THE MICHIGAN DAILY ong Planning Precedes Drama Season Oj SUNDAY, MAY 14, 1950 e'ning Tickets, Cast Scenery Are Top Problem 'Tempest' Gets Final Touches It takes a lot of work to make a playwright's dream come true. Casting, rehearsing, scenery construction, costuming and tick- et sales are major headaches for any production. And these are just a few of the activities that are in progress at Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre where the Ann Arbor Drama Season is preparing for the opening to- morrow night of "The Tempest," the first production of its five week season. * * * * * * * * * PREPARATIONS for the sea- son's five productions began early in the semester when Prof. Valen- tine Windt of the speech depart- ment traveled to New York to procure actors for this season's presentations. He was successful in signing such distinguished actors as Ced- ric Hardwicke, Vera Zorina, Hiram Sherman, John Alexan- der, Joan Morgan and Scott McKay. Student actors were also selected to appear along with the feature stars in sup- porting roles. This season's opener, William Shakespeare's "The Tempest," was familiar ground to the two stars, Moss and Miss Zorina who played the roles of Prospero and Aries on Broadway in 1946. WITH THE casting, over, atten- tion was turned to such affairs as tickets and publicity in prepara- tion for the opening. The "Tem- pest"" cast arrived in Ann Arbor a week ago to begin rehearsals. While the actors perfected their lines and motions in the rehearsal rooms of the League, the sets designed by Robert Mellencamp were being built on the stage. Construction of sets was par- ticularly complicated because the Shakespeare play called for a shipwreck, an uninhabited island, tricks of magic and many changes of locale. :. , LET are: who 'IM HAVE IT-A comic trio from "The Tem pest" rehearses a key scene. From left to right they John Alexander, who will play Caliban; Wal ace Acton, cast as Trinculb; and Truman Smith, will be Stephano. GLITTERING GOLD-Mrs. Robert Mellencamp attaches gold braid to the skirt of a costume. Working in a basement room in the League, Mrs. Mellencamp has created all the costumes for "The Tempest." iI>FirIi FORt THE instantaneous chang- es of scenery required by the play, Stage Manager Joseph Leon has built a revolving stage so that use of the curtain is necessary only at intermission and the close of the play. But Leon's task is never over for as soon as performances .of "The Tempest" get under way, he will have to begin construc- tion of sets for the production of '"The Barrier" the season's second play which begins May 22. In a room cluttered with cos- tumes, masks and sewing machines behind the stage in the base- ment, Emma Mellencamp is put- ting the finishing touches on the actors' stage wardrobes today for Monday's performance. And in the pit of the theatre, Wayne Dunlap is rehearsing the University Lit- tle Symphony on the music and cues with the actors. * * * DURING THE final dress re- hearsals Director Windt, Stage Manager Leon, the Mellencamps and Juan de Laban professor of modern dance who is supervising the play's dances, will gather in the first few rows of the other- wise empty theatre and watch with critical eyes as actors go through their parts. While the play was thus tak- ing shape, long lines of theatre- goers cued up before the two windows of the Lydia Mendels- sohn box office. Here James Murnan who has been with the season since its beginning, easily finds his way among the various colored ducats printed for the Drama Season three months ago in Chicago. * * * "THE TEMPEST" will feature a distinguished cast of actors with extensive backgrounds. Miss Zorina made her ini- tial stage appearance in her na- tive Germany in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." She was a hit in "On Your Toes" and then came to Broadway to star in "I Married an Angel." Moss has recently been seen in "Twelfth Night," the same produc- tion that had its premiere here last spring. He has also appeared in "The Fifth Column," "Front Page," such films as "Loves of Carmen," "Border Incident" and over the air on "Studio. One" and "Lights Out. * * * JOHN ALEXANDER who has played innumerable Shakespeare- an roles, will take the part of Caliban. Joseph Macauley, often called "the man of a thousand faces" for the Variety of parts he has played, will appear as Gon- zago. Wallace Acton played the role he will play here, that of Trin culo, with Zorina and Moss in their Broadway production. And Truman Smith and Jon Dawson will be familiar to Drama Sea- son audiences for their appear- ance in "Twelfth Night" last year. Season tickets for the five plays, "The Tempest," "Born Yesterday," "The Winslow Boy," "The Bar- rier," and "Getting Married" will be on sale throughout the first week of the season. The Ann Arbor Drama Season which was founded in the twenties by Robert Henderson, New York actor and producer and his mother who lived in Ann Arbor. A DAILY PHOTO FEATU RE S to ry by David Weaver Pictures by Barney Laschever Alan Reid TREAT YOUR MOTHER to DINNER at the L LENEL i ,. i, . .r."." ' r:".54: "..................~ .... . . . . . . . . . ... ,,:i'",';3:i ' :$. r r"~~v ,. 4;h::r:.. .w...r:":" i:{X t.£:.:.v }};:.::?:}X"" iia ?v.":i..- t y OF CALIFORNIA OR IGIN A L Tomowm ' £6the 4ay! 3-HOUR . :. /1 ..> .l t #1: ::W;; 4a1 NJ $ 4 cltr 9:30 A.M. 'til 12:30 P.M. ~.. 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