Word: casts
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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Since the cast of fifty included Randolph-Macon students only, the male roles were all played by women. But after all this simply reversed the ancient practice, which allowed all-male casts only. A few of the big roles could have stood better acting; yet Jeannette Hume had a number of fine moments as Elektra. And it was a good idea for Elizabeth Scarff to portray Cassandra as insane, for this made more credible the continued disbelief of all her auditors. I do wish something had been done about the actresses' accents: Attic Greek just does not mix with...
...acting, I feel compelled to report that there was much more flubbing of lines than charity can allow on an opening night. The cast could thus not put across all the crackling wit and fanciful poetry that lie in the script...
Lake Bobbitt, however, did a fine job as the poet Falk. He conveyed the proper frankness, independent courage, and dislike of fence-sitting. He had precise diction and always reacted to what others were saying around him, virtues which others in the cast might well emulate. Bobbitt would seem to be the most accomplished member of this summer's company, though he is not in a class with Lewis Palter, the star of Tuft's 1955 season. He still should work to eliminate his occasional stiffness of body or limbs...
...season comes to a close, perhaps two general words of advice to the cast might be in order. First, try to round out your role, be it large or small. That a playwright has written only a cardboard character into his lines is no excuse; it is then up to the director or the actor to invent something. This is especially true of small parts, on which the dramatist is likely to have spent little pains. Jacquelyn Zollo's Miss Jay is a good example; she was on stage only briefly and had but a handful of lines, yet achieved...
...give the cue to speak again. You must act from the moment you appear on stage until you exit. This is what Bobbit has mastered; he is always acting, interacting and reacting, whether he is speaking or not. On Tuesday night I even noted several members of the cast starting up conversation before they had exited beyond reach of eye and ear; this is not professional theatre. You must assume that, at every moment, someone is watching you; and it may be Big Brother...