Word: hellman
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Regina (written & composed by Marc Blitzstein; produced by Cheryl Crawford in association with Clinton Wilder) sets Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes to music. As music, it is more clever than distinguished; as drama, it is clearly a littler Foxes. But on its own terms-and they are wisely very much its own-it is an exhilarating and enjoyable show...
Montserrat (adapted from the French of Emmanuel Robles by Lillian Hellman; produced by Kermit Bloomgarden & Gilbert Miller) is a young Spanish officer sent to Venezuela in 1812 to help capture Bolivar. Actually, the idealistic Montserrat is helping to hide him-and known to be. Aware that torture will never make Montserrat talk, his ruthless colonel adopts a crueler course: he collects six innocent townspeople who are to be shot unless Montserrat speaks up. Montserrat, though horrified, refuses; and a long, harrowing ordeal begins...
...most impassioned. Both themes suit the stage, neither quite fills it, and Montserrat has been fattened up by giving the six pawns in the game their grim, gaudy exit scenes as people. As melodrama, Montserrat, though sometimes talky, is oftener tense. As writing, it has much of Adapter Hellman's sharpness and bite: in particular, her villain (well-played by Emlyn Williams) brings a fine sardonic gusto to his villainies...
...Harvard Square's local thespians have imported Luise Rainer this week to spice up their production of Chekov's "The Sea Gull" at the Brattle Theater Company next to the post office. "Regina" winds up its Boston stay on Saturday also, as the Colonial sends this adaption of Lillian Hellman's "The Little Foxes" on to new territories...
Marc Blitzstein, under a Koussevitzky commission, found these in "The Little-Foxes" by Lillian Hellman, and he calls the product "Regina." The play deals with a decadent, bickering Southern family which breaks to pieces over an unscrupulous money deal. The composer has worked into this a ball with many Southern belles and several appearances of singing and playing Negroes. In general the music effectively increases the tension, though, with a lack of variation in the first act which is exasperating. Many of the arias, particularly those of the sweet, flighty Birdie, are genuine mood pieces, effectively incorporating devices...