Baitg VOL. 53, No. 125 STATE COLLEGE, PA., SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 1953 FIVE CENTS Acting, Script In 'Right. You By CHIZ MA.THIAS A. host of fine performances coupled with an intriguing script swept Center Stage last night to make "Right You Are! (If You Think So)" one of the better Play er shows this season. The comedy mystery-drama (call it what you like) by Pirendello opened a six weekend run at the arena theater. Director Warren S. Smith has given the play a simple but exact ing production and the sina 11 opening night crowd was alter natenly amused, perplexed, and goaded by suspense probably just what Pirendello intended! Sarkas a 'Natural' Cast members slipped into their roles with an amazing under standing of character. In their earthliness they lose the Italian atmosphere of the play and the action could take place anywhere. But, the setting is irrevelant. It is the nature of the characters themselves that exudes the real essence of the play. Only Al Sarkas, reflecting the philosophies of the author as Lau disi, retains a flavor of Italia. He is casual 'and fits the part like a natural. In his appearance and manners he reminds us of a philo sophical J. Caroll Nash in "Luigi" as he sits back, laughs at his cohorts and takes life with a grain of salt. As the mother-in-law Frola, Jolly Oswalt, her usual stage radiance dulled by lining pencils and mortician's wax, gives a sen sitive and powerfully emotional perfofmance. There is a tragic simplicity in the bend of her back and the gasp of , her breath pro jecting a true picture of the pathos of her age and predica ment. Looking like the villain in an old time melodrama, Clifton -Cros bie hobbles about looking men aced and menacing in a sulking and neurotic performance of the soul-tortured — Signor Ponza. At times he is carried away with the role and in one tense scene we almost expect him to bludgeon poor Frola with his cane. Leaves Audience Spinning ExCellent support is given by Dominic Landro as Councillor Agazii, Allen Adair, AlyCe Mears, Yvonne Voigt, Betsy Jones, Nancy Fortna, and Rochelle Zinger, as town gossips, and Mort Slakoff as the governor. "Right You Are" sweeps in like a breeze, huilds up like a power ful whirlwind, and subsides, leav ing the audience still spinning. Pirendello has not only strayed from the beaten_ path of play wrights, but seems to have got lost along the way. The result is, surprisingly enough, very .good theater. The play is built around a single incident of buffoonery with sharp overtones. Some gothips_con gregate to discuss their. neighbor Signor Ponza's strange - marriage. He claims that. his mother-in-law is insane and believes his . second wife is her daughter, the first wife he says died. She swears that Ponza is mentally unstable and _lives under the delusion that his first wife was killed, when actually she is living and still his, wife. One of them is obViously mad, but which one? While . the audi ence sits in suspense the de nouncement is sprung on them like the jaws of a steel trap and they are plunged into a far great er' dilemma. Players' costumes are' colorful and reminiscent of a Sears Roe buck catalogue, 1912. TODAY'S WEATHER COLD Willi RAIN FOR ABETTER PENN STATE • —Photo by Boyles CLIFTON CROSBIE, left, as Signor Ponza, coerces his mother-in law Frola, played by Jolly Oswalt, into fearful submission in a tense scene from "Right You Are! (If You Think So.)" The comedy- Mystery by Pirandello opened a six-weekend run last night at Center Stage. Warfield to Close Community Concerts Equally at home before the footlights of a Broadway musical, on the concert stage, and in front of the moving picture cameras is William Warfield, baritone, who will appear Wednesday night in Schwab Auditorium in the last program of the current CoMmunity Concert series. Warfield may be best remembered for his portrayal of Porgy in the recent revival of,the Heyward- Gershwin folk opera, "Porgy and Bess," and for his rendition of "01' Man River" in the motion picture, "Show. Boat." With the "Porgy and Bess" company Warfield appeared at the edge of the Iron Curtain in. Berlin, and Vienna and toured England and other European coun tries. Previously, following his concert debut in New York's Town Hall in March, 1950, he appeared in concerts throughout Australia under the auspices of the Aus tralian Broadcasting Commission. His first musical experience came as a boy soprano in the choir of the church in Rochester, N.Y., where his father was pastor. He gave up singing as "sissy