1
Ifr MAIL TRIBUNE. MedforJ, Oregon, Thursday, Auguit 21, 1938
Noted Drama Critic Eyes Shakespearean
Plays In West; Positive Values
Editor's note: Hmry Hewes,
drama editor for The Saturday
Beview, visited the Ashland and
San Diego Shakespearean Festi
val? recently, and recorded his
impressions in the magazine
which has an influential and in
ternational circulation. His col
umn is republished by permis
sion of The Saturday Review
from the magazine's Aug. 23
Issue.)
WILL O THE WEST
Of the six Shakespeare fes
tivals now edifying this conti
nent, two are on the West
Coast. And upsetting the no
tion that culture always
travels irom tne more civi
lized East to the land of cow
boys and Indians, the two fes
tivals at Ashland, Oregon, and
San Diego, California, found
ed their Shakespeare factories
years before those at Antioch,
Ohio; Stratford, Ontario;
Stratford, Connecticut; and
. New York City.
The Oregon Shakespearean
Festival began in 1935, in an
open-air reconstruction of an
Elizabethan stage. (Of course,
the reconstruction s hypo
thetical and contains several
features, such as benches
built around the two forestage
pillars and wide doorways at
each side of the stage, that are
.modern supplements). Its rea
son for going back to the old
stage was not so much a desire
to establish a living museum
as it . was to make the plays
work by forcing the directors
and actors to solve the prob
lems of the plays in a way
similar to the way they must
have been in Shakespeare's
day.
Guiding Principle
This gave the festival a
guiding principle to hold
onto. Furthermore, there was
added to this an insistence
upon disciplined, articulate
speech and strong use of ges
ture, a directorial staff that
lThe boss fwf won't
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does not change too much
from year to year, and an in
stitute, headed by Dr. Mar
gery Bailey, which does ex
haustive research on thorny
points within each summer's
schedule of plays. Whatever
the lacks in a given produc
tion, the festival most certain
ly has its own personality.
This season it is performing
"Troilus and C r e s s i d a,"
"Much Ado About Nothing,"
"The Merchant of Venice,"
and "King Lear." The latter
two plays illustrate oa,e ad
vantage of bringing back key
personnel each year. Richard
Graham, who played the title
role in a previous festival pro
duction of the tragedy five
summers ago, this season has
a second chance. What he
learned from his first try has
been applied to his new per
formance. This, combined
with his steady accumulation
of acting experience, has re
sulted in what the festival
board of directors consider to
be the finest productiou in
their history.
Bowmer Liked
Similarly, the festival's pro
ducing director, Angus Bow
mer, has been working on the
character of Shylock over a
long period of time. He has
not worked selfishly to make
the part greater and richer,
but rather has tried to find a
characterization that would
make the comedy work best
for its audiences. His Shylock,
therefore, tends to be some
what in the Smith-and-Dale
tradition. And even his final
exit is a delayed fawning one
which achieves a punctuation
of laughter with the Duke's
words, "Get thee gone . . .
but do it!" The other virtues
of this production are Nagle
Jackson's Lancelot Gobbo, the
best this writer has ever seen,
and Margaret Vadiadis' Por
tia, which combines the hys
teria of love with the canni
ness of a woman who knows
how to get her ends.
But there are for the
sophisticated playgoer d i s
turbing shortcomings as well.
There is much too much
grandiloquent gesture, and
performing of the meaning of
each line rather than the situ
ation in which it is spoken.
And in its wish to adhere to
the Elizabethan pattern the
policy of no intermissions is
followed for every play. It is
perhaps right to accept the
challenge of making each
production so exciting that
one does not want the distrac
tion of an intermission, but
one wishes that the produf ers
would amend their policy
when it becomes obvious that
an intermission would help
rather than hinder.
Difficult Plot
In "Troilus and Cressida"
we have a good example. Here
is a play that presents great
difficulties and particularly
needs any help it can get. As
directedby James Sandoe, the
most effective moments are
the tender ones. George Va
fiadis is ideal when he speaks
of love. And Margaret Vafia-
PHONE
There is. none better
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dis admirably captures the
tingling anticipations of a
woman who aches to give her
self, but does not wish to lose
her man by quick surrender.
