jane foster thornton
3001 broadway
new york 27, n. y.Tuesday
Dear Patrizia,
Things have been fairly hopping around here since I got back, and hopping so fast that I haven't had a chance to write my own name, let alone a letter. The very first day I got here, one of the gals from Columbia Players asked me to try out for the two one-act plays that Players are putting on this week. So I did, and I have a small part in the Shewing Up of Blanco Posnet and a walk-on as Queen Eurydice in Antigone. It's agreat [sic] deal of fun --- rehearsals every night and homework afterwards, but everyone's awfully nice and a good time is had by all. Our ad was in the Sunday Times. Of course, we're running competition with Homecoming Game and so forth, but, as Dolph says, "Aht for Aht's sake." Also, re Mehitabel, "The eternal struggle between life and art is wearin' me out." But don8t [sic] I love it.
Drama Workshop is even more wonderful than I'd anticipated, and I'd had very high hopes. Mildred Dunnock is the most charming, sincere, unawesome creature in the world. She was a teacher before she became an actress, and therefore knows just how to go about training young hopefuls in the aht of acting. Norris Houghton is a real dear, very charming, down-to-earth and friendly but (you will pardon the expression) a lousy le cturer. [sic] He actually knows my name, and after I'd read for a part in Alcestis, our first play, said "Very nice."
He was a real sweet thing and gave us all free passes for the preview of "The Carefree Tree" at the Phoenix with Janice Rule and Farley Granger. It's a beautiful production. The sets and pantomime are lovely, but to my mind the dialogue could be dispensed with with no lasting harm to the play as a whole. Back to Drama Workshop. A nice young man named Patton Campbell is in charge of the scnery [sic] end of it, and I like him very much. He's very nice looking, quiet, almost shy, and of all things, he designed the sets for Bert's thesis production at Yale Drama and knew Bert quite well. I'm production manager for the first play, Alcestis, so I'm very happy.
I'm also doing the sets for Androcles and the Lion for University Christian Assoc. Jean Houston, a very fine actress here at Barnard and a wierdy if there ever was one (she got the award for the best off-Broadway actress last year) is directing it. I've made my drawings, and both Pat and Mr. Houghton like them, so now all I have to do is build the cursed things.
Besides all this, almost all my courses are reading courses --- Englsih [sic] History, Victorian Prose, Shakespeare, Botany, and Drama Workshop --- but even though I don't have time to do the assignments, I make time, and love everything I read. Also, all my professors are wonderful --- all men, which helps.
Got a note from Joanie the other day saying she's engaged to be engaged. To whom? When? How? Have you heard? Letter from Phil, and he seems well and happy. No news from you, thou worm. What goes? Tell me all or me no speakum next time we meetum!
Love,
Janie