stuff" and - turned to piano lessons, • and it was not until he was in - high school that he took up singing again. During his senior year in high school, he won first place in a competition at the Music Educa tors National Conference and ,was awarded a scholarship to East man Music School. Following service in the armed forces; War (Continued on page two) Religion-- Sociology Prof Will Discuss 'What Is Man?' Wesley Foundation member will be host to Westminster Fel lowship at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow for the first in, a series of four dis-, cussions on "What Is Man?" Dr. Walter Coutu; professor. of soci ology, will be the first of the four scheduled speakers. Harold Dillenbeck, instructor of mechanical engineering, w ill speak to Lutheran Student Asso ciation at Student Vespers, 6:30 p.m. tomorrow. / At 2 p.m. tomorrow, a group from. B'nai B'rith of McKeesport will conduct a mock degree instal lation for Hillel Foundation mem bers. Those interested in taking a course on Basic Judaism'are asked to sign up today at Hißel.- The course will be taught by Rabbi Benjamin M. Kahn at 4:10 p.m. Thursdays until the end_ of the semester. Various textbOoks will be used for the instruction. United Student Fellowship members will review "What Is Christianity?" at a round-table discussion at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow. Penn State Club Nominates Officers Eight students have been nom inated: for offices by the Penn State Club. Nominations will be closed and elections will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday in 405 Old Main.. Those nominated are Walter Kowalik, president; Frank Hitch cock, Alvin Goodman, vice presi dent; William Jones, secretary; John Belak, treasurer; Richard Reskova.c, athletic committee chairman; Robert Neiman, parli mentarian; and Heng Lim,- publi city commit - Mc chairman. ToUrgiatt combine Well Are' Opening eke Wants Draft Law Extended WASHINGTON, April 17 (M The Eisenhower administration disclosed today it will ask Con gress to extend the draft law be yond its 1955 expiration date even if fighting ends in Korea. American defenses will remain "strong and alert" no matter how the international situation chang es in the next few years, Dr. John A. Hannah, assistant secretary of defense for, manpower, told the American Society- of Newspaper editors. A year from now, he said, defense chiefs will be ap pearing before Congress asking for an extension of the Selective Service Act. It is scheduled to expire June 30, 1955. "Should there be a period of relaxing international - tension meanwhile," Hannah stated, "we hope the newspaper's of the coun and reiterate to Spring Election Vote Machines Arrive Today Voting machines to be used in the spring elections, Wed nesday and. Thursday, are expected to arrive today, accord ing to Ronald Thorpe, elections committee chairman. Sample ballots, showing the po sition of the candidates on the machines and which levers con trol voting for the candidates, have been obtained and will be distrib uted in dormitories and fraterni ties Thorpe said the Automatic Vot ing Machine Corp. of Jamestown, N.Y. is, supplying five machines. Sample machines for the students to familiarize themselves with the operation of the regular machines also will be sent here with the regular machines. Campaign to Resume The company will send Frank A. Stone as a representative of the company to supervise the use of the machines, Thorpe said. On the campus political scene, Lion and State parties will con tinue the break in their campaigns until tomorrow. McElwain and Simmons dormi tories will both be brought under the attention of the State and Lion candidates when they resume their campaign tomorrow. Lion party candidates will also • move into the Nittany and West Dormi tory areas to continue stumping activities. Atherton to Be Visited On Monday, all State party can didates will visit fraternities dur ing the noon meal, and at 5:15 p.m. they will campaign in Atherton. State party All-College candidates will visit McKee Hall• at 7 p.m., while the senior class candidates travel to independent living units in town, and while the junior class candidates are in Watts and Irvin. Lion party candidates. for All- College, senior, and junior class offices will carry their campaign to Atherton on Monday afternoon and in the evening to the Nittany and West Dormitory area. 50 to Appear In Glee Club Annual Concert The Penn State Glee Club will present its annual spring concert at 3 p.m. tomorrow in Schwab Auditorium. The