The Miami News from Miami, Florida • 88

TV 11 Th Grove To Glitter At ona remiere Director Tamara Geva Was Noted Ballerina i TAMARA GEVA unit direct the John Payne drama, "Tender Loving Care," which opens at Coconut Grove Playhouse Tuesday night. Uy Helen Muir Miami llcmiik ride AT WEEK'S end the Coconut Grove house was busily searching out kleig lights, red carpet and all the trappings suited to a premiere of an important play for Tuesday night's 0K'ning of "Tender Loving Care," the Elena Miramova drama starring John Payne. This is a it should be. It Isn't every day Miami gets a play headed (or Broadway and with a star of Mr. Payne's caliher.

His wide following from motion lures and TV alone should Insure an audience. Hie Playhouse is "requesting" formal attire in an ef Ciano and Andrea Kupec. Appearing as dancers are Shirley Colmenares, Marsha DeLuca, Genelle Fernandez, Ronnie Langlcy, Alice Jo Miller, and Gigi Wasserloos. The production is under the direction of Candy Kocanda, a junior drama major, and will be presented next Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and the next day at 2:30 and 7:15.

The plays at the Ring are "The Leader" by Eugene Ionesco, which Bruce Brown will direct, Edward Allbee's "The Sandbox" under Peter John Deliz's direction, and Jean Genet's "Death Watch" with Eva Vizy directing. Curtain Wednesday and Thursday will be at 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 8:30. OPENING SET: Reliear-. sals are underway for "Uli-om" which is set for an April 25th opening at Studio Playhouse.

Cast, headed by Jay Robinson, includes Jackie Scelza, Dorothy Farol, Jo Chesley, Monroe Myers, Dr. Louis Pessalano, Miller. Velva Pickett, Nils, Guy Huston, Hagan Powell, Stan Simmons and Betty Wrinkle. her backstage and more or less anonymous. Such a notion! Miss Geva is as trim and firm as ever she was back In 1936 when she brought down the house with "Slaughter On Tenth Avenue" in "On Your Toes." This was the ballet composed by George Balanchine, Miss Geva's first husband, with whom she worked in Paris with the great Serge Diag-hilev's Ballet Russe, before coming to this country.

There is little difference in the form and face of Miss Geva from the ballerina who caught the hearts and fancies of the audiences that flocked to see her dance to "Alone Togetlier" in "Flying Colors." (This, Miss Geva, is a number I have never forgotten.) It was Ziegfeld who first launched her in this country with "Whoopee." She was 17 and he hired Paul Whiteman to come to the theater every night at 11:15 to play for her final number, "Come West Little Girl," which she did in top hat and tails, with diamond gloves and monocle. "He was an amazing man," she said. "There are no more like him." It took a bit of prodding to get Miss Geva to turn back the clock. She is a person who r- 1 -J fort to put glamour back inlo opening nights. This raises an Interesting point: Will Tamara Geva, one of- the stage's all-time glamour girls, who di-frects 'Tender lives very much in the present and sometimes a jump or two ahead.

But we did establish the fact that she has been on her own since she was 15, a "child of the Russian Revolution." Her father, half-Tartar and half-Turk, had a rare private museum and "even built a theater." Her mother was Swedish. She is a fascinating mix-ture of the two. "My father was an avant-garde man, always for the new," she said seriously. There was no need to ask if she shared this view. Her life speaks for itself.

She gave up a lucrative dancing engagement to move into the dramatic field and starred with Raymond Masscy in London in "Idiot's Delight." I think to myself, 'If one soul is saved each performance at this play, it would be MEET THE CAST; The cast for "Tender Loving Care" is a strong one and features Lynn Loring. Others include Michaele Myers, Phil-pi Vandervort, Barbara Dana, Jeffrey Roland, Jerry Strick-ler, Sid Casell, Bobbie Aul-den, Alberta Grant, Leon Sandman, Ralph Marino, Julie Miller, Susan Kohn, Joe Messana, Steffi Carolle, Jim Smyth and Rafael Velasquez. STUDENTS DIRECT: The week ahead in educational theater includes three "far out" one-act plays at the Ring Theater of the University of Miami, and a production called "Cinderella of Loreland" at the Barry College Playhouse. All are student directed. The latter is the work of Frances Homer who has added a magic cat named Ashes to the "Cinderella" cast and Ashes is of great assistance to the little girl with the cruel stepmother.

