'Royal Family' Presented at Tufts

As a tribute to the late Ethel Barrymore, director Marston Balch and the company of the Tufts Arena Theatre have revived The Royal Family. And with this early (1927) George S. Kaufman-Edna Ferber comedy, these industrious young student-performers conclude their 1959 summer season, by taking us back to the Roaring Twenties when the Barrymores were the reigning theatrical dynasty.

The script is neither profound nor off-beat, as most of the Tufts repertoire traditionally is. It is actually little more than a reminder from a couple of real pros that the old adage "there's no business like show business" has some foundation. But it is amazing how much more sophisticated, well-constructed, and entertaining this thirty-year-old piece is than the comparable Broadway material of today.

Working with a cast of varied ability, director Balch has staged a lively, amusing production, utilizing the arena stage with ease. Frederick Blais, as Oscar Wolfe, the devoted manager of the Cavendish clan, is just about perfect. Sporting an hillarious Viennese accent, impressive gestures, and clean decisive movement, he turns in the most polished performance I have seen at Tufts this season.

Helen Kelly is also quite pleasing as Julia Cavendish. Though she frequently underplays where she should be more commanding as a first lady of the theatre, she has a wonderful way with a sarcastic line, and her second act is particularly good.

Donald Cerulli and Rennie Brown are properly pompous and gossipy as family hangers-on and Linda Avitabile, though less successful as Fanny Cavendish, has her moments. Alvin Cohen is evidence that a good actor will make something thorough even out of a non-speaking bit part.

John Kennedy, who played a prominent role in last week's production, again stumbles and stutters through a performance. Mr. Kennedy should be informed that nothing makes an audience more uneasy than an actor fumbling for his lines. It reeks of incompetence or laziness. The remainder of the cast, distributed among the lesser roles, would benefit from several more courses in voice and movement.

Despite the fact thaat some of the dialogue is quite dated now, Kaufman's satiric wit bites through like a whiplash, and such lines as "Marriage isn't a career. It's an incident!'" are timelessly funny. The Tufts players seem to be having a wonderful time doing this period piece, and it makes enjoyable watching.