Page Two 'CAT', 'BUS STOP': Williams Inge By HARRY STRAUSS PLAYS BY two Pulitzer Prize winners opened in New York within a few days of each other recently. Both plays are far above the others of the season. Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Yin Roof" won the New York : Drama Critics Award Tuesday as .. the year's best play and William. Inge's "Bus Stop" was the runner- up. "Bus Stop" is one of the funni- est plays since "T rn Yesterday" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" is? superb drama. Inge's comedy follows h i s award-winning "Picnic," which he called a summer romance. Though this was a good pla:', it had some serious technical writing faults. Inge's latest drama has none of this; it is a more mature work. HE STORY concerns five per- sons stranded at Grace's diner during a Mid-western snowstorm. Among them is Cherie, a "chan- : toosee," as she says it, being pur- sued by a cowboy who wants her " to marry him. His idea of courtship :: : is to overpower her - he shouts, stamps, throws her about like one >::::::: of his cattle and yells his approval.4 while Cherie is entertaining theM others by singing one of her songs. But while she drawls that "Ah can -feel it deep down that Ah'm gonna end up inMontana," sher demands respect and treatment as ' lady. Both Cherie and Bo, the cowboy, admit (though not to each other) that they are lonely. The others in the play are also lonely and searching, but the play is not con-' THE MICHIGAN DAILY Plays Seen as Year's 1 Sunday, April 17, 1955 3est MAY FESTIVAL MAY 5, 6, 7, 8, 1955 THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA AT ALL CONCERTS LOIS MARSHALL, Soprano SOL SCHOENBACH, Bassoon RISE STEVENS, Mezzo-soprano MASON JONES, Horn NELL RANKIN, Mezzo-soprano GRANT JOHANNESEN, Pianist LESLIE CHABAY, Tenor RUDOLF SERKIN, Pianist WILLIAM WARFIELD, Baritone EUGENE ORMANDY, Conductor MORLEY MEREDITH, Baritone THOR JOHNSON, Guest Conductor JEANNE MITCHELL, Violinist MARGUERITE HOOD, Youth Chorus Conductor JOHN deLANCIE, Oboe UNIVERSITY CHORAL UNION ANTHONY GIGLIOTTI, Clarinet FESTIVAL YOUTH CHORUS PROGRAMS THURSDAY, MAY 5, 8:30 P.M. Eugene Ormandy, Conductor Rudolf Serkin, Paindst Prelude 'and Fugue in O Minor . . . . Bach (transcribed foeeor chestra by Eugene Ormandy) Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 . . Beethoven Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83, for Piano and Orchestra k . . . . Brahms Rudolf Serkin FRIDAY, MAY 6, 8:30 P.M. Thor Johnson, Guest Conductor University Choral Union Lois Marshall,MSoprano Nell Rankin, Mezzo-soprano Leslie Chabay, Tenor Morley Meredith, Baritone Missa Solemnis in D major, Op. 123 . . Beethoven University Choral Union and Soloists SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2:30 P.M. Eugene Ormandy, Conductor Jeanne Mitchell, Violiniot Festival Youth Chorus Marguerite Hood, Conductor Overture, "Donna Diana" . . . Reznicek Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat major, K. 297h. . . . Mozart John deLance, oboe; Anthony Gigliotti, clarinet; Sol Schoenbach, bassoon; and Mason Jones, horn Viennese Foik and Art Songs Festivai Youth Chorus Symphony No 8 in B minor (Unfinished) . Schubert Concerto No. 5 in A major. . . Mozart Jeanne Mitchell SATURDAY, MAY 7, 8:30 P.M. Eugene Ormandy, Conductor William lWarfield, Baritone Overture and Allegro from LaSultane . Couperin (arr. for orchestra by Darius Milhaud) "Thy Glorious Deeds" cra tSamson" . Handel Two macgs from "Vier Ernste Gessnge" , Brahms William warfield Epigraph. . .. .. .Delia Jobo Five Oid American Songs . . . . . Ace. Copland Mr. warfield Concerto for Orchestra . . . . . . . Barto SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2:30 P.M. Thor Johnson, Guest Conductor University Choral Union Lois Mitchell, Soprano Leslie Chabay, Tenor Morley MeredithBaritone Grant Johannesen, Pianist "Carmina Burana".. .. . Carl Orff University Chorai Union and Soloists Concerto Na. 3 in C major.. . . . Prokofiev Grant Johannesen SUNDAY, MAY 8, 8:30 P.M. Eugene Ormandy, Conductor Rise Stevens, Mezzo-soprano Concerto Grossa No. 2 for String Orchestra . Boch "'Gods of Eternai Night," cram Alceste .,.Glucik (English text by John Gutman) "Adieu, forets," from Jeanned'Arc . Tchaikovsky Rise Stevens "Mon Coeur," from Samson et Dalila . Saint-Saens Babanera from Carmen...... izet Seguidilila from Carmen , . . . . . . . Bizet Miss Stevens Symphony No. f in F minor . . . Tchaikovsky cerned as much with their prob- The play has also been attacked lems. for its obscene talk. This is an at- giltempt to beg the question: the em- N THE ROLE of the young girl phasis on sexuality is inherent to from Arkansas, Kim Stanley the play and its characters. The surpasses the performance she wealthy Southern family in the gave here in last year's Drama play details the sexual aspect of Festival as the acidic daughter-in- happiness, both for themselves and law in "The Trip to Bountiful." for others. Whether she is giving her off- key version of "That Old Black THE "CAT" of the title is Mag- Magic," or trying to primp herself gie, who, through agreement, at 5 in the morning, telling her lives with her husband, Brick, lurid past or resisting the cowboy, though he will have nothing to do Miss Stanley is wonderful. with her. He blames her for the Also a stand-out in the produc- death of his best friend after she tion is Albert Salmi as the Mon- hinted of relations between the tana bronco. When storming two men. Brick resents the men- across the stage or sitting as un- dacity in the world, just as he re- obtrusively as possible after being sents any implication that he had rejected, his portrayal is alive and