Hide Article Text (OCR)
Clever dialogue, amusingly handled by a cast of Little Theatre favorites# marked the world premiere of Hammond Gayfer’a one-act farce, The Subsequent History of Mr. Jonah,” presented here Friday night before a large and appreciative house.The play, produced and staged as well as written by Mr. Gayfer, takes up where the Bible leaves off in relating the greatest fish story of all ages. Despite several missed cues, and an occasionally slackened tempo, the production was for the most part smooth and finished.John Glennon, behind a bush of white whiskers, explains in the prologue that Mr. Jonah (John Wienand, Jr.) is possessed of a troublesome spouse (Dagmar De-celle). Like the character, Crown in Gershwin's Porgy and Bess” score, she feels that when Mr. Jonah contends that his three days and three nights’ absence from the family domicile was spent in a fish’s abdomen — well, ■it ain’t necessarily sol”Mr. Jonah, who reports that life in a digestive tract is definitely no bed of roses, has made things so uncomfortable for the whale that ha has been spued up,” and has landed again in Nineveh, the city from which he was exiled. Mrs. Jonah proceeds to take matters in her own hands, and as the curtain rises, the audience is ushered into the great hall of justice in Ninevah, where she is filing suit for divorce.The trial takes place before a judge who must have his' Jokes laughed at, competently played by Edward Marty, and a delightfully anachronistic jury of twelve, conspicuous among #hom is .* the coy Little Blonde Juror, portrayed by the always capable Aimee King.Fred Armstrong and William AuCoin, as respective counsels for defense and plaintiff, summon the witnesses, who are sworn in by the court clerk (Frank Poggi) in modern mumbling maner. Excellent comedy is supplied by William Bonacker as the traveling salesman with a “hexcent,” Ruth Knudsen as the righteously indignant neighbor, Virginia Lankford, as Sheba, “an amiable and ample Ethiopian/' who cooks for the Jonahs, and Harry Tindal as a fisherman who loves his liquor, all acting with rare understanding, projecting the full flavor of Mr. Gayfer’s humor.John Wienand is convincing as the misunderstood Jonah, and Dagmar DeCelle gives another of her splendid characterizations as his suspicious wife.Special orchids are due Edmond DeCelle for his Rrtistic Assyrian setting, and Aimee McCormick King, Ethel Beck, Mary Lang, and Eugene Wr^er for ingenious and onsmaI costuming and makeup.The remainder of the program featured an Assyrian ballet, with Polly Gerts as soloist, assisted by Mary Frances McDonnell, Betty Boykin and Margaret McKerall of Three Arts studio, and Mrs. Marion Forcheimer in songs of the Orient, accompanied by Mrs. Ju-the piano-if- ^ Little Theatre orchestra which furnished music before and aft£f the play. Both numbers were enthusiastically received— H. C.AlBiCOClSITDoveveiandmoiRusfootherlt;cha:cowcialthemasCLTCl son the the Lk C., of Seri 22n the M ea Atli
Newspaper Details
The Mobile Times
Mobile, Alabama, US
Sat, Oct 23, 1937
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Newspaper A.
NA, NA 16 Sep 2023
Other Publications Near Mobile, Alabama
The Mobile News Item
The Mobile Item
Sunday News Item
Mobile Tribune
Mobile Register And Journal
