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upon that and that I might touch that cheek high. Me, she speaks. Oh, speak again, Right, Angel? For thou art is glorious to this night being on my head As is a winged messenger of heaven until the white of turn wondering eyes of mortals that fall

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back to gaze on him when he bestrides the lazy pacing clouds and fails upon the bosom of the air. O Romeo, Romeo Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refused my name. Or if thou wilt now be but sworn, my love and I'll no longer

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be a captain It shall I hear more or shall I speak of this? It is but thy name that is my enemy. Thou art myself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? It is no hand nor foot, nor are no face or any other part belonging to

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a man will be some other name. What's in a name? That's what we call a rose by. Any other name would smell as sweet I take the anti word Call me but love and I'll be new baptized Henceforth I never will be Romeo. What man? Art

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thou that thus be screened the night so stumbles on my council by name. I know not how to tell me who I am. I named you ST is hateful to myself because it is an enemy to the head I'd written. I would tear the word O

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E. Yeah, Robert Service once called the theater the House of Life within the confines of the proscenium arch stage the auditorium. The drama unfolds and involves the spectator in a microcosm, ah, glimpse of the larger world. Live theaters, excitement and immediacy cannot be replaced or improved

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upon by other media each night on every stage, there is something new for everyone. This'll is assignment for the award winning weekly report to the West, presented in the community Interest by the documentary department of K. R O M. T. V. Tonight we'll try to find

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out if Standing Room only is a realistic goal for Bay Area Theater. Thing Theater in San Francisco has been in various stages of development, redevelopment, atrophy and acclaim for a century. Though the city is usually considered a culture capital, its theatrical evolution has rarely fulfilled the

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promise of its reputation. Small, impoverished groups come than vanish. Large stock and repertory companies established then go elsewhere or fold. That almost never does the community get involved enough with its theater to keep it going through its manic depressive cycles. This is a 1967 theater product,

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the new Shakespeare Company, in rehearsal for its initial presentation, Romeo and Juliet in the Trinity Episcopal Church. The company includes young Bay Area actors and technical people from all types of situations students, job holders, middle class loafers, low income strugglers, few of them with professional theater

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experience. As is usually the case with fledgling groups, the production of the play was held together by the efforts of the director, in this case a dynamic woman, Margaret Roma. She has a background in American and European theater is buried and impressive as anyone on the

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local scene, including worked with Bertolt Brecht and the Comedie Francais. Miss Roma has her own ideas on production. Shakespeare and Theater in general came out of MTV. Asked her what her group has learned from the experience of producing this play well, I think the kids, for

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the first time in their lives, have a chance find out how much what they think is talent in them is really there and have a chance to develop it needed actually what they do For the first time they meet themselves in the struggle off getting together

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off being responsible marches for learning lines for the whole product, off the whole project of building a theater that they in on it from the ground on up Gives them a feeling off. Uh, work. Been a dictator. What early tongue. So sweet saluted me. Young son.

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It argues a distemper head to bed so soon Good moral to buy bed care. Keep watching every old man's I And where care largest sleep will never lie. But where unbruised youth within stopped brained up couches lend there golden sleep show rain Therefore, by early next

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up me assure that thou art of rousing was from this temperature Or if not so then here I hit it right. Our Romeo has not been in bed tonight. That last is true. The sweet arrest was mine. God's pardon Sin. What now? With Rosaline Rosaline, My

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ghostly father. No, I have forgot that name And that name's Walt. That's my good fun. But where that's all been, then I'll tell the now they'll ask. Give me again. I have been feasting with my enemy. We're on a sudden one hath wounded me. That's by

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me, wounded both our remedies. Within thy help, in holy physic lies, I bear no hatred, Blessed man. We have a kind of a group that is very mm less Let's less egotistic than one would expect. So called actors to be young people who all the people

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to who mhm get out of themselves. Onda feel that drives toe understanding off the surrounding the environment. And further than that, your whole universe on this drive in this curiosity have some them not just to understand Shakespeare but to discover him as a friend, as somebody

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who feels everything they feel and is able to express it. Then Shakespeare becomes a contemporary and they become contemporary of Shakespeare. And then they're open. Really do enjoy critically the fact that shakes the lift in the time that is very close to ours. Off new discoveries

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that he spoke to an audience that wasn't made up off book worlds and intellectuals, professors, teachers but just the opposite off. Very ordinary, uneducated people who drank beer, made jokes use very bad language. Onda, who had no idea who Shakespeare Waas. Obviously, the players must have

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an audience. Otherwise their efforts are minimized or wasted altogether. In America, going to the theater has become somewhat stilted in formidable a costly and rare occasion for many people. But not all que auto in TV endeavor to find out just who does go to the theater

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and why. I find it very exciting. Um, there's one thing going to a movie, but so the report that you have between the audience on the performers when you can see a live stage production. I like to go to the theater because, uh, I'm interested in

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the theater. And, you know, I'm sort of the biggest hand. I'm strong myself and just enjoy watching it by occasionally go to the live theater. I do so because most of the movies, which I'm dragged or such miserable bits of entertainment that I can hardly stand

