Word: chapman
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...production's one failing is so glaringly obvious that one wonders how it was possible. Having put all this effort into directing the play, having commissioned Joseph Raposo to do a new musical score, why would Robert Chapman select his cast without any apparent regard for their singing ability? "It's not just a question of having no excellent voices in the company; most of the voices are not passable, the lyrics rarely intelligible. One song is bad enough that the singing must have been intentionally off-key; this is wrong--it makes it impossible to understand the lyrics...
...Chapman's direction is wonderfully sharp; a series of gimmicks keeps the comic scenes rolling and the company makes excellent use of Horace Armistead's sets, the best the Loeb has seen in a long time. The sets are lavish and contain a lot of the props necessary to keep the action rolling, but they permit the visible-to-the-audience scene changes Brecht called...
Bruce Kornbluth's Sergeant Kite is a masterpiece of Villainy; his masquerades as a lady fortune-teller and as a preacher are splendidly done. K. Lype O'Dell's Balance and David Meneghal's Brazen are fine comic parts. In a moment of inspiration, Chapman Laurence Senetlick in the relatively minor role of Simpkins, and Senelick's sniggering, swaggering portrayal of the only poor man who lines up with the bourgeoisie (he's Justice Balance butler) justifies him. Simpkins' description of Bunker Hill is one of the highlights of the evening...
...Dumb Waiter is a very funny play, and Director Robert Chapman has chosen to emphasize its comic aspects--at the expense of just about everything else. Gus, played by K. Lype O'Dell, is a perfect buffoon throughout the play. Ben(David Meneghel) is more the prototype of the cool, calm professional killer, but he eventually is caught up in volatile arguments with Gus about absolutely trivial subjects. If The Dumb Waiter were only a funny play, if Pinter were capable of nothing more than writing funny dialogue, one could scarcely have found fault with O'dell's or Meneghel...
Some break. Chapman's new monocoque Lotuses had proved to be a sensation all right. Stirling Moss had crashed in one and nearly been killed; Mike Taylor had crashed in one and nearly been killed; Allen Stacey had crashed in one and been killed. "I wouldn't drive a car like that," growled the U.S.'s Phil Hill. "You never know what piece is going to break off next." In the Dutch Grand Prix, Clark's gearbox broke; in the British Grand Prix, it was his suspension. In 1961, Jim finally was able to sign full...