Acting Commons^™

Anastasia, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1964-1965 Season

Discovered as an amnesiac in a Berlin asylum by former Cossack 'prince' turned-taxi-driver Bounine, Anna is swept into a scheme to exploit the 'heritage' of 10 million pounds being held in trust for any surviving heirs of the Romanov dynasty. As the conspiracy prospers, Anna is coached to success but for one last test: the Imperial Grand Empress is alive and her acceptance is essential. In a famous 'recognition scene' of breathless suspense, Anna meets her grandmother and must convince the dowager that she is the long-lost Royal Princess Anastasia.

Hedda Gabler

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Spring 1965 performance of Hebba Gabler by Henrik Ibsen.

Hebba Gabler is the story of newlywed Hedda Tesman and her reunion with a former lover and how she manipulates events to secure and create a life for herself with her husband.

The Sap Of Life, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1964-1965 Season

No abstract provided.

Look Homeward, Angel, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1964-1965 Season

Look Homeward, Angel traces the coming of age of Eugene Gant, as well as the lives of his family members. It takes place in the town of Altamont, North Carolina. Eugene's mother, Eliza, runs a boarding house, "Dixieland", where boarders often interact with and affect the lives of the Gants. His father, William Oliver, runs a marble sculpture shop, where his prized possession, a statue of an angel.

The Boy Friend - Uso Tour, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1963-1964 Season

Set against the backdrop of the French Riviera, this romantic spoof of 1920s musical comedies tells the story of English heiress, Polly, who is longing for only one thing: a boy friend. Polly's father, convinced that any boy who isn't wealthy will court Polly strictly for her financial situation, forbids her to engage any potential suitors. Honoring his wishes, Polly explains to Tony, the messenger boy with whom she's fallen in love, that she is no rich girl. This is just the tip of the mistaken identity iceberg, as love proceeds to find its way charmingly through nearly every member …

The Boy Friend, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1963-1964 Season

Set against the backdrop of the French Riviera, this romantic spoof of 1920s musical comedies tells the story of English heiress, Polly, who is longing for only one thing: a boy friend. Polly's father, convinced that any boy who isn't wealthy will court Polly strictly for her financial situation, forbids her to engage any potential suitors. Honoring his wishes, Polly explains to Tony, the messenger boy with whom she's fallen in love, that she is no rich girl. This is just the tip of the mistaken identity iceberg, as love proceeds to find its way charmingly through nearly every member …

Dark Lady Of The Sonnets - Workshop Theater, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1963-1964 Season

The Dark Lady of the Sonnets is a 1910 short comedy by George Bernard Shaw in which William Shakespeare, intending to meet the "Dark Lady", accidentally encounters Queen Elizabeth I and attempts to persuade her to create a national theatre. The play was written as part of a campaign to create a "Shakespeare National Theatre" by 1916.

Love's Labour's Lost, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1963-1964 Season

Love's Labour's Lost is one of William Shakespeare's early comedies, believed to have been written in the mid-1590s for a performance at the Inns of Court before Queen Elizabeth I. It follows the King of Navarre and his three companions as they attempt to forswear the company of women for three years of study and fasting, and their subsequent infatuation with the Princess of France and her ladies. In an untraditional ending for a comedy, the play closes with the death of the Princess's father, and all weddings are delayed for a year. The play draws on themes of masculine …

The Dark At The Top Of The Stairs

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Fall 1963 performance of The Dark at the Top of the Stairs by William Inge.

The Dark at the Top of the Stairs is the story of Cora Flood, the wife of a traveling salesman. Learning that her husband might have an affair with another woman, she plans to leave the marriage. When her husband returns, having lost his job, Cora must decide how to respond.

Gigi, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1963-1964 Season

The play's plot generally follows that of the original story, focusing on a young 19th century Parisian girl being groomed for a career as a courtesan. Gigi lives with her mother and grandmother, and takes lessons at the home of her aunt. Her lessons include social manners, conversation, and personal relationships. The family has significant social connections, and have been great friends with the rich playboy Gaston. Gaston is bored with his life, and his only joy seems to be in the company of Gigi and her family.

Aunt Alicia decides that the time is right for Gigi's entry into …

The Heiress

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Fall 1963 performance of The Heiress by Ruth and Augustus Goetz adapted from the 1880 Henry James novel Washington Square.

