The Philadelphia Inquirer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 36

6-C Friday, Oct 26, 1984 The Philadelphia Inquirer People's Light celebrates the start of its 2d decade By RUTH SELTZER irnA V- r' i '-i IT 1 I We chatted with Mrs. William Van Alen, who is Atwater Kent sister, at the party in the Mellon Bank. Among members of the family who attended Wednesday's reception were Pamela and A. Atwater Kent 3d (he is the museum's vice president); Bonnie and James Van Alen 2d, Peter A. Kent, J.

Prentiss Kent, Judy and Bill Van Alen and Tucker and W. Perry Gresh. And at The Highlands Tomorrow and Sunday, the third annual Highlands Craft Show and sale will be held at The Highlands, a beautiful, historic estate in Ambler. The show, which is sponsored by the Highlands Historical Society, is being chaired by Bea (Mrs. Robert) Bast and Mona (Mrs.

Donald) McLean. The show will be open tomorrow and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lewis 3d, the secretary, is the only remaining member of the original board of trustees. John Alviti.

the museum's director for the last three years, has done a great job of creating interesting exhibits and improving the museum." It has been our week for seeing the Kents and the Van Alens. We had seen Atwater Kent Jr. and his wife, Hope, on Tuesday at the People's Light and Theater party. Cassandra Ludington attended both events. So did a good many others.

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PH405. Use Our Extended Payment Plan and enjoy your new Fisher audio now. Applies to purchases of 300.00 or more. Stereo on Eight, Central, Center City; and all our stores. The place to be Tuesday night was the People's Light and Theater Com- pany on Conestoga Road, near Route 30, in Malvern.

This professional the-t ater company, which is nationally known, marked the opening of its i second decade with a gala celebra-rtion. Friends and supporters gathered in the lobby for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Then came the next scene a large tent in which dinner was served. After dinner, partygoers took seats in the theater of People's Light for a 10th-anniversary pro- gram. Actress-singer Kitty Carlisle Hart, who is chairman of the New York State Council on the Arts, was the guest of honor.

She attended Tues-i day's reception and dinner before appearing on stage to receive salutes from Danny S. Fruchter, the managing director of People's Light, and June Batten Arey, who is the executive director of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. Said Kitty: "I believe in a pluralistic funding of the arts federal, state, corporate and private contributors." She talked a little about herself. Kitty was the daughter of a New Orleans doctor who died when she was a youngster. Her mother had hoped that Kitty would one day mar-ry a duke or a prince.

Although she didn't become a duchess, she mar- Tied, in 1946, "a prince of the the-. ater" the late, great playwright-" director Moss Hart, i When Kitty was in her teens, she went to a finishing school in Paris. She roomed there with a Philadel-. phia girl, Elizabeth "Betty" Kent. They have been good friends ever since.

On Tuesday night, Kitty Car-. lisle Hart was a house guest at Rush-" ton, the home in Edgemont of Mr. and Mrs. William L. Van Alen.

Mrs. Van Alen was Betty Kent. The Van Mens' daughter, Cassandra (Mrs. Nicholas Ludington, is a trustee of the People's Light and Theater Company. It was Cassandra who invited Kitty Carlisle Hart to be the honored guest at the anniversary party of People's Light.

Tom Teti, of the People's ight rep-ertory company, was master of cere- monies Tuesday night. The speakers included William D. Ravdin, presi-' dent of the trustees of People's Light, and Ernest Schier. Ernie Schier was the drama critic of the Philadelphia Bulletin for many years, i Vocalist-actress Karen Akers per-' formed. She sang several songs and the audience asked for "more, more." Karen won the Theater World award in 1982 for her role in Mine.

Last year, she performed to a sold-out house at Carnegie Hall. 'Penny" Wike (Mrs. J. Roffe Wike 2d) and "Kaki" Marshall (Mrs. Joseph W.

Marshall) were co-chairmen Tuesday's gala. Among the partygoers, to mention few, were Robert McClements, of the Sun and his wife, Barbara; Mary and Donald van Stoden (she is vice president of People's Light); Judy and William L. Van Alen Louisa and Richard K. Bennett; Marilyn Steinbright; Dottie and "Cummins Catherwood; Betsy and rFrank Goodyear Jr. (he is president Jbf the Pennsylvania Academy of the 'JFine Arts); Peppl and William R.

Wisher Connie and Pierre Fraley; jNancy Brewster Grace; Gloria Etting; Jjim Karayn; Walter Stait; Marilyn Arthur Klein; Louise and Alan Reed; Marguerite and Steve Goff; 'Dottie and Jacques Houdry, and Dr. rThorne Sparkman Jr. and his wife, JMarby. There, too, were Earl and 'Jackie Baker and Robert and Nancy Thompson. Earl Baker is chairman of the Chester County commissioners and Bob Thompson is a commissioner.

Bob's wife, Nancy, did a caricature of Danny Fruchter, which was presented by Earl Baker at the Jdinner. The People's Light and Theater Company, which is the official repertory theater of Chester County, likes no announce that it is "Way Off jBroadway" and "Slightly Off the jMain Line." The Misanthrope by Moliere opens at the theater tonight and continues Jthere through Nov. 25. A brief scene from this classic comedy was per- 'formed at Tuesday nighfs gala. Kudos to Atwater Kent Jr.

I Early Wednesday evening, we went to a party in honor of A. jAtwater Kent who has stepped Jdown as president of the Atwater iKent Museum after holding that post jsince 1938. The museum, at IS S. I Seventh St. in Center City, is noted 'for its fascinating exhibits of Phila-Jdelphiana and Philadelphia history.

The museum's building, which housed the Franklin Institute for Jmore than a century, was purchased and restored by radio manufacturer A. Atwater Kent. Mr. Kent, who was Jthe father of Atwater Kent gave "the historic building to the city for use as a museum. Wednesday's party was hosted by the Mellon Bank in its 37ih-floor Mel-Jlon Plaza suite.

William B. Eagleson JT chairman of the Mellon Bank spoke. So did Mayor Goode. 5 The mayor noted that he was born Jj the year that guest of honor Atwater Kent Jr. became president of the I Atwater Kent Museum.

Marian Mitchell, the new president of the museum, spoke. Mrs. 5 Mitchell, who is the widow of sculp-J tor Henry Mitchell, read letters from President Reagan and Gov. Thorn-E burgh commending Mr. Kent.

When it was Mr. Kent's turn to speak, he said: "Since our first meet-Jing of the Atwater Kent Museum's board of trustees on the city tug, John Wanamaker, steaming up the Dejaware in 1938, we have watched the museum grow, not in size, but in Philadelphia artifacts and in their display to tell the history of this great city in a way to be educational land interesting to all. Clifford 12 ViSil AhA 1 WW I i i "Si -f Whukiw1rs I ,1 I ,1 I T'- 1 ff i ij riltmiUKii iiif) umaifaTKanilti i iiiiiininnlwiiMM I hi iTmnrnrritHiiniiii 'idi'iim ii.iih Mesial! mrMfcn -MW i fetff1 r' i i fi If vi 'I ii I a I 1 111 I af- if-' if v. 4 ft i i l-vv A Z'l.