As Pandarus, Michael O'Sulli
van achieves a degenerate
zeal that he manages to make
amusing. But the long coun
cils of war are static and
talky.
One comes away from this
festival with an admiration
for the universally high qual
ity of speech and for the
beauty of this Oregon valley
town and its refreshing cli
mate (in seventeen years only
five performances have been
rained out). One also admires
the fringe activities, including
readings of source material
for the plays and the famous
Lilliput Toy Theatre of San
Francisco, which presents
thoroughly delightful per
formances with miniature
cardboard actors and scenery
lit ingeniously and charming
ly with tiny lights. Yet one
wonders if the positive values
that have been achieved here
would be lost if the Ashland
Festival would occasionally
invite a guest director to pro
duce a show and allow him
to introduce some modern in
novations that would make
the plays seem less remote to
contemporary audiences.
Less Ambitious
At San Diego, California, in
a smaller and indoor Eliza
bethan theatre left over from
the Exposition of 1935, the
San Diego Community The
atre is offering its ninth an
nual National Shakespeare
Festival. Under resident direc
tor, Craig Noel, its program
tends to be less ambitious and
more alert to entertainment
values than its Oregon counter
part. It attempts only the
popular plays of Shakespeare,
and is less exacting in its dis-i
cipline. Its actors are promis
ing students, and graduates of
the nation's best drama
schools, who find the San
Diego summer a stepping
stone to careers in the pro
fessional theatre.
This summer San Diego is
seeing "Macbeth," "Anthony
and Cleopatra," and "Much
Ado About Nothing." Before
each show, there is a free
pageant on the lawn, or
should we say greensward, in
which an imperious Queen
Elizabeth appears with her
retinue and commands danc
ers, fencers, tumblers, and
singers to entertain her. Once
inside the teatre the stage ap
pears smallish, and the small
auditorium demands a more
intimate style of production.
The actor is called on for
subtlety; while the less experi
enced actor is not always able
to give us that subtlety, the
challenge is good for his de
velopment. Young Players
In "Much Ado About Noth
ing," as directed by Allen
Fletcher, two much too young
performers, Edward Martz
and Donna Carnegie, attempt
Benedick and Beatrice. Thus,
there are many times when
NO 4-1511
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2W- FLOUR
Seen
the acting is overly obvious,
with the actors underlining
and straining at Jhe making
of a point. The best parts of
this production are the fun
ones: Miss Carnegie's double
take as she peeks back on
stage to observe Benedick's
strange behavior, or Mr.
Martz"s crooning of a song as
if he fancies himself to be a
Bing Crosby. Ric Lavin, who
also plays Macbeth, has a nice
dryness as Verges, and Joel
Martin's Dogberry is amus
ingly fatuous.
Both these West Coast fes
tivals are performing useful
functions, in the training of
actors, and in accustoming
audiences to Shakespeare and
a form of the open stage. The
best performers in each com
pany could be intermingled
with those of our most pro
fessional Eastern festivals to
our advantage.
Henry Hewes.
Alcorn Unleashes
Charges in Debate
With Paul Butler
Aberdeen, S. D. (UPD Na
tional Republican Committee
Chairman Meade Alcorn un
leashed a barrage of corrup
tion charges against the Dem
ocrats in an unusual face to
face debate with his Demo
cratic opposite, Paul Butler,
Wednesday night.
The party leaders met in
limited debate before the
South Dakota Bar Associa
tion's annual banquet here.
Butler won the flip of a coin
and spoke first. Alcorn follow
ed, and then each speaker was
allowed five minutes for re
buttal. Butler opened the debate
with a blast at the Eisenhower
administration for failure to
carry, through on campaign
promises.
Broken Promise
. "Perhaps the most brazenly
broken promise of all was the
famous Eisenhower pledge to
reduce crop surpluses, to raise
farm income and farm prices,
and to obtain for the farmer
his 'full parity 100 per cent
parity with a guarantee in
price supports of 90 per cent',"
Butler said.
He called the administration
farm policy the biggest na
tional calamity suffered by
any one economic group with
in our population.
