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Show 'Calculated Risk'; Best Production By MICHAEL LESTER COLLINS "Calculated Risk," directed by Byron McGrath, opened last night at the Pioneer Memorial Memo-rial Theater, to a small but receptive house. THE PLAY involves high finance fi-nance and the attempts of a textile company to save themselves them-selves from a corporate raider. The play is filled with suspense and drama as the company's board of directors learns that one of its members is working hand in glove with the raider. THE PLAY is a business whodunit who-dunit and keeps the audience guessing as each board member mem-ber is placed under suspicion. The cast of "Calculated Risk" is well selected and di- Wallace R. Bennett as the legal councilor did a fine job as Mr. MacQueen considering that this was his first time on stage. STEVE LAWSON, playing Quentine Armstone, was often stiff and his voice, although very distinct and clear, lacked expression and variation of emotion. Marjorie Lignell as the secretary sec-retary was very good in her few scenes. THIS PLAY had great co-hesiveness co-hesiveness and and unity and, in this reviewer's opinion, is the best main stage play performed per-formed during this season. rected by Mr. McGrath. WILLIAM Lundigan, star of screen, radio and television, fits the part of Julian Armstone very well. As the president of the board, he begins as a man completely com-pletely disinterested in the company's welfare and ends as the man who saves the mill and the men who work in it. MR. LUNDIGAN had excellent excel-lent moments in the scenes with his wife, although he lacked energy in many scenes with the board. His tempo was excellent during dur-ing the scond act but it dropped considerably during the final scene. SHERRY SAILER, as Helen Armstone, was very effective. She has great ease on stage and a fine voice for the theater. Her acting the part of a concerned con-cerned mother and frustrated wife was very good. THE BOARD members were for the most part good individually, indi-vidually, but often lacked excitement ex-citement in their general reactions. reac-tions. Mr. Norman, played by Wayne Richards, is the conservative con-servative chairman of the board. Although Mr. Richards had some difficulty with his lines, he presented a very effective ef-fective and believable character. charac-ter. RICHARD CANNADAY, as Mr. Travis, was believable as the old philosophic member of the board. Marvin Boyer was excellent as the drinking vice-president of sales. HIS TIMING was good and added to the humor of the character. William Wright as the mill manager, Mr. Dodds, was believable be-lievable although he played a man much older than himself. HE SHOWED good concentration. |