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British Social Drama Finds Rapt Audience
By BILL DICKINSON
A young woman is dead. And "An Inspector Calls."
Thursday, March 5.1953 University Daily Kansan
And "An Inspector Calls."
The situation set, British playwright J. B. Priestley's play unfolded Wednesday before a rapt opening-night audience in Fraser theater. Performances are scheduled at 8 p.m. each day through Saturday.
It must be noted quickly that the play is not a murder mystery in the sense. No pistol shots are fired. Rather, the drama is a social criticism of a familiar villain, the capitalist, and depicts his burden of blame in the symbolic death of downtridden workers everywhere.
Personal political views notwithstanding, Priestley's play is good drama, although scarcely profound. A small audience of 250 was swept into the inevitable sequence of events made plausible by a technically perfect job of staging and occasional bursts of exceptional acting.
All action occurs in the home of a wealthy and self-satisfied British industrialist one spring evening in 1912. What begins as a gay family dinner party becomes a scene of psychological terror when the inspector calls.
theater geeer.
A newcomer to the University stage, Stewart Gordon, college senior, contributes poise and originality to his role of Eric Birling, weird son of the gruff industrialist, acted in stereotype fashion by Sam W Smith, college freshman.
But the dual meaning of every situation, plus the highly individualized dramatics likely will bring the greatest response from the average theater-goer.
Smith, concerne The sparse set designed by Thomas Schocken, associate professor of architecture, emphasized the symbolic theme. Former speech and drama instructor Harold Harvey added a striking interpretation of lighting and properties.
ing and propei the strain of being British in language and manner proved too much for the cast in the last half of the final act after the stabilizing influence of Inspector Goole, portrayed by Dan Palmquist, instructor of speech, was removed.
A deadly brand of humor infiltrates the play, emerging at the most crucial points to highlight the air of unreality.
of speech, was retooled
Partly the result of anti-climax in writing, more often because of missed cues and poor timing, the final 15 minutes of action plodded to a shaky, trick-ending finish.
Director Frances Feist, speech and drama instructor, and University theater director John Newfield have chosen a play to be judged on its own merits as art despite the controversial Fabian-socialist theme.
Verbal fallacies Socialist-conscious Britain supported a London production for 550 nights in 1946-47. The Russian
Tickets are still available for "An Inspector Calls," a University theater production which opened last night in Fraser theater and runs through Saturday night. Curtain time is 8:30 p.m.
Tickets for Play Still Can Be Obtained
Student ID cards may be presented at the box office in Green hall basement for tickets until 4 p.m. today, from 9 a.m. to noon and 2-4 p.m. tomorrow, and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon.
Mrs. Feist, a former Broadway actress in "Harvey," displays considerable subtlety of directing style to fortify the drama—both as a message and as art.
theater gladly aired a Moscow version at a later date because of the theme.
Others in the cast are: Mary Kinnane, assistant instructor in speech and drama, who plays the maid; Robert Allen, KLWN announcer; Jo Anna March, college junior; and MollyKrival, wife of Arthur S. Krival, instructor in English. Mrs. Krival's portrayal of Sybil Birling, the industrialist's wife, was particularly convincing.
--director, and the camp again is expected to attract about 300 high school students from a dozen states.
Cottle to Attend Chicago Meetings
William C. Cottle, assistant director of the guidance bureau, will preside at one of the sessions of the combined conventions of the American Personnel and Guidance association and the National Association of Deans of Women in Chicago March 29 to April 2.
March 20 to April
Prof. Cottie will lead a session or professional training, licensing, and certification. The overall theme of the meetings, which will be attended by more than 2,000 persons, will be "Human Resources and Mantower Utilization."
Major divisions of the Personnel and Guidance association are the American College Personnel association, the National Association of Guidance Supervisors and Counselor traineers, the National Vocational Guidance association, and the Student Personnel Association for Teacher Education.
Everyone's going to the Waring Show
HOCH AUDITORIUM
SATURDAY 8 P.M.
A few tickets still available at the Fine Arts Office, 128 Strong—but hurry!
Faculty members will give private lessons in voice and the standard instruments. In addition, Prof. Jan Chapispo will teach the harpsichord and Ronald Barnes the carillon. Prof. Wiley will direct the band, Prof. Gerald M. Carney will lead the orchestra, and Prof. Clayton Krehbiel will be in charge of choral activities.
Dead or Alive - director, and the camp again is expected to attract about 300 high school students from a dozen states.
The Midwestern Music camp will observe its 16th year on the campus with a 6-week program June 22-Aug. 2, Prof. Russell L. Wiley, camp director, announced today.
An opera workshop will be added to the usual band, orchestra and choral activity. Two opera performances will be prepared. Dr. John Newfield, University theater director, and Raymond Cutting, assistant director of the Kansas City Phil-harmonic orchestra, will join the camp staff for this project.
For whatever else, Iossif Vissarino-
vich Djugashvill, seems definetly
through as the unquestioned leader
of some 800 million people under
the Communist thumb.
stalin Looms as Danger
Seats $2.81, $2.55, $2.04 and $1.28 (tax incl.)
