. THE MICHIGAN DAILY
WEDNESDAY, JULY 28 1954
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SHERIDAN'S REHEARSAL FARCE:
'U' Speech Department To Present 'The Critic'
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B. Iden Payne, guest director in the Department of Speech this
summer, will portray his famous role of Mr. Puff in the University
production of Richard Brinsley Sheridan's rehearsal farce. "The
Critic, which will open at 8 p.m. tonight, and run through Saturday
at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre in the League.
The well-known actor-director will be playing a character he
has portrayed many times since he first created the Mr. Puff role
in 1915 in New York.
This will not be the first University production of "The Critic."
for it was staged on both the spring and summer playbills of 1940.
As it is now, it was then directed by William P.'Halstead, professor
of speech.
Cast of 50
A cast of over 50 students, faculty and Ann Arbor townspeople
will participate in the hilarious "play-within-the-play," which is a
satire of Elizabethan tragedy. It is climaxed by an exaggerated "Masque
of the Rivers," for which the choreography was done by Esther E.
Pease, associate supervisor of the Women's Physican Education De-
partment.
Scenery for the production, which includes an elaborate staging
of a naval battle and the sinking of the Spanish Armada, as set in
1588, has been designed by Jack E. Bender, speech instructor. Model
warships will be carried across the stage by actors concealed behind
sea walls. The ships will fire cannons which will be accompanied by
flashes of flame and billows of smoke.
True to historical fact, the Spanish vessels will be larger than
their English enemies, and realism of battle will be carried out even
to the breaking and falling masts on the warships' decks.
Change of Scenery
Concerning the scenery in general, Bender commented that the
first act will represent 18th Century Georgian type, while the second
and third acts will use the Elizabethan settings.
Costumes and props have been under the direction of Phyllis
Pletener of the speech department, while the business manager
for Play Productions is Bruce Nary.
The 18th Century theatre orchestra with "real-live musicians"
will be conducted by Paul Miller,' a graduate of the University.
Members of the 50-man cast include: Sue Spurrier, William Teufel,
Cynthia Hepburn, Carol Loveless, Donald Shanover, Paul Rebillot,
William McAnallen, Lloyd Evans, Raymond Bahor, John Olson, Vic-
tor Hughes, Michael Gregoric, Kendall Cox, Harold Radford, Shirley
Pengilly, Gwen Arner, Patrick Smith and Joann Ragni.
Others are: Alexander Young, Thomas Arp, Russell Aiuto, Nafe
Katter, Frances Gudeman, Dorothy Davis, Janet Stolarevsky, Beverly
Blancett, Sylvia Rudolph, Mary Lou Moench, Betty Ellis, Carlaine
Balduf, Gertrude Slack and Genevieve Byar.
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B. IDEN PAYNE AS MR. PUFF, AND DONALD SHANOVER
AS MR. SNEER, ARE DOING A SCENE FROM RICHARD
BRINSLEY SHERIDAN'S "THE CRITIC" WHICH WILL START
AT 8 P.M. TONIGHT AT THE LYDIA MENDELSSOHN TIE-
ATRE IN THE LEAGUE.
DAILY PHOTO FEATURE
Pictures by
DUAN E POOLE
Story by
SUE GARF I ELD
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THE CHEESECAKE SMILE IS COMING FROM SUE SPUR-
RIER, WHO PLAYS BRITANNIA AND ALSO DOES THE PRO-
LOGUE IN THE SPEECH DEPARTMENT PRODUCTION, THE
THIRD IN THE SERIES. CREW MEN ARE PUSHING THE
"CHARIOT" ACROSS STAGE.
"THE SCARF DANCE" IS BEING EXECUTED BY MEMBERS
OF THE DANCING CHORUS, WHICH WILL APPEAR IN "THE
CRITIC" AND "THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO." THE CHORUS
IS DIRECTED BY ESTHER PEASE OF THE WOMEN'S PHYS-
ICAL EDUCTION DEPARTMENT.
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DONALD SHANOVER AS MR. SNEER, PAUL REBILLOT AS SIR FRETFUL PLAGIARY AND
WILLIAM TEUFEL AS MR. DANGLE PORTRAY A SCENE FROM THE REHEARSAL FARCE,
"THE CRITIC," PLAYING TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY.
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