THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 1971
THE LANCE
PAGE THREE
"barefoot
in the park"
Directed by Arthur Mc
Donald. Cast:
Corle Bratter,. .Peggy Harp
Telephone Man, . Jim Pope
Delivery Man . .Steve WUson
Paul Bratter .. . Hugh Helm
Mrs. Banks. . . Linda Logan
Victor VeUsco, Bill Forrest
Technical direction by Ho
ward Cobbs. Construction
supervision; John Blba.
Backdrop designed by Mark
Smith. Constumes by Sue
Slaney. Lighting, by David
Dolge et. al. Makeup: Glenda
Buck. Props: Mary Bradley.
Stage Manager: Danny
Mltzell.
It has been suggested to me
that a review whose release
precedes the opening of the
show It covers by more than
tour hours cannot be entlrer
ly fair, 11 fair at all. I’ve
seen “Barefoot In the Park”
four times now, the last three
times being the dress re
hearsals this week. (The first
was a presentation by the na
tional touring company about
two years ago.) And after all,
last night’s performance —
whence cometh this article —
was only the final dress re
hearsal. But after all, last
night’s performance was aw
fully good.
So good, In fact, that I am
moved to call it very near per
fect. The one element essential
to "Barefoot” is what the High
land Players have strived for,
and what they have succeeded
In capturing: Its freshness. It
Is at times airy, at times bit
ter, at times painful, at times
touching; but it is consistent
ly funny, and its pungent wit is
a sharp punctuation to its sunny
freshness.
Paul and Corle Bratter are
a newly-married couple (six
days married, actually, and just
back from their honeymoon)
living on New York’s Forty-
second Street in the top Hoor
of an ancient brownstone which
apparently towers above every
thing else in the city. I wish
I could say they were happily
married, but they aren’t al
ways — at least they don’t al
ways think they are. But if
they’re at times unhappy, I
guarantee the audience won’t
he.
Paul is performed by a new
arrival, Hugh Helm, who is one
of the funniest people that ever
stormed or limped or tripped
his way across the local stage.
He plays an Inexperienced law
yer in his twenties, somewhat
on the stuffy side of straight,
and an inexperienced husband
in curious contrast to his vi
vacious wife. He glows, non
stop.
And the wife is another new
face, the twice-beautifui Peggy
Harp -- that is, her acting is
as beautiful as her looks. She
covers the range from hysteri
cally real to really hysterical,
being sometimes brimming with
the eccentricities of the young
and more often than not ag
gravated by her frustratlngly
square husband. Her debut, in
as few words as possible, is a
joyous happening — and I think
you’re going to be very glad
she has happened. What a shame
that she and Mr. Helm are in
eligible for Tony awards!
The plot is thickened by
Corie’s mother (whose hobbies
are worrying and making her
self miserable just about every
where), played with frenetic
gusto by Linda Logan, and Vic
tor Velasco, who may be des
cribed as an uninhibited Hun
garian or a dirty old man liv
ing in an attic (or both), and
whom Bill Forrest Interprets
with verve. Suffice it to say
that both Miss Logan and Mr.
Forrest are excellent; they are
(or ought to be) well-known by
now, and their reputations as
actors have long since been
settled.
No less in comedy are the
brief appearances by a tele
phone man (Jim Pope) who’d
like not to ever see the Brat-
ters again and who says funny
things he probably doesn’t mean
to, and a Lord-and-Taylor de
livery man (Steve Wilson) who’d
like to die peacefully and who
says precious little. They
round out the cast, and meet
its precedent for excellence.
The scenic design and back
drop are ambitious and im
pressive, which is in keeping
with everything else about the
show, including the advance
ticket sale. And it might be
worth noting here that since
virtually all available seats
have been sold for the four-
night run (Thursday and Satur
day are already sold out), the
director has announced that the
run will be extended for a
fifth performance on Monday
night. Those who had trouble
getting seats before now have
another chance.
And I strongly advise them
WIND CHIMES
KITES
BEACH TOWELS & BAGS
SLEEPING BAGS
CANDLES
SCENTED LAMP OIL
‘Slttx US#
r
Rodgers ABC Store
MeColl, S. C.
Gallons of Rose, Chianti, and Rhineskeller
We got Granny’s
Apple Wine
Paul Masson
Have a wine Miniatures
Party with
our fine selection
OPEN SUNUP TO SUNDOWN
Plenty ,f Parkin, We Whistey,
¥
to take advantaKe of that chance.
"Barefoot in the Park" is about
the most riotous comedy in re
cent memory done by the Play
ers, and one of the most suc-
c e s s fu 1 American comedies
ever written.
Neil Simon, who is also re
sponsible for "Promises, Pro
mises” and "The Odd Couple”
(to name just two of many)
is clearly a genius specializ
ing In human nature. The
characters in "Barefoot” are
funny because they are written
as real people in real situa
tions, and they are played that
way. Most playgoers doubtless
will recognize a little of them
selves somewhere here — and
when you stop to think about
it, it's the bits of life and
bits of us that make this show
so very rich in its humor.
BOB’S JEWa SHOP
TRADITIONAL ,
eep>setie
WEDDING RINGS
ALL YOUR JEWELRY
NEEDS JUST A
FEW MINUTES
AWAY
College Plaza
McGee Dover Style
by EAGLE SHIRTMAKERS
Quality Since 1872