As Charlie Now shufﬂes through his
dead stepiather’s papers. the ghost of
his dear Da appears to chastise
him tor his failure to enjoy life,

This pivotal scene sets the action in
a series of flashbacks, encounters with
ghosts and memories, and introspec-
tion which mark the award-winning
Broadway play, m, to be performed
here next week,

03 will be presented on the Roberts
Theatre stage on Wednesday,
November 7, There will be two perfor»
mances, one at 3:30 pm, and the other
at 8:00 p.m. D3 is the winner of 16 ma-
jor theatrical awards, including tour
Tony Awards and the New York
Drama Critics Award as the “Best
Play oi the Year71973."

The play, written by Hugh Leonard,
one of Ireland‘s most successful and
prollfic modern playwrights, is being
produced in over 40 cities during the
197980 season by Tom Mallow. Mallow
heads the American Theatre Produc-
tions—a management agency that
does booking tor major Broadway pror
ductions.

The cast is headed by Jack Aranson,
who plays the title role of Da (a
contraction or Daddy given to him by
his adopted son, Charlie). Da is an

 

‘Da’—a crotchety Iri

articles by Jo

 

adryear-old man, recently deceased,
who spent his life as a gardener for a
wealthy patron He cherished lite and
made living an art during his stub-
born, wise, and humorous existence,

Charlie Now, played by Ian Stuart,
is Da‘s adopted son. He is a cynical,
iortyish writer who escaped to London
in order to get away from a dreary
life as a clerk in the town where he
grew up. Charlie, unlike his step
iather, finds life a pessimistic burden.
He has achieved moderate success in
London, but cannot escape the guilt he
feels for growing up ashamed of his
background and especially or his step
father.

Charlie returns to hislchildhood
home in Dublin ill order to bury his
stepiather and to dispose or Da’s
paltry effects. As he shuffles through
Da’s papers. he finds himseli suddenly
face to lace with Da’s ghost and
haunted by the old man's spirit.

The play becomes a series oi
flashbacks in which Charlie relives
scenes from his earlier days: He does
this with the assistance of Da and
various other “ghosts," who come and
go as they Wlsh, The play becomes a
mixture of reality, imagination, and
real memories.

The incidents vary: some iunny
some sad or poignant. We see the
Charlie runs away irom home, th.
time he attempts to seduce the 10-
iloozy—Yellow Peril—with Da‘s g
natured interferences, and the ti
young Charlie is comforted and
reassured by Da that his real mot
will not return to kidnap him. 0th
Characters come in as well: Olive
Childhood friend, Charlie’s stepr
mother, and Drumm, Charlie's fir
boss,

As the play unioids, time also
becomes a major character Char
realizes that to [orget the past, w
he wants to do, is wrong. The past
something to be understood and d
with. He would like to forget Da, -
only finds his affection for the old
growing. He iinaily understands t
to reject his stepfather would be li
rejecting himseli. He eventually
comes to grips with his past and p
sent and it is Da, the ersonificati
the past, who prods c arlie into t
future.

Other members of the Cast are:
George Feeney (Oliver), Virginia
tis tMother), Curtis J. Armstrong
(Young Charlie), Kevin O‘Leary
(Drumm), Cynthia Carle (Mary T

Kevin O’leary (Dromm), Jack Aronson, Cums} Armstrong, and Vll’glma Moms (/er le/l to right) shale a spot oi leg and
crompeis

8

Scar/El & Bloc

 

