“I recommend Spring Dance to any theatre that is still selling entertainment.”—­H.  Miles Heberer, Director, The Manhattan Theatre, Kansas State College.

“Its youthful spirit and gay wit made it more than just good entertainment.  Other Little Theatres will doubtless find, as we did, that the casting will give them a chance to capitalize on the natural popularity of young and enthusiastic actors.”—­Gordon Giffen, Director, Little Theatre of Duluth.

Spring Dance, when offered by colleges, high schools, or Little Theatres, draws extremely enthusiastic audiences.

(Royalty, $35.00.) Price, 75 cents.

CRAB APPLE

Comedy. 3 acts.  By Theodore Packard. 4 males, 3 females.  Interior.  Modern costumes.

First done at Yale and several summer theatres, Crab Apple is a light and amusing play of contemporary American life enlivened with up-to-the-minute allusions.  “She’s got a good mind,” is said of one character, “she’s read ‘Anthony Adverse.’” The play gives a brief glimpse of everyday life in the Hunter family, with Mr. Hunter grown crotchety and weary with business cares, making life miserable instead of pleasant for the family he has toiled for.  His wife meekly accepts his grumblings and his tyranny.  His children frequently threaten rebellion, but their feelings smolder until the situation is brought into sharp focus by the arrival of son Jim from college with a bride.  This overt act of Jim’s gives courage to his brother George to bring home a radio, banned as a nuisance by the head of the family, and to sister Amy to blossom out in a low-backed evening gown and plan to step out dancing.  Mr. Hunter is only brought to reason by a conspiracy which makes him believe he is seriously ill.  The family coddles him into a change of heart, and then finds it impossible to believe that their jest has become earnest and that their father’s health is really in danger.

(Royalty, $25.00.) Price, 75 cents.

THE LATE CHRISTOPHER BEAN

Comedy. 3 acts.  By Sidney Howard. 5 males, 4 females.  Interior.  Modern costumes.

Produced by Gilbert Miller in New York and elsewhere, this is one of the outstanding successes of the theater season of 1932-33.  The comedy has to do with a family of New Englanders who have, years before, given refuge to a great artist.  The play opens some years after Bean’s death, with an excited world in pursuit of his work and any details they can gather as to his life and character.  Dr. Haggett and his family, who have some of Bean’s canvases, suddenly realize their value, and become hard, selfish, and ill-tempered.  It is, however, Abby, the family servant, who ultimately holds them all in her power:  she has one of his greatest paintings, which she cannot be persuaded into selling or giving away; it turns out that she is the only one who really understood and appreciated the artist—­besides, she had been married to him!  An ideal play for colleges and Little Theaters.