Alcorn, in his opening re
marks, defended the integrity
of the Eisenhower administra
tion and said 220 separate
scandals were uncovered dur
ing the administration of Pres
ident Truman.
No Indictments
"There has not been a single
indictment, trial or conviction
of even one official of the Ei
senhower administration," Al
corn said.
He said the Internal Reve
nue Service in particular was
MIDGET PRICES
Thursday, Friday, Saturday
OPEN 8 A.M. TILL 8:30 P.M. EVERY DAY
WALDORF
FOOD 14
EVAPORATED
Tall Tins
ROYAL CLUB PURE STRAWBtRRY
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Locally produced
HARD WHEAT
LOCKER MEATS A SPECIALTY
NEW" OFFICER Andrew Hawver, Talent,
(left), president of the Southern Oregon
Humane Society, and William O. Herring,
new investigating officer for this district,
pose beside the truck used by the district
humane society office. Herring is a former
U.S. Navy recruiter here. Local humane
Walkout Against
Company Settled
Portland (UPD Agree
ment to end a three-day walk
out at the American Can
company plant here was an
nounced Wednesday night.
Members of Local 2070,
United Steelworkers of Amer
ica, refused to report for
work Monday in protest over
disciplinary action taken last
week end against two em
ployees. Union and management ne
gotiators agreed to submit the
incident to normal grievance
procedures provided for in
the contract. An employer
spokesman said the union
members would be back on
the job today.
Former Vancouver
Woman Killed
Ventura, Calif.' (UPD A
34-year-old former Vancouver
Wash, resident was killed and
nine other persons injured in
a two-car collision Wednesday
four miles west of Ventura
on Highway 101.
Dead was Mrs. Lois Ann
Johnston of Oxnard,' Calif.
She lived in Beaverton, Ore.,
and Vancouver before moving
to Oxnard.
California State Patrol of
ficers said one car swerved
into the path of the other.
Both vehicles were loaded
with women and children.
Mrs. Johnston is survived
by her husband, Les, who
presently is at sea with the
Navy, and two children,
Bruce, 7, and Leslie Ann, 6.
"shot through with graft and
corruption at the very top"
during the Truman adminis
tration. Butler replied that the is
sue of morality in government
has been "cynically, ruthless
ly and hypocritically exploit
ed by Mr. Eisenhower and his
coterie."
"And of course," Butler
said, "the chief moralizer of
them all was Ike's assistant
and Bernard J. Goldfines
helper, Sherman Adams."
Cans
79?
Gallon
6 - 79
10-oz.
Glasses
Dozen
4 Ron 5
$1.00
59
9
10 s 8.9
Police Prepare .
Charges in Killing
San Francisco (UPD Po
lice prepared today to file
a murder charge against Al
bert H. Lewis, 48, a brewery
employee who confessed
strangling his wife and bury
ing her body on the Nevada
desert.
Lewis was expected to re
turn here sometime today
from Eureka Nev., where he
pointed out to police the lone
ly grave of his wife, eight
miles west of the pioneer
town.
"That's where she is," he
said, as he pointed to the
grave in a dry alkaline gully.
Early Monday orning1
j-iewis telephoned police and
confessed he strangled his
wife, Dolly, 36, Aug. 5 after
a drunken quarrel.
Four days later, he put her
body in the trunk of his car
and drove to Eureka, 255
miles east of Carson City, and
buried her.
The body was taken to Ely,
78 miles east of its grave, for
an autopsy r
Nevada and California au
thorities took brief statements
from Lewis to ascertain that
the slaying occurred in San
Francisco. Nevada authorities
said they plan no prosecution
in that state.
As the party left -the burial
scene, Lewis said:
"Well, that's it. I'm ready
to take my punishment."
Practically all the canned
pork' exported by the U.S. in
1957 went to Korea, Spain
and Venezuela.
mw
How is it you know you're taking no chances
when you let a youngster take your shopping list?
Isn't it for the same reason that you buy 70
of your family's food without actually seeing it?
You know that
A good brand is your best guarantee
: : . and that the name on the label is your best
buying guide. You have learned to count on good
society office is located at 2902 Table Rock
rd. in Medford. Telephone number- is
NOrmandy 4-2406. Any reports of sick or
injured animals or of neglect or mistreat- .
ment may be made there and will be in
vestigated, Hawver said.
