OUTWARD BOUND by SUtton Vane A Production Thesis Presented for the Degree of Master of Arts by .(11 Harold BXbee, I J f THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY 1946 II 1 I I ! Approved by: \' {.. c c ~ c c t:: (_ '• '"' -- c,, ct,cc;: '- c ,~ · G C C '- C C l ~ - L cc c c c ( '- :_ :_' This Production ~~esis Consists of the Following: 1. Discussion of the Production (filed with Graduate School and the Department of Speech) 2. Public Performance of the Play (produced in Drama Studio, Derby Hall) 3. Stage Model (on exhibition in the Department of Speech) 4. Production Book (filed with the Department of Speech) CONTENTS SECTION I Production Technicalities Photograph of Set (Plate I) Set Design (Plate II) Painter's Elevation (Plate III) Floor Plan (Plate IV) Carpenter's Drawings (Plates V-XII) Light Plot (Plates XIII-XIV) Light CUe Sheet Costume Designs and Descriptions Make-up Stage Manager's Instructions Production Crew Organization 11..~usic cue Sheet Sound Effects CUe Sheet curtain Calls Rehearsal Schedule Call Sheet Budget SECTION II Publicity Try-outs Production Program Performance SECTION ITT Historical Research , Section I -- Production in England Section II -- Production in the United States Section ITT -- Production in France Discussion of the Production Section IV -- Critical Comment Section V -- Analysis of the Play Section VI -- Type of play Section VIT -- Symbolism Section VIII -- Characters Section IX -- Voice and Diction Section X -- The Script Section XI -- Style of Direction Section XII -- Composition Sect.ion XITI -- Picturization Section XIV -- Movement Section ){!.! -- Rhythm Section XVI -- Pantomimic Dramatization SECTION IV Bibliography SECTION V Director's Script Annotated I The September 6, 1923 issue of The Times (London) car­ ried a brief statement announcing the imminent premiere on September 17, at the suburban :Everyman Theatre, of a play by SUtton Vane entitled Outward Bound. The scant state­ aent gave no suggestion of the "smash hit" which this play was to become or the controversy it was to cause on two continents and the British Isles. Its author, born in England in 1888, was in his early thirties, the son of a prolific writer of melodrama. The father, Sutton Vane, had christened the son Vane Sutton­ Vane, which led the public, when this play appeared, to be­ lieve that it had been written by the elder dramatist. Af­ ter a few years of acting and writing SUtton-Vane enlisted in the British Army of the first world war and served in France and elsewhere until hospitalized for malaria and shell shock in 1917. He was soon given a convalescent dis­ charge and rested by taking a small part in Thirteenth Chair during nine months of London air raids and half' rations. One biographer even says he returned to France, to play for months close behind the front lines. He ap­ peared as an actor f'rom 1912 until 1926 and was known pro­ fessionally as an intelligent young chap. From 1911 to the early 1930 1 8 he wrote eleven plays, only one of which was particularly success:f'ul -- Outward Bound. He used as his pen name that of his father -- Sutton Vane.1 lFor biographical sketches see Who's Who in the Theatre, edited by John Parker, Eighth Ed.ition, sir Isaac Pitman and Sona Ltd., London, 1936, p.1382; Twentieth centm AUthors, edited by stanley J. K'Unitz and Howard Haycrof't, The H.w. Wilson Co., Wew York, 1942, p.1446; "Who is SUtton Vane", an article by Sewell Collins, in Jfew York Times, January 13, 1924, Section VII, p.l, col.4-6. JUst where Vane got his idea for Outward Bound no one knows. His f'riend Sewell Collinsl heard him tell so many stories as to the source, each of which was different f'rom the rest, that Collins tried to discover it by point.­ blank questioning. Collins fared like the rest and states that he believes it came gradually and unconsciously with­ out its author, even, knowing the sources. The theme was not a new one, heaven, hell and eternity having held even the dramatic stage for centuries, but the treatment was so unusual no coDDDercial manager in London would take it.2 2ifew York Post, I>ecember 17, 1938, p.8, col.6 Since Vane had a thousand dollars in the bank and a desire to see his wife, Diana Hamilton, in one of the roles, he rented the :Everyman Theatre in Hampstead, on the edge of London, for a two week period.2 He painted flats found in the theatre, tacked up curtains taken f'rom his own home and gave the first performance in that cheap little house at a cost of only six hundred dollars for the two weeks, since he had hired a cast