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it. The thing that's really thrilling about legitimate stages that gives you a feeling of being in the actual play, whereas in a movie or just a spectator, it doesn't interest me. E don't see that type of entertainment that was a live theater is, um more fun,

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more interesting than the movies. I think I just enjoy it more. I feel I feel like I've been out for the evening. One of San Francisco's theater enclaves is nestled at the foot of Height Street in his lovely and picturesque A setting as one could find,

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the playhouse and non professional group specializes in contemporary and experimental offerings under the direction of Henry Stein. In the new development Ghirardelli Square, Bright new musical comedy is presented by a commercial theater enterprise and nearby, the oldest active theater company in San Francisco. The Inter players

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holds forth with both traditional American theater on original work. Let's catch the action at the Inter Players. Yeah, boiled down attempt to classify theaters ISAs Frustrating is trying to categorize people by personality traits. Turn such as little theater, community theater, amateur companies and professional groups are

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rather meaningless when one examines the types of people involved. Theater players company here, preparing for a dress rehearsal of their revival of You Can't Take It With You, is made up of actors representing every shade and degree of experience imaginable. Most of them have jobs in

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other fields. They're housewives, engineers, accountants, office manager, students, teachers and clerks in this cast, The main thing they have in common. They loved the theater. Yeah. Hey, Music music, too, huh? Okay. This zany heart Kaufman, hit of the thirties is the perfect vehicle for most of

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the cast, since there is obviously a great deal of room for improvisation. Not anarchy, but controlled insanity. Okay. Oh, one of the most vital aspects of the Inter Players Program is the development of new talent. Each weekend, a training workshop is held at the theater under

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the direction of Wyman Spalding. Seen on stage here is the ballet teacher. Ron Anderson is stage director for you. Can't take it with you. When you people come in. Make sure that you stay up on the landing and more states. Right. This is a J esta.

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Managing director of the Inter players. Many resident companies air having difficulty, time making ends meet Mr ESTA. What is the situation here with the Inter players? Well, we're having a difficult time making ends meet, but I think we're doing it. Uhh! Strictly on our own. No

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outside help. But we're still in no position to cover the You know, the old bills, the rent, the delights, the telephone royalties and certainly the publicity are our newspaper. Advertising is one of the big things that throws us. And as a result, we cannot pay actors.

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Although I am I frequently asked, for instance, what are you professional? The company. And, uh, in the sense about being paid my performance, They're not professional, but they I would certainly put up a great many of them against anybody I've seen Way we'll see how, Mrs.

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Kirby, my work. Oh, this is Mrs Kirby. Everybody ready? Potatoes. ST E know just what you mean. Bathroom, Mr Kirby. A bathroom, Mr Kirby. I don't quite follow that, my dear. Well, I don't know. I just thought of you in connection with it. After all, you

00:13:01.980 - 00:13:14.990

are in there. A good deal of time, Anthony. Off bathing and shaving. Well, you do take a long time indeed. Well, I hadn't realized I was being selfish. Shouldn't matter. Will you go on, Mrs Sycamore? I think it's a very still again, and we should stop.

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Yes. Now, please go on, Mrs Sycamore. Let me see. Where where was I? Sex? Wall Street. Wall Street. Well, what do you mean by that? I don't know what I mean, and I mean nothing, but you must have met something or you wouldn't have put it

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down. San Francisco theaters are housed wherever they are welcome. Other sometimes could mean in lofts, churches, warehouses and other buildings not originally intended for the stage. One might say that Shakespeare's line All the World's a Stage, can be freely interpreted to include the unlikeliest of location.

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Veteran Bay Area actor, director and producer Jack Aronson has found a haven for his city theater here in the Women's City Club of San Francisco. Smoke from Another chimney Now they were burning. Their last night's dream up from the chimney came along. Head race liken old

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politician. Somebody had been dreaming of the Liberal Party, but no, the smoky figure wove attenuated into a refines and precise gray comma. Someone had been reading shadows. Morgan Oh, the town was waking. Now on, I heard distinctly insisting over the slow speaking See the voices of

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the town blown up to me on some of the voices said, I am Miss Mayhew's the cozy, a lonely lady waiting in her house by the nasty See Aronson is in rehearsal for his dramatic presentation of the world of Dylan Thomas. Wherever they I am Captain

00:15:04.070 - 00:15:24.110

Tony Evans, my ship was the kid will leave. Mrs Tiny Evans has Bean dead for many a year for Captain Tiny. All alone, the neighbors whisper, but I like it all alone, and I hated her. Thus, some of the voices of a cliff perch town at

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the far end of whales moved out of darkness into a newborn ancient and ageless morning. Mm, I'm We're lost. Yeah. All right, let me go through the beginning of the whole thing again and see if I can. Jack Aronson has had remarkable success with theater all

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over the world. From Dublin to New York to San Francisco. K R O n TV asked his views on local theater as well as his own plan. I think the theater here in San Francisco is very exciting and very, very alive, and that's why I'm here.

