Actors Will Tour South Pacific If Army Accepts Henning's Plan

A company of Harvard actors will tour the South Pacific next summer playing Thorton Wilder's Our Town, if production plans of Joel F. Henning '61, who is organizing the tour, receive final approval from the Department of the Army. Word from Army officials is expected within a week.

The proposed company will be completely independent of the HDC, with the Army underwriting expenses of travel, food, and lodging. In addition to playing at various Armed Forces installations, however, the troupe will also perform in some "downtown" theatres of large cities in Japan, Hawaii, and the Phillipines.

Cambridge Production First

According to present plans, the play will first be presented in Cambridge, probably in May, as a separate venture for which Henning has arranged private backing. The estimated $50,000 cost of the South Pacific tour, however, will be covered by the Army.

Casting for the Cambridge production and the tour will begin next Tuesday, although the location has not yet been announced. Henning estimates that about 14 actors and actresses will make the tour, together with the producer, director and technical manager.

In addition to just reading for roles, a series of interviews will be set up in order to obtain actors who would be compatible on a three-month tour.

Most shows touring service bases in the past have been musical revues, Henning pointed out, and in this respect the present production will set a precedent. He explained that he selected Our Town because it seemed to be a play with universal appeal and because "it is the type of play Harvard actors can do best."

Outlining difficulties of the tour, Henning described the wide variety of conditions under which productions must be given. Audiences will vary from parlor-room size to groups of several thousand, and the size of the stage will also not be standard, necessitating re-blocking by the director for practically every performance.