
man's wharf, and Mother Goose
land in Oakland.
Mr. and Mrs. Albert Hender
son and family will leave Sun
day for a two weelk vacation to
visit relatives In Astoria, Seat
tle, Vancouver, B.C., Pendleton,
and Portland.
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Hesse and
three boys of Fresno, Calif., are
spending the Labor Day week
end with Mrs. Hesse's parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ebsen.
Eggs and Oatmeal
Combine in Omelet
New York (IP) Eggs for
breafast or oatmeal for break
fast, which shall it be? You'll
find these two favorites can be
combined into a tasty omelet.
To make, beat together 2
eggs, 'i cup milk, Vi teaspoon
salt and 13 cup rolled oats,
quick or old-fashioned.
Pour into a hot frying pan
containing 1 tablespoon of melt
ed shortening. Cook over low
heat. Remove the cover and
pla.ee under the broiler until the
top is golden brown. Fold in
half; cut and serve two.
When the "work" is done.
warm water washes the paints
off, or if you want to keep the
"original" you can hang it by
two corners until dry.
i R1EDFORD,ORKDI1