HDC Nears Solvency, Assisted by Proceeds From 'Master Builder'

The Harvard Dramatic Club is within a few hundred dollars of solvency, the club's president revealed last night. J. Allerton Cushman, Jr. '58 told a meeting of the group that the year's first production, "The Master Builder," had grossed between $3,000 and $3,300.

Last year's three major productions, beginning with its highly praised, but rather extravagant staging of "Hamlet," left the HDC about $2,650 in debt.

The club financed its $900 production of "The Master Builder" by dues and contributions collected from its members. The successful production of the Ibsen play was held over for two extra performances last Friday and Saturday, substantially increasing its total profits. After paying its expenses, and covering part of the costs of the HDC's next production, '"Tis Pity She's a Whore," Cushman estimated that the organization would end up about $300 in debt.

Discussing publicity for '"Tis Pity She's a Whore," John Ford's drama of incest, the club's former president, David E. Green '58 noted that there might be objections in Cambridge to the last word of the title. He said that the Cambridge Trust Company has refused to display an advertisement for the production in their windows.