which was willing to work co-op- eratively. The Times reviewer3 called the play a fantasy 3The Times (London) September 18, 1923, p.10, col.4 with admirable wit and an idea, one which was diwlged in Acts I and II but which was not carried through to an ima­ ginative conclusion. He felt the Examiner, the Reverend Thomson, was a weak substitute for God Almignty. He lists the cast as fol~ows: Scrubby -- Stanley Lathbury Ann -- Diana Hamilton Henry -- Wil~iam stack lfr. Prior -- Frederick Coo~er Mrs. Cliveden-Banks -- Gladys Ffolliott Rev. Dlke -- Frederick Leister Mrs. Midget -- Clare Greet Mr. Lingley -- Arthur Page Rev. Thomson -- Roy Byford Two days later a short note appeared in tne theatre page of' The Times4 saying that the concensus of opinion on open- 4The Times (London) September 20, 1923, p.8, col.3 ing night had been that the play was too long. Therefore, the author had cut its playing length by one-half hour.s 5'!'he play now runs to approximately two and one-half hours. Also note was taken of the fact that already Vane had of­ fers from two sources for the American rights. Two weeks at the Everyman was enough to sell Outward 4 Bound to the public and to The Theatre Guild (London) Inc•, which'sponsored the production and put it in the Garrick Theatre. The play opened October 15, 1923 with Leslie Faber, one of' its actors, as producer.6 Sam Harris, Jr. 6The Times, (London) October 8, 1923, p.10, col.l and October 15, 1923, p.10, col.3. of' New York had already acquired the rights f'or production in America. The cast f'or the 1Vest End premiere was some­ what changed. Leslie Faber replaced Frederick Cooper as Prior, John Howell took the part of' Dake instead of Fred­ erick Leister and Roy Byford wa_s replaced as the Examiner (Rev. Thomson) by E. Lyall SWete. The Times reporter? was ?The Times (London) October 16, 1923, p.10, col.2 more approving this time than he was when reviewing the first night performance at the Everyman. He would not con­ cede it to be an exceptionally fine play but admitted it to be a thoughtful one. The subject was believed to be a bit broad (heaven, hell and eternity in less than three hours) • .Again the Examiner came in for a slam. The reviewer said he wa_s a let down, a ridiculous climax. However, The Times did admit that the acting was excellent. On December 3, 1923 the production left the Garrick for the Royalty Theatre8 where it played until January 26, 5 8The Times (London) 1'ovember 26, 1923, p.12, col.2 1924,9 'followed by one week, January 28 to February 2, 1924, 9The Times (London) January 24, 1924, p.8, col.2 and January 28, 1924, p.8, col.3 at Golders Green Hippodrome. February 4 saw a cast, whose personnel was changing a bit from time to time, open at the Adelphi Theatre.9 A month later they transferred to still another. This time it went to the Criterion on March 6.10 lOThe Times (London) IPebrua.ry 28, 1924, p.10, col.5 Despite two noticesll that outward Bound would close its 11..rtie Times (London) February 28, 1924, p.10, col.5 run momentarily, the play stayed on by popular demand until April 12.12 Then it closed until the latter part of May 12 The Times (London) April 7 1 1924, p.10, col.2 when it played 'for a one week stand at the Comedy Theatre before being taken on an extended tour.13 This was the 13The Times (London) :May 28, 1924, p.8, col.6 and Kay 31, 1924, p.12, col.4 6 cast's sixth home in the west End. The advertisements la­ beled the show "an enormous success" an.d the extended run certified the popular appeal, despite the cool reception given it by The Times reviewer. II Under the management of Sam Harris, Jr., Outward Bound appeared in the United States while it was still popular in England. From a paragraph in the New York Times of December 30, 192314 comes the information that the 14-ew York Times, December 30, 1923, Section VII, p.21, col.4, "GOssip of' the Rialto" play had its American premiere on the 24th of December in Atlantic City. The holiday crowd, according to this brief statement, hissed at the close of the play, a fact which the writer of that column believed only proved that the play was "thoughtful and provocative. The audience was stirred -- they had sat through too many merely bad plays to begin hissing them at this late date." A week later, the theatre column "Mail Bag" contained two letters from members of the Atlantic City audience who denied the ~ York Times o:tatement that the play bad been biss•d down, and contended that the performance had been so tense and moving that the audience bad been unable to applaud wildly.