Defending 'Whorehouse'

To the Editors of the Crimson:

As a proud citizen of the great state of Texas and a fair judge of theater. I feel compelled to respond to Laurence Grafstein's review of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Apparently, Mr. Grafstein has done little or no research into this musical; this is evident from several of his groundless criticisms. The most glaring example is his description of the investigative reporter, Melvin P. Thorpe of Watchdog News. It is a "contrived role," a "suitable Dan Rather imitation."

What Mr. Grafstein has failed to realize is the fact that the musical is based on actual events that took place a few years ago in the small Texas town of Lagrange, about an hour's ride outside of Houston. The Chicken Ranch, as it was known to the local citizens, was closed due to the efforts or Marvin Zindler of Houston's Channel 13 Eyewitness News. He operated, and continues to operate, a consumer hotline, investigating complainsts called in by viewers. One such complaint was the existence of the Chicken Ranch. Mr. Zindler is famous for his incredibly theatrical news reports, and he became extremely unpopular with the residents of Lagrange. With this in mind, I find it difficult to understand how Mr. Grafstein can label Melvin P. Thorpe an "overworked stereotype." Further, the comparison of Thorpe to Dan Rather or the Rev. Billy Sol Hargas only betrays the reviewer's ignorance of these facts. The strength of this musical lies in the fact that the unique characters and events are real; Mr. Grafstein has missed this crucial point and produced superficial and groundless criticisms.

Thorpe Zindler is not the only stereotype, apparently. The brothel's caretaker, played by Marilyn Johnson, also offends Mr. Grafstein; he notes, "Johnson is also a stereotype; she is black." Texans, I know, are not as sophisticated or advanced as other Americans, but I was unaware that being black is considered a stereotype.

Mr. Grafstein, the musical even has a message or two, but neither time nor space permit an explanation of that as well. Craig Siegel '80