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‘Life With Father’ Is Still DelightfulBy JO RICHARD“Life With Father,” written by Clarence Day in 1935 anddrawn from his own family experiences, was dramatized by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse in 1939 and had an almost phenomenal success on the American stage for a decade. It played for several years at the Empire Theatre in New York with Howard Lindsay and Dorothy Stickney in the roles of Father Day and Vinnie, and with many sets of red-headed sons who kept outgrowing their roles. This delightful play is still good theatre.As done by the Asolo Players, the portraits of these familiar characters are delightfully renewed. The opinionatedt and bombastic Father comes to life again in Robert Britton’s portrayal. Willful, strong and “man of the house,” the character must show a certain loveableness. Britton rounds his character so that one can ( really understand why Vinnie | loves him so much despite his irascibility.Isa Thomas’s Vinnie has all the womanly warmth, fluttery Victorian femininity and sweetness that is truly Mother Day .**. but one must notunderestimate Vinnie’s “Will.”In fact, one might call this play a battle of wills, and Vinnie always wins, whether with charming, irrational deduction she cons Father out of $1.50 or with indomitable strength, gets him to the baptismal font.Awkward, frustrated and feeling the first twinges of young love, William Pitt is just right. The scene between him and Carol Williard asMary Skinner, the young visitor and object of his ecstasy, was done charmingly by both. Miss Williard has a lovely quality of lady-like daintiness.The three remaining sons are played by a trio of Players of Sarasota graduates. Paul Rubenfeld as Whitney, the second son, has grown up from the little boy I knew in“A Thousand Clowns” at the Players (he was good in it, too) to a young man acting with professional ease. Kevin Ward and David Lindley, the two young Patricks from the Players “Marne” of last season rounded out the Day family. It was fun seeing all “our children’^ on the Asolo stage. , Cousin Cora, played by Sharon Spellman, was warm, out-going and thoroughly mid-western. Patrick Egan’s Rev. Dr. Lloyd and the proper air of the pastor of a fashionable Episcopal Church. With David Mallon as Dr. Humphreys, Michael Honig as Dr. Somers, Ginger Montague as Margaret, the family’s cook; and a quartet of succeeding maids played by Cathy Rennich, Mayla McKeehan, Debbie Timmons (another Players actress) and Susan Orpin, the cast was well rounded and well played.Holmes Easley’s set and costumes are beautiful. The morning room of the Day house on Madison Avenue, New York City, is done with Victorian opulence down to the smallest detail in decor, and all the ladies of the cast are costumed beautifully and authentically.' t *Do see “Life With Father”and have a delightful and nostalgic evening at the Asolo Theatre.
Newspaper Details
Sarasota Herald Tribune
Sarasota, Florida, US
Tue, Jun 23, 1970
Page 28
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 11 Apr 2020
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