''The Grass Harp'' is a

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * Pla ...

written by

Truman Capote Truman Garcia Capote ( ; born Truman Streckfus Persons; September 30, 1924 – August 25, 1984) was an American novelist, screenwriter, playwright and actor. Several of his short stories, novels, and plays have been praised as literary classics, ...

based on his novel of the same name. Producer

Saint Subber Arnold Saint-Subber (February 18, 1918 – April 19, 1994), usually known as Saint Subber, was an American theatrical producer. Early life Subber grew up in New York City, where both of his parents were theatre ticket brokers. He attended New York ...

staged it on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in 1952. It was Capote's first play.

History

Capote's novel ''The Grass Harp'' was favorably reviewed when it was published, and it attracted the interest of the Broadway producer

, who traveled to

Taormina Taormina ( , , also , ; scn, Taurmina) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Messina, on the east coast of the island of Sicily, Italy. Taormina has been a tourist destination since the 19th century. Its beaches on ...

to urge Capote to write a stage adaption of the work. His offer opened up new possibilities for income at a time when Capote was still struggling financially. Working with intense concentration, Capote managed to complete a draft of the play in a year's time. He was personally involved in the selection of a production team. The adaptation, produced by Subber and directed by Robert Lewis, opened on March 27, 1952, at Broadway's

Martin Beck Theatre The Al Hirschfeld Theatre, originally the Martin Beck Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 302 West 45th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1924, it was designed by G. Albert Lansburgh in a Moorish and ...

, where it ran for 36 performances. The cast included

Mildred Natwick Mildred Natwick (June 19, 1905 – October 25, 1994) was an American actress. She won a Primetime Emmy Award and was nominated for an Academy Award and two Tony Awards. Early life Natwick was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the daughter of Mildre ...

as Dolly Talbo, Ruth Nelson as Verena Talbo,

Jonathan Harris Jonathan Harris (born Jonathan Daniel Charasuchin, November 6, 1914 – November 3, 2002) was an American character actor whose career included more than 500 television and film appearances, as well as voiceovers. Two of his best-known roles we ...

as Dr. Morris Ritz,

Sterling Holloway Sterling Price Holloway Jr. (January 4, 1905 – November 22, 1992) was an American actor and voice actor who appeared in over 100 films and 40 television shows. He did voice acting for The Walt Disney Company, playing Mr. Stork in ''Dumbo'', Ad ...

as The Barber,

Gertrude Flynn Gertrude Flynn (January 14, 1909 – October 16, 1996) was an American stage, film and television actress. She was married to Asa Bordages, a feature writer for the ''New York World-Telegram'' and playwright known for the 1941 play ''Brooklyn US ...

as The Baker's Wife,

Val Dufour Albert Valéry Dufour (February 5, 1927 – July 27, 2000), known as Val Dufour, was an American actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medi ...

as The Sheriff,

Jane Lawrence Jane Lawrence Smith (February 3, 1915 – August 5, 2005), born Jane Brotherton, was an American actress and opera singer who was part of the New York art scene beginning in the 1950s. Life and work Jane Brotherton was born in Bozeman, Mon ...

as The Choir Mistress,

Lenka Peterson Lenka Peterson (born Betty Ann Isacson; October 16, 1925 – September 24, 2021) was an American theater, film, and television actress. Early years Peterson was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the daughter of Lenke (née Leinweber), a lab technician, an ...

as Maude Riordan, and

Alice Pearce Alice Pearce (October 16, 1917 – March 3, 1966) was an American actress. She was brought to Hollywood by Gene Kelly to reprise her Broadway performance in the film version of '' On the Town'' (1949). Pearce played comedic supporting roles in s ...

as Miss Baby Love Dallas. Music was by

Virgil Thomson Virgil Thomson (November 25, 1896 – September 30, 1989) was an American composer and critic. He was instrumental in the development of the "American Sound" in classical music. He has been described as a modernist, a neoromantic, a neoclassic ...

and scenery and costumes were by

Cecil Beaton Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton, (14 January 1904 – 18 January 1980) was a British fashion, portrait and war photographer, diarist, painter, and interior designer, as well as an Oscar–winning stage and costume designer for films and the theat ...

Reception

Brooks Atkinson Justin Brooks Atkinson (November 28, 1894 – January 14, 1984) was an American theatre critic. He worked for ''The New York Times'' from 1922 to 1960. In his obituary, the ''Times'' called him "the theater's most influential reviewer of his ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' praised the play, calling it "beautiful", with "lightness and grace". In ''

The New Republic ''The New Republic'' is an American magazine of commentary on politics, contemporary culture, and the arts. Founded in 1914 by several leaders of the progressive movement, it attempted to find a balance between "a liberalism centered in hum ...

'',

Eric Bentley Eric Russell Bentley (September 14, 1916 – August 5, 2020) was a British-born American theater critic, playwright, singer, editor, and translator. In 1998, he was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame. He was also a member of the New ...

said it was trite and ridiculous, although he praised Natwick's performance. Reprinted from ''The New Republic'', April 14, 1952. Designer

won the 1951-52

Donaldson Award The Donaldson Awards were a set of theatre awards established in 1944 by the drama critic Robert Francis in honor of W. H. Donaldson (1864–1925), the founder of ''The Billboard'' (now ''Billboard'') magazine. Categories included "best new pla ...

in the category of "Setting (play)".

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Grass Harp, The 1952 plays Broadway plays Comedy plays 1950s debut plays Works by Truman Capote Plays based on novels