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By Joseph Kaye (The Star’s New York Correspondent) New York — A play has been produced here which presents drug addiction among youth in all its grim phases and leaves the audi ence in the urgent mood to do something about it. The play, “Does A Tiger Wear A Necktie?” was written by Don Petersen, a former teacher in a rehabilitation center. In the drama a principal char acter is a teacher in such a cen ter. Hal Holbrook, known for his Mark Twain impersonation, plays the role. The locale is New York, and the island is North Brother Island, in the East river, although it is no longer used as a rehabilitation center. Petersen taught English there, or such English and literature as he was able to persuade his pu pils to absorb. He also taught in a New York jail for juvenile of fenders and directed a recrea tion center for schizophrenic children—all in all, several years experience with unfortu nate youth. THE CRYPTIC TITLE indi cates that a chronic offender cannot be expected to behave normally. All the characters in “Does a Tiger Wear a Neck lie?” are young addicts except for the teacher and the institu tional psychiatrist. What one sees on the stage of the Belasco theater are a series of episodes exposing the back ground of the addicts in terms of humanitarian understanding and with much pathos,. It is a strik ing drama, generally praised for the author’s intent and for its powerful acting. Petersen said that a great many youthful addicts go to “junk” because they are ex tremely sensitive and cannot find a place for themselves. They become “totally alienated from the world.’’ He says that, according to surveys, the major ity of male addicts had absent (from the home) or weak fath ers and over indulgent mothers. Potentialities are buried in the acquired characteristics. He re calls one boy who had an I. Q. of 80, but whom he found “bril liant.”” Eventually that young man emerged as an accom plished architect. Don Petersen was born in Davenport, Ia., of a family of musicians. He played violin for a time. “Tiger,” his first pro duced play already has been sold for filming and he is doing the script. APART FROM Holbrook and David Apatosha, who plays the psychiatrist—both impressive in their roles—three players stand out vividly. One is Al Pacino, who plays a young addict with a mind gnarled by his background, and two young Negroes, Linda Jones and Roger Robinson—Miss Jones playing a character de toured into prostitution, and Robinson as a drug-caught youth who determines to achieve an education and free himself. A pathetic romance develops be tween these two and gives the play a hopeful promise. ‘Does A Tiger Wear a Neck tie?” is an absorbing evening in the theater, one that has the added value of showing us what we are faced with in youthfu drug addiction, which is fast in creasing here and in other urban centers. TWO MEMBERS OF THE CAST of ‘Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?” re hearse a scene from the stage show while the director, Michael A. Schultz (left), and the author, Don Petersen (second from left), of Davenport, Ia., look on. The actors are Hal Holbrook (pointing finger) and Michael Brandon.
Newspaper Details
Kansas City Star
Kansas City, Missouri, US
Wed, Mar 12, 1969
Page 14
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 06 Jun 2026
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