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Show THURSDAY, Mayor Well-Receiv- Oral Ballam, eight-yea- r mayor Smithfield, was in appreciated a new light last week, when he opened on October 12 at the Lyric Theatre as the chaplain in . in Logan of Christopher Frys "The Ladys Not for Burning. In this superbly acted play of long, difficult lines, Mayor Ballam is seen as a lachrymose 15th-centur- y clergyman' who plays the bass viol. How does one get from the head of the table at the Smith-fiel- d City Office to the Lyric at Utah State University, French, Mr. Ballam usually was assigned to coach student actors and to produce and direct the North Cachej plays, a task he sometimes performed in liaison with Stratford Loosle, musical director then at North Cache and now at Sky View High School. In his various duties in the early fifties at North Cache .High,. Mr. Ballam also was advisor for the school newspaper and at one time even coached the tennis team. Smithfields versatile, became interested in acting during his career at North Cache High School, where from 1949 to 1956 he taught English, journalism, French, type- writing, speech and debate. Graduating from Utah State with a B.A. in English and a minor in social studies 'and was first presented at Utah State, in the Old Main auditorium and under the direction of Floyd T. Morgan, chairman of the department. Other plays in which Mayor Ballam had supporting Ladys Not for Burning roles were Antigone, Thunder Rock, and The Man Who Came to Dinner, in d he played the which last-name- THE CITIZEN - 11 In Play Revival ed stage in Logans West Center energetic mayor returned to Street? Thats a good question, Utah State circa 1950 to work on and the answer is simple. til a Masters degree in theatre Mayor Ballam, who is also arts. It was July 1952 when The dean of the College of Education OCT. 18, 1973 cop. Floyd T. Morgan, theatre-art- s current chairman at Utah University, was Mr. Ballams major professor on his thesis committee. As part of his credit toward the degree, the mayor directed Ring Around Elizabeth at North Cache High School. Mr. Ballam explained to the Citizen that his was called a production thesis, whereby one was required to design the set, cast and direct a play, as well as to write these proceedings in the form of approximately 300 pages. Confindent of the Smithfield mayors prowess in theatrical work, Vosco Call thought of Mr. Ballam immediately this year when it was decided to revive The Ladys Not for Burning. Call told Ballam that he tried to acquire the entire original (1952) cast for this years production, but was able to get only three actors. They are Mayor Ballam as the chaplain, Floyd T. Morgan as the justice, State and Vosco Call in the male lead as the discharged soldier. A professor of fine arts at Utah State University, Call directed the production which runs tonight, Friday and Saturday at eight Oclock at the lyric. An interesting sidelight to this story of revival is found in the actresses taking the part of Alizon Eliot. In 1952 Alizon was played by Patricia Hansen (Mrs. Burrell Hansen of Lgan), and this year the ingenue is performed by her daughter, Kathy Hansen. Kathy is a senior at majoring in theatre-art- s USU. The original door from the set designed in 1952 by Floyd T. Morgan is being used at present in the Lyric Theater production. l On opening night, Mayor Bal-- 1 lam reports, this infernal door presented a problem to two of the actors, who either got a dress train caught in it or who couldt open it to get offstage. On the next evening, as a result, the door was left ajar during most of the play. Another gaffe reported by the mayor is that he wore his wedding ring during the October 12 performance. At the insistence of a player offstage gesticulating, he removed it mid-plarealizing it was not in (keeping with the proper costume of a chaplain, at least not in 1400. When asked how he felt about this revival 21 years later, Mayor Ballam quickly retorted, Never again! Then he added that his remark was in jest, though he did emphasize that the experience had been somewhat traumatic. Traumatic but fun, he concluded. Tickets for the evenings of October 18, 19 and 20 are available at the USU ticket office in the University Center, and at City Drug, 39 South Main Street, Logan. The lines are and full of wit and word-playThe set is beautiful in its simplicity and authenticity, and the lighting is well done. Nearly all the players have lengthy lines demanding a high degree of virtuosity. Vosco Call, in the lead as the performs . . y, fast-movi- ng s. ex-soldi- This Banker onions... And his beet barley, beans, beets and what-have-yo- u. exceptionally with polished delivery and effective histrionics, stances, and stage presence. Also admirable are His business is banking. But many of his customers' business is growing. So he makes farm business, his business. He knows the problems, the frustrations, the needs of someone making his living from the good earth. He's a First Security Banker. Planted in a small town, surrounded by thousands of acres of productive soil. His living, like so many people in and around his town, depends, to a large degree, on the soil. If he's any good at his job, he knows the special problems of his area almost as well as the people who have them. And if he weren't good at his job, he wouldn't be a First banking. Security Banker. We call it person-to-persDrop in and see him. Whether you have a problem or not, he's a good man to know. the smooth, nerformances pleasing of Clark Chamberlain as the mayor and Ruth Burleigh Call as Margaret Devize, the mother. Vicki Fowler, daughter of the chief cheesemaker at Cache Valley Dairy Associations Amalga plant, is always pleasing and polished, and as Jennet Jourdemayne her lines -- are easily heard, clearly elocuted. Miss Fowler will be remembered for her stellar performance as a nouveau-rich- e 1934 Ohio matron in The Petrified Forest at the Lyric on August 4. Her art is a true " pleasure. on Opening on a balmy night, the first performance of Hie for Not was Burning Ladys delightful, and the usual covey First Security Bank Fint Security Bank Fint Security Bank Fint Security State Pint Security State Fint Security Bank Fint Security Bank well, of Utah, N.A. of Idaho, N.A. Bank, Salt Lake City, Utah Bank of Springviile, Utah of Bountiful, Utah, N.A. of Rock Springs, Wyoming in maxi-skirt- s could be seen diverting themselves in Center Street during intermission, as young couples hustled over from Glausers from a fast cup of coffee. The usual allotment of weathered of collegiates Mimktn Federal DtfafU Imamu CffjwnfiM faculty members, smiling benignly, was also seen in. line at eight oclock of the calm evening. The restored Lyric is literally the showplace of Cache Valley. Legion Honors Girls by Evelene Moody Earl S. Harper Unit 58 met at the Legion Home Thursday evening, with Edna Plowman presiding. Girls from past girls. State conventions were introduced by Lena Tarbet, and they reported their experiences at the recent Girls State meeting at Cedar City. They are Jane Gyllenskog, Debbie Wamick and Leslie Nielsen. These girls sang two songs they learned at the southern Utah convention. Refreshments were served by Florence Halverson and Betty V Halverson. Jo Eighteen members and guests played bingo and enjoyed, the .evening immensely. . |