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pie coincided with the run of
the play, unfortunately for me.
The result was a series of hair-
raising experiences, not the
least of which was a wild ride
at break-neck speed in an un
marked police car. This occur
red because I had been called
to testify on a Saturday morn
ing and the defense attorney
would not release me until well
past time for Theatre Atlanta’s
matinee to begin. The Atlanta
Police Department expressed
its sympathy for this situation
by chauffering me from the
courthouse to the stage door,
with no regard for red lights
or speed limits. This would
have been fine except for the
fact that the car we used had
neither identification nor siren
on it. By the time we reached
the theatre I was in a state of
shock and had already missed
my entrance in the first act.
The real shock, however, came
when I learned that the direc
tor had cut my part out of the
first act altogether, and that no
one had even missed it!
The play ended my acting
career, such as it was, but not
my attachment to Theatre At
lanta. I continued to take
courses offered by the organi
zation, occasionally wrote pro
gram notes and publicity for
the shows, and followed each
one with avid interest. When
the Women’s Guild was orga
nized, early in 1961, I became
one of its founding members.
From the beginning, a prime
objective of the Women’s Guild
was to aid Theatre Atlanta in
its service to the community.
During the summer of 1961,
when the city schools were
about to be integrated, Theatre
Atlanta was called upon
through the Guild to work
with OASIS in preparing var
ious segments of the white
community for the new situa
tion. Actors came to group
discussions and improvised
scenes expressing the fears of
the audience. This triggered
the emotions and set off a much
more lively and candid discus
sion than would otherwise have
been possible.
Several times during the en
suing years Theatre Atlanta
provided the Temple Sister
hood with actors for programs
based upon the same techni
ques. I remember particular
ly one of these programs, the
subject of which was Jewish
family relationships. Muriel
Moore, now a member of the
Theatre Atlanta Repertory
Company, played the role of
the mother so convincingly
that people refused to believe
she wasn’t Jewish.
Another organization that
used the services of Theatre
Atlanta during those years was
B’nai B’rith Women. Helen
Mantler and Beryl Goldberg
The Southern Israelite
performed for BBW’s Woman
of Valor Award Dinner at the
Mayfair Club the night before
the club burned down.
Now and then groups from
various churches would request
a program of Theatre Atlanta.
On one such occasion the
church specified that it would
like a short play based upon a
story from the Bible, and TA’s
director asked me to write a
suitable script. When the
church authorities heard about
this they assumed that the play
would be controversial—as, of
course, it was —and promptly
warned TA that it would have
to find some other material to
present. TA complied, but my
script did not have to go to
waste. Hadassah used it as
part of its next Education Day
program.
The summer of 1964 was
Theatre Atlanta’s summer of
decision, its turning point from
“little theatre” to its present
professional status. As one of
those appointed to serve on its
provisional steering committee,
I campaigned loud and clear
for a complete reorganization
with business and civic leaders
at the helm. Fortunately there
were such men available, eag
er to give their time as well
as their resources to the pro
ject. Joseph Haas became the
first Chairman of the Board,
Scene from the controversial
“The Deputy,’’ one of Theatre
Atlanta’s most competent pro
ductions. Two plays booked this
season, “Andersonville Trial” and
“The Investigation’’ are on sim
ilar themes.
providing TA with the strong,
determined leadership that was
so vital during the past three
years. Other vital leadership
over the years has been pro
vided by Edward Elson and
Jennings Hertz, Jr., both of
whom are now vice presidents
of TA.
For the first season after
TA’s reorganization, guest dir
ectors were brought in from
New York and London to pro
duce the plays and a skeletal
staff was maintained here
throughout the year. One of
the guests was Jay Broad, the
dynamic young man subse-
quentv engaged as TA’s Man
aging Director. He assumed
this responsibility in 1965, at
the same time that TA’s Board
of Directors undertook the res
ponsibility for its new building
at 1374 West Peachtree.
Groundbreaking ceremonies
took place in August, 1965, with
Gov. Carl Sanders, Mayor Ivan
Allen, and Vice Mayor Sam
Massell all participating in the
occasion. Mayor Allen declar
ed this to be the first legitimate
theatre to be built in Atlanta
in more than half a century.
Oddly enough, Atlanta’s very
first theatre was built by a pre
decessor of his, Mayor James
E. Williams, in the mid-1800’s.
Strikes, bad weather, and
unexpected granite substrata
slowed the progress to TA’s
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