Dear Pat,
It sounds as though you've been as busy as I have since we last saw each other, and I didn't think it was possible that anyone could be. As I think I told you, Players did "Dark of the Moon" immediately we got back from Intercession. Pat McA. and I did the lights which were designed by Carol Hoover, a Vassar graduate who's the electrician at the 4th St Theatre and is at the moment engaged in lighting "Uncle Vanya." Incidentally, the man who did "Dark's" sets did the costumes for "Vanya" - Dick Mason, by name. It was the most complicated lighting job I've ever worked in my life - 26 presets and 82 cues. We had to borrow quite a few instruments and replug like fury. It took three of us working during the whole show to do it, but the lighting was most effective, and I really feel, that after hanging, focusing, circuiting, patching and running the board, I'm ready to design the lighting for a show. Frank agrees, and is all for my doing the next Gilbert and Sullivan and running the board for Wigs and Cues production of "Climate of Eden" which opens the week we get back from Easter. But I also have to have the set for "Bermuda Alba" by Lorca well on the way by then, and I doubt if I'll have time for "Climate." We're getting a guest director in for "Bermuda," a man named Cyril Book, whom I've never heard of. Tryouts are Wednesday of this week, and I ought to have the ground plan done by Friday, since he'll have to figure out his blocking and have it set by the Monday we get back. This afternoon I trundle over to the architectural library to brush up on Spanish architecture of the early 20th century. It seems that I'm eternally doing plays with Spanish settings. Hasta la vista, señorita!
Workshop has just finished doing Congreve's "Way of the World," à la Dolph Sweet, and it was a moderate success. Pat Campbell designed the set and I was his assistant, in charge of building, getting things together, and supervising in general. It really went fairly well. In the mall scene we had little green brushes cut in the shapes of ducks, rabbits and goats, and gold birdcages with real parakeets therein. The parakeets got an excellent review. Incidentally, Show Business reviewed us quite decently, and I believe Village Voice & Variety covered it, too. Barnard Bulletin gave us a nice review. Said the sets looked like a vista at Versailles. Says Pat - "Aren't we embarrassed!" Were we? Not I, sir.
Mother and Susan and Mike were in town for the play and came up to see it. They enjoyed it muchly and left on Sunday before the great storm really took hold. 13" in the past 2 days. School almost closed yesterday. Very few of the professors were able to battle the drifts from Scarsdale or Westchester, so my English History exam was deferred till Wednesday. No traffic ran on Broadway, and the subways and buses were out of commission for hours. We couldn't walk on the deep sidewalks, so we walked out in the middle of the street. It was tremendously exciting I've really never seen such snow before. They say it's the worst storm since '47, and I don't doubt it.
Yes, I'll be home this Friday until Easter Sunday, unless something comes up. I have a take-home midterm for Milton to do over vacation, which I'm not looking forward to. Also, I'll have to do a finished sketch & working drawings so we can begin work on Monday, jolly thought.
Pat has given me a lead for a job in stock which sounds wonderful. A man named John Larsen is starting a new theatre in upper New York state, where Pat thinks I can probably get a job as assistant designer at $50 a week and room and board. It sounds wonderful, and I'm getting an appointment to meet him this week. Here's hoping!
(If I start writing in Middle English, please faryif [?] me, as I sitte in Chaucer class, and Professor Greet wandereth onne.)
As far as weekend of the 5th, I'll have to let you know when I get home. Ça dépende.
Do write more, & see you soon.
Love,
me [Jane Foster Thornton]