Mickey Moran plays the title role and Kathy Perridge appears as the cat. Others in the cast include Judy Mc-Cleskey, Peggy Fillyaw, Nancy Boothe, Terri Fraczek, Re-gina Donata, June Doyle, Patti Brecht, Madeleine Col-berg, Kelly Butler, Sue Trzas-ka, Rosemary Koppen, Lorl i PAVNE New Drama be in evening Loving dress? Hull When we talked to Miss Geva last week she admitted she had neglected to pack such an item thinking that the role of director would keep She was awarded a prize as "best choreographer of the year" for the film "Specter of the Rose" in which she served as assistant to Ben Hecht. A year ago Miss Geva (in private life she is the wife of John Emery, the actor) read the script for "Tender Loving Care" in first draft and hasn't been far away from it since. She spent nine months with the author working on It, then sold it to Roger Stevens who aims to produce it on Broadway with Alton W'ilkes and Viola D. Seff.

"Working on this play gives me a feeling of achievement," she said. "I believe you have to go with the times. I danced a little ahead of my time. I did things in a new way. This play is, I think, a new treatment of an acknowledged problem alcoholism.

It is dealt with from the standpoint of the children of alcoholics. I think it will bring something home. "Art magnifies. Don't they say a picture is worth 100 words? Well, here we have the visual and the words too. We want this to be a theatrical achievement but it is also a piece of art a purpose." Her eyes fell to dreaming.

"This is a scared generation, occupied with escapism. In my lifetime I see a change in people. There is a sense of over-protect iveness in the air. V.V' GREATER MIAMI SHOWBILL i rVv "THREE PLAYS THAT ARENT'T" Three one-act experimental directed by graduate students include "The Sandbox" by Edward Allbee; "Death Watch" by Jean Genet and "The Leader" by Eugene Ionesco; Ring Theater, University of Miami, Wednesday through Saturday. "ONCE UPON A CRIME" Original musical comedy by teachers Patricia McKeon and James O'Conner, Cutler Ridge Junior High, Friday and Saturday.

"CINDERELLA OF LORE-LAND" The old fairy tale with a new twist, directed by Candy Kocanda; Barry College, Saturday and next Sunday. Miscellaneous iriiin tt I II Motion Pictures "THE LAST OF THE VIKINGS" Adventure tale with Cameron Mitchell and Edmond Purdom. In Dyali-scope and color at the Town, Rosetta, Essex and 27th Avenue, Boulevard, Coral Way and North Dade drive-ins Wednesday. "TWO WOMEN" and "THE HUSTLER" Double bill of Oscar nominees. At the Carib, Miami, Miracle, lG3rd Street and Gateway, Fort Lauderdale, Wednesday.

"CAPE FEAR" World premiere of suspense drama starring Robert Mitchum, Gregory reck and Polly Bergen. At the Olympia, Beach, Gables, Shores and Florida in Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach Thurs-day. "FANNY" and "SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS" runs of pictures in Oscar competition. At Loew's 170th Street, Riviera, Trail, Circle, Flamingo and Golden Glades. Thursday.

First Hun II old overs "BLACK TIGHTS" Colony. "EL CID" Roosevelt. "JUDGMENT AT BERG" Lincoln. "KING OF KINGS" Paramount, Coral, Boulevard. "LA BELLE AMERI-CAINE" Mayfair, Sunset.

"LTAMARO, JAPANESE PAINTER" Parkway "WEST SIDE STORY" Sheridan. "WINDJAMMER" Florida. Night Clubs EDEN ROC Singer Georgia Gibbs; comic Al Bernie, Bob de Voye dancing trio. Tuesday through Saturday. CARILLON "Scanda-les de LUCERNE "East Side Legitimate Stage "MAKE A MILLION" -Sam Levene stars in and directs comedy by Norman Barasch and Carroll Moore; Coconut Grove Playhouse, closing tonight.

"SLEEPING BEAUTY" Ivan Kivitt directs at Merry-Go Round Playhouse, today and Saturday. "PETER PAN" Ruth Foreman directs at Studio today and Saturday. "TENDER LOVING CARE" John Payne stars in world premiere of Elena Miramo-va's drama directed by Tamara Geva, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Tuesday through April 22. JACK YOUN3 GEORGE AfWQUyS I. Wilful i i SM35SS ARTISTS AND MODELS BALL Deauville Hotel Delicious "FLORA MIR" 4 jU( bj I I I erfect tf lei Just Marl Vwitti ctotte FrM at A UNion 5-751 1 CrP 1 tCh COURSI DINNERS KTkJi 1 GRIAT SHOWS NIGHTIT i 12 THE MIAMI NEWS, Sunday, April 8, 1962.