The Heiress tells the story of Catherine Sloper, a rather plain-looking woman set to receive a large inheritance from her father. When a man comes to court her, her father suspects it is for the money and attempts to thwart his plan.

Mister Roberts, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1963-1964 Season

Mister Roberts takes place on a U.S. cargo ship that supplies the troops in the Pacific during the final months of World War II. Life on board is monotonous and tedious, and the men are frustrated and bored. They hate the tyrannical captain but feel great affection for Mr. Roberts, one of the officers. The play is mainly about Roberts's attempts to get transferred to combat duty, his relationship with his men, and his conflict with the captain. It also abounds in comic incidents, many of which originated from Heggen's real experiences aboard the USS Virgo (AKA-20), on …

Man And Superman, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1962-1963 Season

Man and Superman tells the story of two rivals: John Tanner (a wealthy, politically-minded intellectual who values his freedom) and Ann Whitefield (a charming, scheming hypocritical young woman who wants Tanner as a husband). Once Tanner realizes that Miss Whitefield is hunting for a spouse (and that he is the only target), he attempts to flee, only to find out that his attraction to Ann is too overwhelming to escape.

Right You Are

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Spring 1963 performance of Right You Are by Luigi Pirandello, translated by Eric Bentley.

Right You Are is the story of Mr. Ponza and his mother-in-law, Lady Frola, and the attempt by their village to determine the truth behind their story, as each claims the other is insane.

J.B., Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1962-1963 Season

The Book of Job has intrigued men's minds for thousands of years. It is to this book that an outstanding poet of our time has turned, seeking a metaphor for today. The play centers around two broken-down actors who venture to exercise their talents and re-inflate their egos by reading the parts of God and Satan after closing time in a circus show stage. They put on the masks only to discover that they have stumbled through the play into reality: the reality of a Voice, not theirs, which knows the lines ,they mean to speak. The J. B. of …

Bell, Book, And Candle, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1962-1963 Season

Gillian Holroyd is one of the few modern people who can actually cast spells and perform feats of supernaturalism. She casts a spell over an unattached publisher, Shepherd Henderson, partly to keep him away from a rival and partly because she is attracted to him. He falls head over heels in love with her at once and wants to marry her. But witches, unfortunately, cannot fall in love, and this minute imperfection leads into a number of difficulties. Ultimately, the lady breaks off with her companions in witchery, preferring the normal and human love offered her by the attractive publisher. …

The Pajama Game, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1962-1963 Season

The Pajama Game is a musical based on the 1953 novel 7½ Cents by Richard Bissell. The book is by George Abbott and Richard Bissell; the music and lyrics are by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story deals with labor troubles in a pajama factory, where workers' demands for a seven-and-a-half cent raise are going unheeded. In the midst of this ordeal, love blossoms between Babe, the grievance committee head, and Sid, the new factory superintendent.

Death Of A Salesman, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1961-1962 Season

Death of a Salesman is a 1949 play written by American playwright Arthur Miller. It was the recipient of the 1949 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play. The play premiered on Broadway in February 1949, running for 742 performances, and has been revived on Broadway four times, winning three Tony Awards for Best Revival. It is widely considered to be one of the greatest plays of the 20th century.

John Brown's Body, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1961-1962 Season

Stephen Vincent Benet, one of America's outstanding poets of this century, was born in 1898 and died in 1943. A direct descendant of military men, Benet published his most important work, "John Brown's Body," in 1928. This long narrative poem captured the Pulitzer Prize and has sold over 600,000 copies.

In 1952 Charles Laughton conceived the idea of staging "John Brown's Body." In late 1952 and throughout 1953 the production was a smash hit on Broadway and on-tour across the country. The production starred Tyrone Power, Judith Anderson and Raymond Massey. Laughton cut the long poem from its original 334-page …

The Hasty Heart

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Fall 1961 performance of The Hasty Heart by John Patrick.

The Hasty Heart tells the story of a group of Allied soldiers in a temporary British hospital after World War II, and their efforts to befriend a rather distant soldier with a terminal illness.

