Permanent Sanders Theatre Set Planned

The Cambridge Drama Festival, in preparation for its series of classical plays this summer, revealed tentative plans last night for a permanent Elizabethan set to be built in Sanders Theatre. The University has donated the Sanders stage to the drama group for its three-play summer program.

Robert O'Hearn, designer for the Cambridge Drama Festival, recently completed a series of sketches for the set. The main feature is a platform stage built out into the theatre so that the encircling audience can see the actors.

William Morris Hunt '36, one of the festival's executive producers, emphasized last night that the new stage plans were not final and that Harvard would check the design before a definite approval was given. Since the set will be of a permanent nature, the University will have to ascertain whether or not the proposed arrangement will be suitable for its future use.

Hunt also pointed out that this was not the first time such as set has been constructed. In 1895, a set was built in Sanders and was used for over twenty years for various Shakespearian productions.

The group has also embarked on a fund-raising campaign to finance the summer productions, but final estimates on the amount necessary and decisions on the method of raising the money have not yet been made.

At present, plans for the selection of the three plays are also in the formative stage. Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, Arthur Kennedy, Judith Anderson, Mildred Dunnock, John Kerr, Siobban McKenna, and Richard Burton have expressed interest in the series. However, all arrangements are presently liquid, and no final committments will be made for several weeks.