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We've had a tremendous response to the productions that we have presented I think was something like 18 or 20 0 people saw our last play, Andi Uhh! I think the surroundings off the Bay Area lend itself very much to the the kind of theater that I'd

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like to do, which has been mainly along the lines of the classical poetic theater regarding our company way, have used mainly people who are in the area here. We've never asked for subsidy on. We've been solely supported by the box office. I think it be very

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good to get a bit of subsidy every now and then, so that one would be able to bring in certain actors certain directors. I mean, there's a lot of people who I've worked with in New York and in London and in Dublin. Who would love to

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come out to San Francisco? Oh no. A few veteran professionals do come out to San Francisco in the Bay Area, under the auspices of Rock male Ben Avram in his Oakland National Repertory Theater. His is an actor's equity company, and he has launched his first two

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productions using the star system. This is Sylvia Sidney, who came to the Bay Area to appear in Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. So we'll take it from where Doreen has just stop dummies from wrecking things by going to talk to him and just thrashing

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him. Just previous to the scene, Doreen has, um, sort of shoe dummies out of the room because she doesn't want him to listen to what's going on. She wants you to be absolutely in private, but damn is, of course, has gone into the unbeknown to you

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has gone into the coffer on Hidden. To listen to this entire scene, that's going to happen. William Ball, a respected theatrical personality from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, founded the American Conservatory Theater to give his city a truly professional group, of which it could be proud. Everyone connected with

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the group was paid a union scale and foundation money was raised to supplement local fund. The group's reputation grew rapidly in Pittsburgh. After six months, Ball parted company with the Pittsburgh Playhouse, a municipal facility, and sought a new home for his theater. A C T was

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accused of not becoming deeply associated with Pittsburgh, and its motives for moving were questioned. Finally, San Francisco and Chicago were selected as new homes for the company following months of negotiation in the summer of 1966 presented a Siri's from its repertoire of Stanford University, where it

00:18:59.050 - 00:19:16.950

was very well received Finally, early in 1967 the group seen here in rehearsal for its opening production, Moliere's Tartuffe seemed ready to establish in the city. Some local actors have indicated that it has been almost impossible to arrange auditions with the group. But a CT management

00:19:16.950 - 00:19:32.480

has pointed out 35 of its 110 member company are from the Bay Area, including both actors and technical helpers on They say that the training workshop in Apprentice system will enable even more locals to become involved with a group. A CT opened a Gary Theater in

00:19:32.490 - 00:20:07.700

January 1967. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The American Conservatory Theater is already enjoying the success it had hoped for, both critically and financially. Attendance has been good, and the audience seems to enjoy an evening with thank you. But how long William Ball will keep his company in

00:20:07.700 - 00:20:23.240

this city. And just how involved San Franciscans will become with the group remains to be seen. Well, I think theater has a great deal to offer. I've witnessed quite a few of the place that they had in New York, and I like theater very much. I

00:20:23.240 - 00:20:42.450

like it. I enjoy it I'm European and it's expensive or working person, that is, They came down with the private. Be wonderful. There should be more of a, uh, push on the producers part or the people that are actually promoting theater try to get people out

00:20:43.040 - 00:21:00.110

that they you know, these stage plays. So there is an audience for theater here, and there is a variety of fare, much of it of high caliber, according to audiences and critics. But there still appears to be a gap between the purveyors of theater and those

00:21:00.110 - 00:21:25.130

who would like to become Spectators. Okay, great, Very cool. A C T has received a $245,000 grant from the Ford Foundation. Its annual budget is well over a million dollars. The new Shakespeare Company hopes to raise enough money to cover a $25 budget for its first

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year. Between these extremes of fine college theaters such as the Stanford Repertory Group, suburban ventures like San and sell most festival theater, avant garde ensembles like the San Francisco Meme Troop and national road companies such as this National Repertory Theater. At the current, all are exciting.

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Each needs support in many countries throughout the world, theater has always been subsidized by the government. This has never occurred with any regularity in America, although it's a foregone conclusion that non commercial theater cannot survive on its own operational income. Money must come from donors and

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patrons, foundations or local or federal government. Or from all of these sources, the new state and national arts councils and commissions set up by president, governors and mayors are in the throes of finding out what they're supposed to do and how to do it. When they

00:22:23.060 - 00:22:40.870

mature, their contributions will be considerable. Some have said the United States might someday even set up a Department of Culture and the arts on a Cabinet level, as in other nations. But today, as always, the plays the thing and playwrights, directors, actors and you, the audience

00:22:40.870 - 00:23:06.790

will continue to develop and support theater so long as there is a desire to create so laugh, to cry and to identify with other human beings. Okay, Yeah, See what a scourge is laid upon. Your hate that heaven find means to kill your joys with love.

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Go ahead, have more talk of these sad things. Some shall be pardoned and some punished for never was a story of more woman on this of Julia on Herbal Meal. Assignment four is presented each week in the community Interest by the documentary

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department of K R O. N T. V. Be with us again next week for another report to the West on assignment for.