The Boy Friend, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1961-1962 Season

Set against the backdrop of the French Riviera, this romantic spoof of 1920s musical comedies tells the story of English heiress, Polly, who is longing for only one thing: a boy friend. Polly's father, convinced that any boy who isn't wealthy will court Polly strictly for her financial situation, forbids her to engage any potential suitors. Honoring his wishes, Polly explains to Tony, the messenger boy with whom she's fallen in love, that she is no rich girl. This is just the tip of the mistaken identity iceberg, as love proceeds to find its way charmingly through nearly every member …

Inherit The Wind, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1960-1961 Season

Inherit the Wind is a fictionalized account of the 1925 Scopes "Monkey" Trial, which resulted in John T. Scopes' conviction for teaching Charles Darwin's theory of evolution to a high school science class, contrary to a Tennessee state law.

J.B.

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Spring 1961 performance of J.B. by Archibald MacLeish.

J.B. is a retelling of the Biblical story of Job by two old circus performers by the name of Zuss and Nickles (Zeus and Satan), who make a wager and play out Job’s story in modern America where Job is a millionaire named J.B..

This was part of the 1961 Fine Arts Festival and performed in Maytag Auditorium.

The Bald Soprano, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1960-1961 Season

The Smiths are a traditional couple from London who have invited another couple, the Martins, over for a visit. They are joined later by the Smiths' maid, Mary, and the local fire chief, who is also Mary's lover. The two families engage in meaningless banter, telling stories and relating nonsensical poems. At one point, Mrs. Martin converses with her husband as if he were a stranger she just met. As the fire chief turns to leave, he mentions "the bald soprano" in passing, which has a very unsettling effect on the others. Mrs. Smith replies that "she always styles her …

The Glass Menagerie

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Spring 1961 performance of The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams.

The Glass Menagerie is a memory play narrated and led by a young man named Tom, who recounts life with his mother Amanda and sister Laura. The play has strong autobiographical elements of the playwright Tennessee and his experience growing up with his mother and sister.

The Gazebo, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1960-1961 Season

The Gazebo is an upbeat play by Alec Coppel. Elliott Nash, a television playwright is married to Nell, a successful Broadway thespian. Nell had an ignominious moment in her past when she posed for some photos best left in obscurity and now Elliott is being blackmailed by the owner of the photos. Elliot's solution is to carry out a carefully executed murder and then bury the body underneath a gazebo being constructed in the backyard. Although the dastardly deed goes off without a hitch, the body of the blackmailer turns up elsewhere, leaving Elliott to track down who it was …

Teahouse Of The August Moon, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1960-1961 Season

In the aftermath of World War II, the island of Okinawa was occupied by the American military. Captain Fisby, a young army officer, is transferred to a tiny Okinawa island town called Tobiki by his commanding officer, Colonel Purdy. Fisby is tasked with the job of implementing "Plan B". The plan calls for teaching the natives all things American and the first step for Capt. Fisby is to establish a democratically elected mayor, chief of agriculture, chief of police, and president of the Ladies League for Democratic Action. Plan "B" also calls for the building of a schoolhouse (Pentagon shaped), …

Ten Nights In A Barroom, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1959-1960 Season

In the course of which play such alternate scenes of joy and misery, hope and despair, will be portrayed as cannot fail to rivet the attention of the spectator and excite the warmest sympathies of the suffering so patiently endured. The author has put his inventions to rack and every power of his imagination to full flight to embody such characters never yet essayed in any drama.

The fine and appropriate sceneries of beautiful hues and rich tints in one general and grand effect and bringing into request the complete machineries of this elaborately constructed stage and executed by eminent …

King Of Hearts, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1959-1960 Season

The play was originally conceived by Eleanor Brooke and was written as an exercise in the drama course at Catholic University in which she was a pupil of Walter Kerr, drama critic of the New York Herald Tribune. Her teacher encouraged her to rewrite the play, which she did several times, and she finally asked a fellow drama student Jean Kerr, wife of Mr. Kerr, to collaborate with her in the final revision.

The play opened on April 1, 1954, with Cloris Leachman, Jackie Cooper, and Donald Cook in starring roles, and closed on November 27 of the same year. …

The Diary Of Anne Frank, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1959-1960 Season

The Diary of Anne Frank, found by Anne's father after the young girl's death, was translated into English and published in a two-part condensation in the magazine, Commentary, and then in book form · in 1952. Its simplicity and candor moved it immediately to the best seller list. Producer Cheryl Crawford obtained the state rights to the book not long after it was published, and Meyer Levin was assigned to its adaptation. But then, quietly, Miss Crawford allowed her option on the rights to drop. Kermit Bloomgarden, veteran producer, immediately picked up the stage rights and elected the husband …