stage/screen

Dobama Theater Debut Impresses

By PETER BELLAMY There's distinguished acting and some beautiful writing in the drama "The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window," which is the opening attraction at Dobama Theater's new theater at 1846 Coventry Road, Cleveland Heights.

It is more than right that a drama never before seen in Cleveland open this experimental theater.

The play was written by the late late Lorraine Hansberry, author of "Raisin in the Sun." Her untimely death in January, 1965, cut short a career which promised great dramatic accomplishment.

The play is a passionate plea for tolerance and idealism in a world cursed by materialism, prejudice, cynicism and selfishness. The time is 1964.

HOWEVER, SHE takes too long to state the message and the means by which she does it are sometimes abstruse. The play now runs about three hours, even after director Don Binachi has eliminated an entire scene. There is little action, although its characters can be as abusive towards 2ach other as those in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"

One of the characters compares the sufferings and social scorn of homoexuals with prejudice against Negroes. The comarison seems illogical since the problems of the homoexual are glandular, physical or psychiatric and the ils of most Negroes are conomic and social.

There is humor and sevral moments of hilarity in he play but it is ironic. One ⚫ffective device to make he play more theatrical is › have several of its chareters face the audience as ough to appeal for its unerstanding and support. In essence, the play is bout an idealistic editor of small newspaper who rows his support to a polician in hope of reform. In le process, he almost loses is wife and it appears cerin he will lose his newsaper.

THE DRAMA takes its titfrom a sign reading, Vote Reform," which angs in Editor Brustein's .indow.

The

performance

of

James Wilcher as Brustein is remarkable. The role is demanding for he is on stage the entire time. The number of his lines is a triumph of memory. He is always a genuine human being, sometimes irritating in his doctrinaire humors and polemics, but quite often touching in his faith in man.

He conveighs the imprestem is strung on wires. He sion that his nervous sys-

vibrates as an ulcer ridden of mankind whose heartbeliever in the brotherhood break over the ills of society too often take the form of unjust, nasty remarks to his wife. By profession Wilcher is a teacher at Woodbury High School.

Lee June commands spontaneous spontaneous applause as Brustein's stodgy sister-inlaw. Her character is a supremely honest one for she states her color prejudice frankly. It comes to a culmination when she objects to her other call girl sister's possible marriage to a Negro even thou the latter is responsible, educated and loving.

Elarka Hakanson is like so many women one has met. She loves her brilliant, intellectual, idealist husband and would put up with the lack of creature comforts if ever she got more than a passing affectionate word. Jerry Thal is a gem in the bit role of an eccentric artist.

Leonard Dean plays the role of a completely disillusioned homosexual playright, but does not project either vocally or characterwise as such. Peter Ottrix is the Negro who would sincerity is eloquent. Karmarry the call girl and his ranne Frew is highly articulate and attractive in the unconvincing role of the call girl. Rick Lundquist is sufficiently oily as the politician.