Teahouse of the August Moon

Written by John Patrick, The Teahouse of the August Moon describes the attempts of U. S. officers to inflict democracy upon the remote Okinawan village of Tobiki. A young college professor turned army captain, effectively played by John Forsythe, is sent to Tobiki with explicit instructions: he must build a pentagon-shaped school, deliver a lecture series on democracy, and establish a Women's League for Democratic Action. Forsythe is quite natural and convincing in the role.

Sakini, a native interpreter played by David Wayne, accompanies Captain Fisby to the village. Wayne's face and gestures are wonderfully expressive, and his glib handling of Patrick's witty lines is a delight. Particularly charming are the introductions to each scene he speaks on a bare stage. Wayne's superb acting makes his part completely believable.

The villagers shower the arriving captain with gifts, among which is a Geisha girl named Lotus Blossom for his own exclusive use. Lotus Blossom is played by Mariko Niki, a lovely young Japanese actress who is fragially feminine and completely enchanting in the role.

But Lotus Blossom brings with her a host of problems in occupational diplomacy. The Women's League for Democratic Action accuses Fisby of discriminating against it, and demands that the G. girl give instruction in her art to all the village women.

"Orientation of the Oriental" takes a further step backward when the villagers demand that Uncle Sam build them a teahouse instead of a schoolhouse. Fisby tactfully gives in, and then to give the people enough money to trade at the teahouse, sort of a rustic Hayes-Bick, he tries to establish them in the souvenir business. The troops won't take the trinkets, and the village is forced to resort to the sale of home-brewed, week-old brandy to the island officers' clubs. The brandy business booms and little Tobiki thrives. A teahouse is built. This set, designed by Peter Larkin, is beautifully done, and drew opening-night applause. Larkin's other sets are fairly good. Particularly effective is his use of a bamboo curtain that is raised in sections like the sails of a junk.

The production's only weakness is an overly-drawn-out first act. The second and third were perfectly paced and thoroughly charming, with a particularly effective second act curtain. But Patrick admits that he must trim several minutes from the play before New York, and if he can cut them all this from the first act, it should equal the pace of the latter two. The play is a most entertaining satire on the idiosyncracies of military occupation, and certainly deserves to be one of the comedy successes of the New York season.