Soil Bank Payments
To Be Increased
Portland (UPD Soil bank
payments in Oregon will be
increased next year, it was
announced Wednesday.
Oregon's average annual
payment rate per acre for
land put in reserve will be
$16 compared to the present
$12, according to Joseph E.
McBurney of Gaston, chair
main of the State Agriculture
Stabilization and Conserva
tion committee. i
The announcement was
made at a meeting here of ag
riculture leaders from north
west Oregon with state offi
cials. Opening, date for farmers
to make inquiries at county
ASC offices was set for Sept.
2. Closing date is Oct. 3.
First of Bridge Piers
To Be Blasted Aaway
Portland (UPD The first
of four old Morrison bridge
piers will be blasted, about
4:15 a.m. Friday, Harry Dick,
Portland manager of General
construction Co., which is
tearing down the old span,
announced Wednesday.
Next week blasts are
planned on Tuesday and
Wednesday mornings at the
same time to demolish the
steel-jacketed concrete shafts
FOR SAFETY'S SAKE
Buffalo, N.Y. (UPD The
Trico Products Corp. here has
developed a safety device that
automatically locks automo'
bile doors when the engine is
started. Some 1959 model cars
are expected to carry them
send d child
Committee Hears
Progress Reports
Salem (UPD The gover
nor's committee on natural
resources Wednesday heard a
progress report on the Alsea
river basin study.
Executive Secretary Rich
ard Bain told Gov. Robert
D. Holmes and the committee
that an impoundment study
of salmon was getting much
attention now.
Bain mentioned that ar
rangements were being made
with an organization called
Salmon Unlimited, Inc., which
wants to build a number of
ponds for fish study. Under
the plan, the committee would
furnish a fish biologist and
two graduate assistants to
work with Salmon Unlimited.
The plan touched off a dis
cussion of the proper role of
the committee in the Alsea
basin study. ..
Gov. Robert D. Holmes and
committee members agreed
generally that it was not the
intent of the Legislature to
set up a basin agency which
would be another -agency of
state government.
The committee plans to ask
the 1959 Legislature for about
$250,000 for its various
studies, including Alsea, and
the governor cautioned mem
bers to " break down their
budget requests by individual
pVojects for the convenience
of legislators.
. The U. S. has one-third of
the world's railway mileage.
most refreshing... made
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to the store?
brand names. You know the company standi
back of them. You know they protect you.
The more good brands you get to know, the
fewer buying mistakes you'll make. Get ac
quainted with those brands in this newspaper.
You'll get more value for your shopping money
if you do. ' i
BRAND NAMES FOUNDATION
Incorporated
A Non-Profit Educational Foundation
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MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE
Long Beach Yovth
Taken from Ledge
Yosemite, Calif., (UPD A
17-year-old Long Beach, Calif,
youth was hauled 750 feet up
the sheer face of Yosemite's
famed Glacier Point Wednes
day after being stranded ov
ernight on a narrow ledge.
The youth. Bill Beeghley.
was cautiously pulled up on
a rope by rangers from the
ledge where he bad become
stranded after attempting a
forbidden short cui from the
peak to the valley floor.
Beeghley was unharmed
and suffered no ill effects
from his night on the cliff
ledge. i -
Contracts Awarded for
Apartment Buildings .
Portland (UPD Contracts
were awarded Wednesday for
the construction of the two
million dollar Park Vista
apartments, a 10-story tenant
owned cooperative to be erect
ed by the Park Vista Corp.,
at S.W. Vista Ave. , and Park
Place.
Completion date for the
project is late 1959.
Work is scheduled to begin
immediately under contracts
totaling $1921,000 awarded
to' Hoffman Construction
company. The luxury apart
ment building will contain 60
units.
A total of 1,142 Americans
have become permanent resi
dents of Jamaica in the Brit
ish West Indies during the
past five years.
with Smirnoff
M fht greatest nanw in
Smirnoff Fit (Dir. if Riuiliii), Hirtfirf, Chi.
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TOM THUMB MOBIL FEED
FRISKIES 20lbs.1.79
MEAL 50 lbs. 3.98