Word: balch
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Director Marston Balch has solved the set problem resourcefully. He divided the oval acting arena into two parts. On one he built a platform to represent a villa porch, to which a row of suspended colored lanterns contributed much. Steps led down to the other part, which served as the garden. Beyond this, in the space usually belonging to the entranceway, he removed a portion of the wall and built another platformed area to function as a garden kiosk...
...present production has both laudable and disappointing aspects. It lacks real style; but this is extremely hard to achieve short of the Comedie Francaise. Still, director Marston Balch errs in trying to get by on farce. Although the third act has undeniable farce in it, it is a mistake to consider the whole play a farce: it is high comedy, near-farce if you like, but not true farce. I am sure the first two acts would come off better if treated in a less overdone manner...
...Marston Balch has directed a cast that has entered well enough into the spirit of the piece. The three principals have even managed to impart a third dimension to their roles: Jacquelyn Zollo as the Grandmother; Joyce White as Isabel; and Lake Bobbitt as Maurice. Though perhaps a bit young-looking for the role, Bobbitt sails through the evening with a dashing naturalness. And the whole production benefits from Thaddeus Gesek's handsome settings, including a wonderful multicolored spiked mobile for the enigmatically daft first...
Cook County's Jack Arvey, last of the big-city-machine bosses, wandered aimlessly around the Conrad Hilton Hotel, his local and national power diminished in the last year. At least, the assembled pols knew Arvey. Most of them did not even recognize Richard Balch, chairman of the once-powerful New York State organization. The voice of labor was muted, too. The C.I.O.'s James Carey and Jack Kroll offered little advice and were asked for less. Representative Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr., who has caused hard feelings with his demands for 100% party loyalty, was not present. Many...
...Democratic nominee for governor in 1954 will be Harriman or Roosevelt, and not Farley. However, a close look at the vote prompted some second thoughts. With most of the organization's wheels against him, Farley had managed to get 104 votes for his man to 181 for Balch. Farley's side got more votes than Balch did outside of New York City. This was not a bad showing for a man who has done little but shake hands in the back of the hall for the past eight years. Big Jim had been knocked down in an early...