Three One-Act Plays

As might naturally have been expected, the Leverett House Dramatic Society's initial program presented some rough edges. Of the three plays--Marriage Proposal, by Anton Chckhov, Strangest Kind of Romance, by Tennessec Williams, and Weatherwise, by Noel Coward --the last could be called thoroughly enjoyable. The others, irrespective of their merits as plays, suffered from various degrees of clumsiness in acting, direction, and production.

Of the two weak sisters, I much preferred the Chekhov piece. Director Martin Mintz seems to have paced the response too slowly, although much of the tedium through the middle of the play can be blamed on the author's excessive repetitiveness. John Fenn, as the psychosomatically ill suitor, was amusing, although he sometimes twitched about more embarrassingly than humorously. Dick Merlo heartily fulfilled the part of the father, but Laura Pincus, as Natalia, contributed little more than her presence on the stage. Nevertheless, Marriage Proposal was moderately successful as a brief entertainment.

This was not the case with the Tennessee Williams play, a choice beyond the abilities of the actors and the director. Although John Bernard, Michael Harwood and Fenton Hollander all revealed a possibility of success in their portrayals, failure to pick up lines and a tendency to throw away important statements thorough in articulation or misplaced emphasis prevented the work from hanging together as it should have.

Weatherwise, on the other hand, was a credit to the new society. Noel Coward's witty, fast-moving script was well-directed by Wink Neilson; and Barbara Bisco, Tina Cowley, Jim Rieger, Alison Mumford and Nick Strater all turned in well above average performances. Miss Mumford's transformation from a dignified British matron into a dog was the high point of the evening, and the quick exchange of patter among the members of her household never ceased to be amusing. It is fortunate that the Coward play closed the program, because it showed that the Leverett House group is capable of providing good entertainment within modest limits.