I.D. CARDS DO NOT ADMIT
Music Camp Set June 22-Aug.2
By UNITED PRESS
Josef Stalin near death is more dangerous than Mr. Stalin alive and in good health.
It may be that Mr. Stalin has a last political will and testament.
The guest conductors, each spending one week on the campus, will be: Percy Grainger, Australian pianist, composer and conductor; Guy Fraser Harrison, Oklahoma City symphony orchestra; Richard Duncan, Omaha symphony; Gerhard Schroth, Chicago conductor and composer; Anthony Donato, Northwestern university; Don Craig, New York choral conductor; Paul Christiansen, choral director at Concordia college, Moorehead, Minn., and Leo Kopp, director of the St. Paul Opera company.
But if he has, the outside world
THURSDAY
Sociology club: 7 p.m.
American beach (bay)力士厅: 7.30 p.m.
O. M. Omalony, "The Application of Carbon-14 to the Study of Diffusional Operations."
Statewide Activities County Chairmen;
4 Statewide hawk room, Window. Important
meeting.
Official Bulletin
meeting.
Sociology club: 7 p.m., Pine room.
Episcopei Communion: 7 a.m., Danforth Versammlung des Deutschen Vereins; 5 uhr, Green theater. Dr. Newman and the theatre workshop presenting Schnitzler's
doesn't know or it. Nor is there any proof that it would be respected by those he leaves out.
All Student Council meeting: 7 p.m.
Jawahar room. Important.
Quack club: business meeting, 7:30
club gym. For all members,
please bring all materials.
Psychology club: 7:30 p.m. $9, Strong,
Broad; Psychology and
Politics; Refreshments
Young Democrats; 7:30 p.m., 106 Green Election.
KuKu club: 7:15 p.m. 105 Green. Last
week dues. Bundle money for
kids.
episcopal Communion; 7 a.m. Danforth
Edward McLean, eminent book lover.
Edward McLean, eminent book lover.
FRIDAY
SUNDAY
No other man in the world ever has had such unlimited power as Mr. Stalin.
Danforth Chapel service: 8:30 a.m.
sponsored by Lutheran Gamma Delta
Gamma Delta: Lutheran student group,
cost supper and meeting. 5:30 p.m., City
Bldg, 8th and Vermont. Speaker: Chappin
Wm Britton, Fortran Air Base, Topeka
English Proficiency exam: 2-5, March 14. Eligible juniors and seniors register in the offices of their deans on March 9, 10, 11.
No one doubts that it was Mr. Stalin who has had the final say in the course of the cold war. Or that it was Mr. Stalin who ordered the ruthless seizure of Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and all the other satellite states which today Russia exploits behind the Iron Curtain.
George L. Anderson, chairman of the department of history, will give the fourth "Sociology on the Air" talk at 3:45 p.m. Sunday over KLWN. He will speak on "The Importance of Local History."
Anderson to Speak Sunday on KLWN
Prof. Anderson, a graduate of the University, received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Illinois in 1933. He taught for three years at Colorado college before he joined the faculty here in 1937.
Nor is it doubted that Mr. Stalin's was the final word that sent the North Korean Communists across the 38th parallel in June 1950, in an adventure which has cost the United States alone thousands of lives and up to $4 billion a year.
And it was Mr. Stalin who taught us the lessons of Yalta and Potsdam—where we learned all over again the Communist credo that "the end justifies the means" and that a treaty with Communism is strictly a one-way street.
It was after the Yalta meeting, incidentally, that Mr. Stalin suffered his first heart attack and sometime after, that his first stroke.
In later years, his left side was slightly paralyzed.
But at least Mr. Stalin established a pattern
He seems to have clung firmly to the belief that capitalism and
the West must eventually destroy itself, without the use of Russian troops. He believed in a boring-from-within policy which depended upon local Communists, directed from Moscow, to bring about the downfall of nations.
Global war would be a last resort.
sort.
No such thing is known about his successor or successors, whoever they may be.
may be. They may be assumed that they hold with Mr. Stalin the dreams of world conquest. But their methods still are to be revealed.
are to be revealed.
Of those who ruled with Mr. Stalin on the council of ministers and the central committee, three have been mentioned most prominently as possible heirs.
entry as possible. They are: Vyacheslav Molotov, long-time collaborator with Mr. Stalin, with a bitter hatred of all things not Russian. He is disliked by other members.
once. George Malenkoy, who served as Mr. Stalin's personal secretary. Last October he had the honor of delivering the main address to the Communist party congress. His star is said to be the brightest.
Laurenti Beria, who heads the Russian secret police. Among other duties, he is in charge of slave labor in the satellites. He is one of the most feared men in Russia and one of the most brilliant.
All have echoed the Stalinist "hate America" line.
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says DR. ANDREW W. BLACKWOOD
Temple University, Philadelphia, Pena
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In March Reader's Digest, you'll be interested in *The Earth Is Born*-latest scientific theories on how our earth began, how it will end; We CAN Win the war in Korea—William Bullitt's analysis of how we can end the bloody stalemate; Fred Waller's *Amazing Cinerama*—how a self-made scientist is bringing breathtaking realism to movies.