program is open to the public and is free of charge. Featured in the concert will be several _groups from within the organization and. two soloists.. The concert is under the direction of Frank Gullo, associate professor of music. • A total of 12 numbers will be sung by the 50-man Glee Club, including "Hail, to Pennsylvania State" (Ray Fortunato),"Gandy Dancer's Ball" (Weston-Howard) ; and "Rise 'n Shine" ,(Vincent You mans). The Hy-Los, a 19-man comedy group, will sing five selections, and the Varsity Quartet will pre sent four. Solos will be offered by Eudell Korman, pianist, who also serves as accompanist for the program, and Leßue Durrwachter, tenor. Korman will play "Toc cata" (Aram Khachaturian), and Durrwachter "De Glory Road" (Jacques Wolfe). the people of this country the necessity for keeping our defenses strong and alert, even though it entails drafting all young men for two years of involuntary service." Congress will also be asked to continue the draft of medical of ficers beyond the June - 30, 1954, expiration date, Hannah said. The manpower chief estimated that in about 30 months the country will have exhausted its pool of men who can meet the current physi cal and m - e n t a 1 standards for military service. "Assuming first - that the strength of our uniformed forces will be continued at or near the present strength of 3 1 / 2 million men and women, and second that the period of involuntary service remains at 24 .months, we will continue to use manpower faster than the males in our population turn 18% years of age and be Army Man Will Speak At Chapel Col. Francis' Pickens Miller, con sultant to the State Department from Charlottesville, Va., will speak on "For Freedom Hds Christ Set Us Free" at Chapel, 11 a.m. tomorrow in Schwab Auditorium. Col. Miller will also speak at the faculty lecture on "Christian Faith and Social Policy" at 8 p.m. tomorrow in 10 Sparks. A native of Kentucky, Colonel Miller received degrees from Washington and Lee University and Oxford. He served• in both, world wars and was full colonel on the staff of. G-2 SHAEF. A member of the Commission of 25 of the World Council of Chur ches, Colonel Miller is also a mem ber of the boards of the U.S. Aca demy at West Point and of Mary Baldwin College in Virginia. Colonel Miller was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates for four years. He is the author of "The Giant of the Western World" and "The Blessings of Liberty." The Chapel Choir will sing as introit "To Thee, Jehovah, Will I Sing Praises" (Bach) and as an them "Then Round About the Starry Throne" (Handel). George Ceiga, organist, w 111 play as prelude "Agnus Dei from `Fortuna Mass' " (Des - Pres); as offertory "Adagio from 'Trio No. 10' " (Bach); and as postlude "Al lein - Gott in Der Hoh sei Ehr" (Bach). Counselor Formi Accepted Today Applications will be accepted to day in the Dean of Men's office, 109 Old Main; from men desiring to ser v e as Orientation Week counselors Sept. 15 and 16. Approximately 100 men will be accepted as counselors. Those liv ing in 'College dormitories will receive free room and board. Counselors living outside of dorms will receive approximately $lO as reimbursement for expenses. ' Aim of the counseling program is to acquaint new students with the College, its regulations, social. academic, extra- curricular, and religious activities, and general atmosphere.. Cheer Contest Set A contest to obtain ne w cheers "truly representative of the College" •for use next year will be run next week, Alan McChesney, head cheerleader, announced yesterday. Up to three $5 prizes will be awarded for cheers which are accepted. Cheers are to be submitted at the Sturnent Union desk in Old Main before noon next Satur day. come eligible to be drafted," he said. Hannah came to the Pentagon from the presidency of Michigan State College. His appearance at the annual meeting of the editors' society was the occasion of his first public address since joining the civilian high command at the Defense Department. The "hard and unpleasant" facts of the draft situation, Hannah said, are a spur to the Defense Department to find better ways of using the country's military manpower. Studies are now under way toward this end, he said. Secretary of Defense Wilson indicated recently that every ef fort would be made to reduce the military's manpower requirements without endangering national - se- . curity. One aim is to level off the monthly draft quotas at .a lower and more constant rate.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers