PLAYGOER

Last evening the Cambridge Summer Theatre ushered in the local straw has season with "Tonight or Never," a musical play by Lili Hatvany and musical play by Lili Hatvany and starring Ethel Barrymore Colt.

Perhaps the most accurate critical barometer of the evening was the audience, which came to be pleased and left feeling as if they had been asked to give slightly more than they received. Opening night nervousness, line trouble, and direction that lacked pace conspired to dampen considerably the pre-curtain enthusiasm. It is only fair to say, however that The Cambridge Summer Theatre has enormous difficulties in being able to open at all.

Although Miss Colt is miscast as the Prima Donna who gets her man in "Tosca" but can't in real life, she undoubtedly is the most vital and outstanding personality on the Brattle stage. Because of a tendency to recite her lines in rather a sing-song fashion, she loses much of their meaning and the chance to capitalize on many potential laughs. Of the supporting cast, Richard Hart in the role of the Unknown Gentleman, gives a very satisfactory performance. As the season progresses, a great deal can be expected from Lee Nugent, Allan Tower and Kathryn Cameron, all of whom showed promise last evening. Robert Perry, in the role of His Excellency added a professional touch to the evening's proceedings.