homosexual relations. He recoils exciting, from the world by drinking and by refusing to acknowledge his wife. NO MATTER how good one Maggie, an attractive, sensuous thinks "Bus Stop" is, it sud- woman rebels and is determined denly seems like a minor play that her position ("I'm like a cat after seeing Tennessee Williams' on a hot tin roof") should change. latest work. For in this drama,'the In the end she gains a temporary author of "A Streetcar Named De- change, when she must make good sire" has shown that he can write her lie, telling Big Daddy, her fa- of passion without the overt force ther-in-law, that she is pregnant. of the earlier work. The second story line in the play Since the opening critics have concerns Big Daddy. A huge, hulk- stated that too much is left un- ing man, dying of cancer though said, too much rromise and too everyone tells him otherwise. In a little fulfillment. This seems gross- spiteful moment, his favorite, ly unfair to the skill of the author. though drunk son, blurts out the True, there is a minimum of ac- truth. So when he believes Mag- tion, being a play of words. But at gie's statement of pregnancy, it the play's end, there are no very may be because he wants to be- loose ends, the immediate prob- lieve her. As the curtain descends, lems have, at least for the mo- the now broken man must resign ment, been solved. See TWO, Page 5 'Oddly-Select' Holmes Collection Published By DONALD A. YATES dards-must appear to all Holmes A Treasury of Sherlock Holmes devotees a grievous fault. by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Se- lection & Introdsction by Adrian IT IS the younger Doyle's con- Conan Doyle) Hanover House tention that there are certain 686 pp. "essential elements" present in the A BOOK sporting a title such as t basithe Holmes tale arbtraril this is unquestionably one selects and rejects. These ingred- bound to bring detective story fans ients he lists as plot, characteris- crowding to the book counters. tic, atmosphere and truth; and This is understandable not only we might be led into believing that because Sherlock Holmes can lay these compose a fine standard- exclusive claim to the tag of The were it not evident that in one of Great Detective but also because these, at least, he is obviously in his devoted fans the world over error. In discussing the "plot," number well into the millions. Doyle says one of the main However, in the final analysis, it strengths is the "scrupulous fair- is solely this fact-that these are ness" with which the clues are al- ISherlock Holmes stories-which ways laid before the reader. This redeems this oddly-reasoned selec- is quite a generalization and, un- tion from the Canon by the son of fortunately, it is not true. Exam- the late Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. pes of the violation of this rule Doyle fils has gathered up two aresnot uncommon, and can even of the four novels and twenty- be pointed out in the pages of the seven of the sixty short stories into "Treasury." what he terms his "Treasury." And so he passes along, like This would seem a dangerous Prokofieff's hunters, shooting as he commercial venture to undertake goes. An inspired volley is fired on any basis, and particularly so in the direction of the Holmes when "The Complete Sherlock societies, e.g., The Baker Street Holmes" is still in print at a mod- Irregulars, who, he claims, have erate price (I paid $1.98 for mine distorted the proportions of the a few years back). Probably be- figures of Holmes and Watson. cause he senses this risk, Adrian This is a little difficult to ac- Doyle opens the volume with a1 cept, since there is no group of introductory piece (which serves men on earth who have done more many purposes for him) wherein than the BSI to perpetuate in he tries to explain all. glory these gentlemen from 221B. At the outset he excuses him- Moreover, it is on these and other self for any hapless omissions of Baker Street sympathizers that pet stories which might be dis- Adrian surely is counting for his appointing to Holmes fans. His sales. selections, he infcrms us, were The last item of interest taken based on his own feelings for the up in the Introduction is an at- individual tales and tempered by tempt on the son's part to identify discussions he had had with his the real life counterpart of Dr. father in respect to the latter's Watson as his father's secretary, evaluations of them. (Exactly one Major Wood. The argument seems third of the elder Doyle's professed plausible and Adrian Doyle cer- favorites are bounced under this tainly offers a fresh approach to arrangement.) an interesting problem. Next he proceeds to an explana- At this point the preliminaries tion of the reasoning behind his are over and the big show now choice of the selected novels and goes on. No matter what edition short stories. One feels it is the you read them in, the Sherlock civil thing to accept quietly his Holmes stories have the irresistible selections, but it is not without appeal and flavor which trans- impatience that one sees the cele- ports you into a world of schem- brated "A Study in Scarlet" ad- ing violence and masterful deduc- mitted only with apologies! Like- tion, a world of nostalgia and-- wise, the exclusion of "A Scandal yes-fantasy. This is an element in Bohemia"' and "The Adventure far too uncommon in our detec- of the Red Circle"-by any star- I tive fiction of today. SINGLE CONCERTS : $3.00 - $2.50 - $2.00 - $1.50 NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC SYMPHONY . . . (2:30 P.M.) Sunday, May 22 CHARLES MUNCH, Conductor Tickets and information at University Musical Society, Burton Memorial Tower