A theater review from 54 years ago...
"A special note of praise is in order..."
I’m starting a “scene study” class tonight at Luna Stage in West Orange, NJ.
The class was supposed to start last Wednesday, but the start date got pushed back by one week. Now it begins today: Wednesday, July 17th.
My dad’s birthday.
“He’s still looking out for you,” a friend told me. I agree.
It’s both my birthday gift to him and his gift to me at the same time.
Last weekend, I was going through some paperwork in my mom’s basement looking for my dad’s birth certificate. I’m trying to find it so that I can claim my British citizenship and get my British passport.
In the midst of my search, I found a box that I’d only glanced through briefly upon packing up her house in December. Inside were playbills, hand-drawn theatre announcements and annotated script pages. My dad didn’t have a ton of personal effects left behind, so it meant a lot to find it.
I haven’t yet gone through every piece, but I’m really looking forward to that excavation.
Upon my quick perusal, I found about 15 yellowing, photocopied pages of the same short text.
Scanning the page, I quickly realized why it was there (though I’m curious about—and grateful for—the circumstances of the many copies). It’s a newspaper column from the North Arlington Leader in New Jersey from May 28, 1970.
In the review, Beverly Murphy writes, “‘Wait Until Dark’ opened last Thursday at Halfpenny Playhouse in Kearny. Examined closely, the plot is full of holes, but it still adds up to a play with plenty of suspense.”
After regaling us with the shortcomings of the lead actress, Murphy then turns to the rest of the cast. She saves her last line for my dad: “A special note of praise is in order for Mike Marsh as the husband who is determined to teach Susy to rise above her handicap.”
I wonder about the pride he must have felt, seeing his name in black and white. I wonder if this was a message of reinforcement, of affirmation.
I feel something akin to the pride he must have felt at seeing my name in those high school playbills, no?
I’m glad he kept all those copies of that one review so I could find them.
I’ll see you on stage tonight, Dad.
Happy birthday.
Editorial Note: I did a brief bit of research and the Halfpenny Playhouse relocated to Upsala College in East Orange, University about four years after my dad’s performance. I will continue exploring any additional performances or reviews…stay tuned.
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