Word: farrand
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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Lina Sczepanowskae, (Jan Farrand), a beauteous Polish acrobat, assists the principals in defining their viewpoints, serving as the object of their individual amorous efforts. She spurns them all for her independence; the curtain falls and the audience is left to judge the elements of each philosophy for what it is worth. They are not all compatible, and the audience is left with the Shavian scurge, the unresolved paradox...
Miss Mareey mixes frivolity and seriousness with a skill that gives depth to her role; Miss Farrand handles the difficult role of the aerobat adequately although she seems a bit forced. Unfortunately Morgan's John is not quite natural and makes his point somewhat more difficult to comprehend. Most outstanding is Peter Temple, who as an impoverished clerk gives a great deal of blunt humor to a play which is necessarily more subtle in its important topics...
Though I have never seen the Lamats in this play, I'm afraid I was occasionally haunted on opening night by their specters. Miss Farrand and Mr. Fletcher are polished and talented actors and need no apologies made for their performances--still, it occurred to me that "The Guardsman" is one of those plays which very much needs the kind of 'grandness' that the Lunts always bring to their parts. Without that quality, "The Guardsman" is just another pleasantly amusing comedy of the Continental genre, designed to flatter one with its naughtiness rather than honestly exhilarate as comdedy should...
Aside from the plot situation, "The Guardsman" has very little wit, though the Brattle Players frequently make it seem so. With them for this show as a guest actress, is Viola Roache, who gives a sturdily humorous performance as the quasi-"Mama" to Miss Farrand. Other highlights of the evening are contributed by Jeanne Tufts as a theater usher, and by Eleanor MacLean as Liesl, the maid. Miss MacLean's name has been on the Brattle programs before, but always in the capacity of wardrobe mistress. If this is a promotion, it is certainly a just one, for her maid...
...indicated above, I can find no fault with the acting of Mr. Fletcher and Miss Farrand--except to stupidly point out that they are not the Lunts, a sad shortcoming they must share with all other actors. Of the two I would say that Mr. Fletcher gives the better show, and that his guardsman is preferable to his husband...