n/.rfttnber 1 1. 1953
THE SALEMITE
Page Seven
“Tea And Sympathy’^ And “Teahouse Of The
August Moon” Lead New Plays On Broadway
Ann Myers
Salem’s "Spirit Of Christmas"
Believes There Is A Santa
By Connie Murray
So you’re going to New York
over the Christmas holidays?
You’ve probably packed and re
packed mentally a dozen times.
You’ve bought an exquisite gown
all of lace and net and rhinestones
and a friend has lined you up a
date with an ‘Arvard man, re
putedly a Greek god.
Maybe someone has recommended
a small restaurant in, Greenwich
\hllage, complete with candlelight
I and violins and characters you read
about in stories. You’re all set—
but wait a moment—have you con
sidered the “Great White Way’’
with its multitude of plays ? Maybe
you are confused by the many sug
gestions offered by friends and
magazines. Well, let’s take a look
at the newest plays.
Vying for top honors are two
new plays featuring Hollywood
stars: “Tea and Sympathy” star
ring Deborah Kerr and “The Tea
house of the August Moon” star-
ding David Wayne.
“Tea and Sympathy,” an intensely
By Freda Siler
Ann Myers was perched on the
: piano bench singing, “Santa Claus
is Coming to Town.” Stopping on
a high C, she turned around and
, smiled at me, “He may not slide
(Invn the chimney, but there is a
Santa Claus.” And there was a
conviction in her voice that dared
anyone to disagree.
She turned back around, and
; started , on the second chorus, talk-
, ing excitedly all the while about
how she liked Christmas and Santa
Claus, while the piano chords re
sounded over the living room of
Society.
I Because of this holiday spirit and
A enthusiastic manner, Ann is a nat-
t lira! choice for the December Girl
■[of the Month. This enthusiasm is
I also reflected in her love of music
While she was playing, she began
to talk about her favorite music.
“You know, I like anything from
Bach to Beethoven to popular
music. I even like hillbilly songs
if they're good.” Ann would like
to sing professionally and “be good
at it.” She hopes to go to New
York to study music and also work
while she is there.
Besides her music, Ann likes
football games, working and being
in plays—she even likes the smell
of grease paint — levis and boys’
sweaters and friendly people.
(Speaking of friendly people, our
December Girl of the Month fits
this category. Walking across back
campus, )'Ou can often hear Ann
yelling hello from her front window
on second floor Society.)
Salem. A sophomore voice major
from Statesville, N. C., she is a
transfer from Sullins College.
At Sullins, she was the freshman
dorm house president, co-lead in
the dramatic production “Sleeping
Beauty”, co-chairman for Mardi
Gras, Secretary of the President’s
Council, a student council member
and soloist with the Sullins College
Chorus.
This year she is one of the
soloists of the Chorale Ensemble
and the Centenary Methodist
Church choir.
Now -Ann was playing Christmas
hymns on the piano in order “to
get in the Christmas mood.”
I stopped her long enough to ask
her what she wanted for Christmas,
and in one breath, she answered,
“a three-speed, automatic changing,
portable radio-record player com
bination with a coffee-pot-plug-in
attachment to be used for my 6:30
a.m. study hour.” Got it straight.
dramatic production, is the story
of a seventeen-year-old boy, who,
having been deprived of maternal
love, seeks the ideal in life. Falsely
accused of homosexuality, John
Kerr, as Tom, turns to Deborah
Kerr, his housemaster’s wife, who
is to offer the students only tea
and a little sympathy.
A sentimentalist who follows her
heart. Miss Kerr as Laura finds the
student a welcome fulfillment for
the love she has never been able
to give or receive from her hus
band.
Robert Anderson’s play is woven
around the conflicts of these three
lonely people, their search for love,
their inability to prove their inno
cence as false evidence arises. Each
is seeking something to replace
what he never had and the play
builds to its final, pulsating mo
ments as Laura comes to Tom.
Directed by Elia Kazan, “Tea
and Sympathy” is a must for the
lovers of romance and drama.
In contrast to this drama is “The
Teahouse of the August Moon,” a
comedy by John Patrick. Heading
the cast are David Wayne as
Sakini, the interlocuter as well as
a performer, Paul Ford as the
Colonel, and John Forsythe as the
Captain.
The American occupation army’s
plan to bring democracy to an im
aginary village in Okinawa. Using
an allotment of money provided by
Washington to build a schoolhouse,
the villagers fill a life-long desire
to have a teahouse.
Complete with Oriental dances
anda “cliche-spouting officer,” “The
Teahouse of the August Moon”
shows how the East and West com
plement each other: the “get up
'and go” of the Americans tempered
with the patience and gracious ac
ceptance of the Orientals is the
moral of this fable.
This play is guaranteed to fill the
audience with good humor.
Two relatively ne^v musicals are
“Can-Can” and “Me and Juliet.”
The former is a glimpse of 19th
century Montmartre, based on the
book by Abe Burrows. The out
standing features are the dashing
choreography of Michael Kidd and
the brilliant sets of Jo Mielziner.
However, the audience will probably
remember longest the lilting melo
dies of Cole Porter.
“Me and Juliet,” a play within a
play, stars the inimitable Isabel
Bigley and Joan McCracken. The
dances by Robert Alton are set to
the music of that great team,
Oscar Hammerstein II and
Oscar Hammerstein II and Richard
Rodgers. As in the previously
mentioned three plays, the set was
designed by the untiring Jo Miel
ziner.
“Sabrina Fair,” soon to be a
movie starring Audrey Hepburn, is
the delightful love story of a mil
lionaire and a chauffeur’s daughter.
Margaret Sullivan and Joseph Cot-
ten star in this play by Samuel
Taylor.
Last Friday a new musical opened
on Broadway. As yet, no reviews
have come in on “Kismet,” but
many will identify it with the new
hit song, “Stranger in Paradise,” a
big number from the show.
Long-runs on Broadway are “The
King and I” in which the strong-
willed English teacher takes over
the royal Siamese court and King
Yul Brunner; “South Pacific;”
“Wonderful Town” starring Rosa
lind Russell in a revival of “My
Sister Eileen;” and “^Seven Year
Itch.”
With these few plays, Broad
way’s brilliance of red and white
lights beckon to all theater-goers.
So with your plane ticket in one
hand and your theater tickets in
the other, you are all set for a gay
white Christmas on the “Great
White Way!”
How the
stars got
started.
Tyrone Power says: “I had it
tough bucking ‘tradition’ to get
into movies. First, a famous
great-grandfather actor, same n^e.
Grandfather and Dad, too — both big in
the theatre. I was barker at a Fair before
anyone gave me a chance. Then, bit player,
understudy, hard work and eventually I made it!”
^^Fbr Mifdness ^ FISMor
Camels agree with more people
thaw AWY OTHEPL CtGAP-ETTE 1