With the Players
RAFE ROISTER DOISTER, the fun loving rover of the sixteenth century, comes vividly to life in the Players' excellent production of what has been called the first genuine English comedy." So began Professor West's review of Ralph Roister Doister, presented in the Little Theatre on March 10, 11, and 13. Just who had the most fun, the cast or the audience, is a matter of question; but I rather think both had a very good time. Hal MacGilpen, who played the title role, is the only one who felt badly for, in the war between men and women which occurs in the fourth act, he lost the padding in the seat of his tights. Bruce Tompkins, as Mathew Merrygreeke, feeling that the audience should not be disappointed, laid into him anyway and each thwack rattled the chairs in the balcony. Mac's groans seemed to come from the very bottom of his heart. Good natured fun and song ran riot over the stage, as this story of the braggart lover unfolded, and once or twice spilled out into the house. Merrel Condit, Phil Huffman, and Herb Landsman formed an unusual trio as Annet Alyface, Madge Mumblecrust, and Tibet Talkapace, romping about on the stage in something of a cross between a jig and a square dance. The climax came with the fight and for a while it looked as though the Three Stooges had picked a quarrel with the Ritz Brothers.
Farce seemed inevitable in everything connected with the show and an incident occurred in the business office too good to be missed. The programs returned from the printer with the author as BulwerLytton, and Henry Williams as our Technicolor Director. We telegraphed them to print new ones, "Play by Nicholas Udall. Williams, Technical Director." We received another thousand programs with Bulwer-Lytton as the author and Nicholas Udall Williams as the Technical Director. So we mimeographed our own.
As this show goes on, and tryouts for Richelieu start, our season goes into the home stretch as low comedy gives way to high melodrama in the play about the great Cardinal, .which has been a favorite for exactly one hundred years.
