Word: houseman
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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...this to point up the wisdom of John Houseman's directorial approach to the play. On the rare occasions when it is produced, the work usually tends to be turned into a circus. This Houseman steadfastly refused to do. He preferred to play it straight for the most part; though he was not afraid to introduce occasional bits of humor where they really belong, as in the phony prisoner-of-war inquisition. But, much to his credit, he had the good taste not to court a cheap laugh by having Helena make her final entrance obviously great with child...
...Houseman has underlined the essential gravity in a number of ways. He had Dorothy Jeakins design the costumes for three important members of the Roussillon household--the Countess, Lafeu, and Helena herself--all in blacks and browns. And Will Steven Armstrong's settings for Rousillon are rather colorless (except in the finale), compared with the blues and golds of Paris and the burnt oranges and ochres of Florence. Also, much of Herman Chessid's background music, full of archaic touches right down to Landini and Burgundian cadences, is melancholia-tinged...
...Houseman's blocking of his performers is nearly faultless; and there are numerous examples of especially felicitous solutions, such as having Parolles on his kness when he is sarcastically saluted by the soldiers...
Hoist a cup o' sack to the Connecticut Stratfordians! With their new production of The Merry Wives of Windsor, which had its official opening yesterday afternoon, co-directors John Houseman and Jack Landau have put the American Shakespeare Festival back into high gear...
Washburn's Hundred Dollar Rats depends largely upon characterization. Through repetitive statements that indicate they are perchance victims of some sort of mental imbalance his characters are carefully and knowingly sketched. Jack Houseman ("It's all the same--what does it matter") is very wealthy, very sick, and a collector of hideous Victorian furniture and bric-a-brac. His wife, Whiffy ("It's crazy! It's crazy!) doesn't really believe in collecting things, yet collects match covers avidly, wants to sell Jack's Victoriana for money, yet is terribly bored with money...