A Celtic Temperament

by Robertson Davies

  WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, TORONTO: I lecture at Trinity on Oedipus at 12, very well, and Miranda says masterly. Gordon Roper says Trinity thinks of asking me to join the staff next year—a great compliment. At rehearsal, Tony was suffering with teeth and very under par. He departs, leaving me to give some cuts in the Cobbler bedroom scene, no easy task. But Dennis King very decent and it goes well. I get the feeling that if I have the name I must have the game, so I direct a bit and please old King by giving him some comic business. Also revise the design of Molly’s costume. The rehearsal with recorded music goes very badly. At 5 I record a TV conversation with Nathan Cohen, which he manages skilfully, and does not try to put me on the spot, and we part on very friendly terms. But he will slate the play when it appears, mark my words.

  THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, TORONTO: Rehearsals now enter Tony’s “interesting stage” when character is developed and fine points worked over. The taped organ music is unsatisfactory and something has to be done about it—I know not what. Late this afternoon I returned from my Trinity lecture and found them at work on the new finale, and it goes well and everyone is much better displayed. Tony wants a few extra lines here and there. This evening went to see the Canadian Opera’s Otello, and after working all day with a master of stage movement and grouping, I found the director Geiger-Torel’s dull tableaux looked very unsophisticated, false, and undramatic.

  FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, TORONTO: This afternoon a run-through of almost all the play and I was pleasantly surprised by the speed, variety, and texture of it—a good meaty play. Decided to put the flashback of Higgin and Solly into the scene in Mrs. Bridgetower’s bedroom, removing it from the Cobbler bedroom. Several developments show up in the run-through, such as the note of pathos in the play. This evening, Laurie Hardy and Madeleine Christie come to dinner with us, and they tell me that the copies of Love and Libel they received had a shaming blurb in the front about how Tyrone Guthrie would turn the script into another Tenth Man;36 obviously prepared for the Guild to send to possible investors. I hope their faith in their magician is justified. I think the play contains much that is good, and true, lively, witty, and funny: even Tyrone Guthrie cannot succeed with a worthless play, and sometimes not with a good one.

  SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, TORONTO: Greeted by Tony this morning with the news that King is still not content with what he has in the finale, and wants more. I sense that Tony is bowing to whatever seems to be the strongest wind, and thinks I am weaker than Dennis King: therefore I blow very chill indeed and make rather a fuss. Tony looks poorly: the white of his eye is a phlegmy blue, and he droops. But yesterday he and Dennis King lunched together, had a lot of drinks, and I suppose he gave in to cajolery, thinking I could be bullied. But what can I do? What King wants is all straight from the novel, so I cannot say it is not good. Tony says “we”—I suppose he means I—must bow to Dennis King’s vanity, that he has been forty years on the stage, etc. I ask when he is going to begin to work on his part. So far he has read, mumbled, and played the baby at rehearsals. Tony, like many another, talks a lot about what he will say and do to difficult people, but he dominates those who will be dominated, gives in to the bullies, and is thoroughly Irish all round. This evening, at home, I reworked the scene, which is now less tight than it was, and I do not for an instant think this is the last. King already gags37 a good deal and he will probably go mad before an audience.

  The girls lunch with us, then Brenda and I bring Rosamond back to Peterborough. To the Examiner and do a few jobs, do some revision in the evening and hope for a day of peace tomorrow.

  SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23: Delightful day. Work on Trinity lectures in circumstances of real convenience, quiet, and comfort. In the afternoon hear music. Return to Toronto after tea, take Rosamond to school, and to the Harrises’ to chat. A splendid restful change.

  MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, TORONTO: My alterations in the finale seem to be satisfactory, at least for the present. Dennis King is now at work getting back lines which have been cut. The play seems to have taken a decided step forward today. John Cook came this afternoon and sorted out the music, but nothing is going to make it really good, I fear; the actors coarsen the tone as soon as they move about. Tidied Acts 1 and 2 this afternoon. I discovered that Marie Day had procured the cheapest kind of Roman Catholic cassock for Dean Knapp and checked that. Why do designers not consider such significant points? Are they all infidels, or Anabaptists? Write some new stuff for Ridley’s second soliloquy. A number of props and some furniture have arrived and there is a sense of progress. Tony was in good form and did some excellent things. He says tomorrow some managers are coming to look at a run-through, to see if they want us in their theatres in New York. Wish we had assurance of a theatre; not my affair, but wish that matter were settled. I want to be home at Christmas.

  TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, TORONTO: This morning Tony worked hard on the Vambrace-Yarrow scene and lectured Gene Saks, who is a Method actor and cannot stick to a plan of moves or cadences. Rather like a very good amateur. Quite impossible for that excellent actor Laurence Hardy to work with. This afternoon a visitation from New York—Lawrence Langner, Billy Rose,38 Ben Hecht,39 Don Herbert, and Dick Horner40—who saw a run-through (not the finale) and spoke well of the piece. Unless they were being quite needlessly tactful, they really liked it, and our chances of getting a theatre seem good. Then Tony comes back with us to our flat for tea and rum, and declared himself to be my father in the theatre, as Lewis Casson is his.41 He says we do not understand King, who came from a bicycle shop in Birmingham, was a great star before he was thirty, and now sees everything as a threat, has trouble with his lines, and complains of the Canadian actors “they’re all so good.” Tony scolded me again for being easy about Camelot; I reply that Love and Libel is what I can do for the Canadian theatre, not criticism, and he admits the justice of that. Lawrence Langner had good criticism and a good idea—that the young people are excluded from the dreams. So tonight I work up a dream for Pearl.

  WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, TORONTO: Very heavy day. Rehearse at 10, Trinity at 12 (Greek and Elizabethan tragedy compared), rehearse at 2. Gene Saks is still in search of his part: if he were not such a nice fellow and so obviously a good actor, I would say this was a pompous and unprofessional bore. This afternoon Tony was at his dentist’s, and when Dennis King found this out he declared himself tired and refused to rehearse. I took the others through most of it and fiddled with some lines. Tony is very bad about words and lets them get away with meaningless intonations. Most of Saks’s trouble is that he does not trust the words. We put in Pearl’s dream, which was very funny as Corinne dashed through it like the Fairy Bob-about. Back to the university at 5; to Hart House and talked to representatives of the college drama societies, with some effect, I think. In the evening do a Star column on Thomas Mann and reshape Molly Cobbler’s dream to include Shillito; hope it works. Poor Charmion as Molly simply cannot do it alone. She has no overflow, no give. Hope we move forward tomorrow. I count this a day almost lost.

  THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, TORONTO: This morning Tony was in his best form and did fine things with the dream sequence. I have done a dream for Pearl which threads through the others, and Molly’s dream is much better with Tony van Bridge, who brings to it much of the tenderness she lacks. “This is what the theatre is about,” Tony whispered, when it was going smoothly, and I agree. This is that theatre magic which cannot be created in quite the same way by any other means. When I returned from Trinity at 4, a rehearsal in costume was in progress. Many of the outfits look cheap and dreadful, and Marie Day has the oddest indifference to accuracy: the choirboy’s medal worn by Higgin in his dream is the most hideous stage jewel! But it is unfair to criticize yet. However, some very trashy stuff appears among the props. Mrs. Bridgetower’s mirror was an 87-cent thing (the price was still on it) framed in pink plastic. I complained, and a suitable silver one has replaced it. Amateurs would not be content with such rubbish. The Guild is notoriously mean, but the production should not look downri
ght shabby.

  FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, TORONTO: Tony called this morning to say he had a letter from Lawrence Langner, advising certain revisions. I feared these might be drastic but when we met they proved to be: (1) Delay completion of Solly-Pearl romance. (2) Introduce dreams more carefully. (3) Heighten quarrel of Solly and his mother. (4) Let Cobbler draw the lovers together at the end. All quite easy. Tony says he thinks (4) was inspired by Dennis King, but not a bad idea anyhow. Then we taped a radio interview with a man named Lillico. Tony was rather gruff with him and wanted to be paid if there was any pay going, and then referred to Ben Hecht as “a scruffy old Jew,” and said his opinion was of no account. One of his Bad Boy performances. Watched the afternoon rehearsal and made some changes on the spot. This evening did the others fast and neatly. Tony writes in the New York Times that authors will do anything if threatened, for fear their work may be dropped. He despises authors, but also envies them, I think, for he writes well as an amateur but is short-winded and uncritical.

  SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29, TORONTO: Typed the new material and took it to rehearsal. Quite a fuss with Tony because a Mrs. R.H. Lorimer Massie has asked the whole company to a party after the first night; he protests he will not go, that vulgar “backers” will be there, etc. Then it is proved Mrs. Massie is herself the big noise in the Theatre Exchange, our Canadian producers, and the party is a private one for the company alone. So Tony’s wrath is assuaged. We now have bits of scenery and these complicate rehearsal. Tony goes at 4:45 to his dentist, and at 5 my new finale comes from the typist. I distribute it, and it is read once, and immediately Dennis King expresses disappointment and dissatisfaction; he wanted far more, and funny stuff. Also Corinne Conley and John Milligan put in their oars, wanting things for themselves. This after Rob Christie and even, God help me, Ed Holmes42 have been giving me advice about how to improve the play! I am disgusted and furious and feel ill. Call Tony and say I think further changes inadvisable, and to my surprise he agrees, and says he will back me up. We shall see. But I am sick of being pushed around by actors.

  SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, TORONTO: Worked on my Lear lecture in the morning and then to rehearsal about 12 and we tried the new finale. Hopeless: no life or reason in it. Before this I had quite a wrangle with Dennis King and frightened him, I think, for he became apologetic and compliant. But the new material was 100% no good. So I buckled down and reshaped it and in quite good measure rewrote the finale: love interest up, tension better maintained, and a better deal for old Dennis. Took it down at 5, just as they broke, and Tony was well pleased but thought the end indecisive. What about a couplet, said I for a joke. Nothing better, said he: so a couplet it is. We then tried to find a public stenographer, but none on Sunday, so to the Royal Alexandra Theatre where David Hays was hanging the scenery, and very exciting it looked. Stood on the stage and admired the handsome old house. Before dinner worked three-quarters of an hour on the two couplets, and after much brain-wracking produced something and read it down the phone to Tony—who was so kind as to call them brilliant. But we shall see.

  No more rewriting before opening, I judge. Nervousness begins but at least one has something sizable to be nervous about: and rationalize as I may, I do cherish hopes of something better than failure.

  MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, TORONTO: Rehearse new finale at 11, and again at the theatre (in the circle foyer) at 7 p.m. It works well. Then the technical rehearsal; an unnerving experience as the stage seemed to be filled with garish and distracting rubbish, and all the shifting of scenes and furniture is done visibly by the actors. Under all these antics the play suddenly disappeared. Tony drank a lot, became uproarious, kicked Rob Christie (his usual whipping-boy), and was rather above himself, though wholly in control of the situation. Not so King, whose feeble grasp on his words was further relaxed by drink. I kept out of the way and said nothing, and suffered a good deal, but not so much as if these antics were utterly unknown to me. This went on from 8 until 2 a.m. and Act 1 had been technically rehearsed. Acts 2 and 3 tomorrow at 7; no dress rehearsal till Wednesday, the day of opening. What I dread is that my play may be scuppered by these avant-garde ornaments and a production too ingenious. The theatre reports poor booking—less than 50%—and says this is the case with most Canadian ventures, which I can well believe.

  TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, TORONTO: Rehearse finale in circle foyer at 4:30, and Martinec interrupts with new drama: the musicians’ union won’t let us use our taped organ music because it is “hot”—i.e., John Cook, a London union man, recorded it in Toronto without informing the Toronto local. So an organist and a Hammond organ must be used. I undertake to find the organist and at last secure Miranda’s friend at Trinity, Cecilia Anderson, who will be glad of the money. Technical rehearsal of Acts 2 and 3 at 7 p.m. and much less wearing than last night. Tony has accepted some of my suggestions and many staring colours have been greyed down. King is still very bad in his words and is ratty about it and explains a lot. Rob Christie muddled his dream speech badly; he is much disordered, I fear. Ernie Rawley took Brenda and me to his office and drank to the play and recalled when my Fortune, My Foe appeared at the Alex, in 1949, I believe. Kind of him. Now we stand on the brink of the first performance. Ernie Rawley says the advance booking $12,000: not the $18,000 he hoped for, but the Guild is very pleased. Of course good notices would bring some more into the house but I fear they will be guarded, and Cohen’s a panning.

  WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, TORONTO: To theatre at 10:30 and work with Cecilia Anderson, who is to fill in the music on a Hammond organ. Then to Trinity to lecture on Lear. Dress rehearsal at 2:30—long and full of accidents.

  FIRST NIGHT: full house and the play well received. First act slow; second goes very well; third plays to great laughs. Best scenes as received by the audience: the Yarrow-Vambrace, and Solly and his mother in her bedroom, and Higgin seducing Edith. Biggest laugh: finale, Mrs. Bridgetower about “four bare legs in a blanket.” Many curtain calls and I am called for twice, and am rattled and do not make a speech. Great enthusiasm and many backstage visitors. I liked seeing the girls best: they seemed so real after all the nervous nonsense of the production. Langner and Herbert very well pleased, and Rawley also. But Tony was nervous and scratchy, and Judy wanted to blame the play for whatever had gone wrong, and I had to be rather firm when we drove them home. Tony, to my astonishment, called the play “a realistic social comedy”! Mrs. Lorimer Massie, a wealthy backer, entertained us all at Winston’s after the play. I hated it. How dismal such things can be! But as such things are judged, the first night was promising.

  THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, TORONTO: Lay late and felt very tired. Notices not very helpful. Whittaker’s friendly but guarded, presumably for fear New York might reverse any firm decision for or against. Telegram liked the production and thought the actors splendid, but the play trivial. Cohen in the Star most sensible of all, but expressed in his accustomed sneering style. Both evening papers say I am imitating Thornton Wilder badly, and this irks me. But the word-of-mouth is good and the house tonight not at all bad, and Martinec says the worst we shall have. Lecture at Trinity on Synge’s Playboy of the Western World and walk both ways, very refreshing. Worked with Tony on changes, and write a new dream for Pearl, and one for Vambrace, under the stage in the orchestra room, on an old envelope. Dine with Brenda at University Club and to the theatre. Watched the dreams, which are better, and the Yarrow-Vambrace scene, which was very rocky. Tony says if we watch too much every night we shall lose our ability to discriminate.

  FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, TORONTO: To the theatre and saw the new dreams and improved production of the party scene: all improvements. Talked with Corinne about her part. She was distressed that Charmion scooped the notices, but Corinne’s is the part upon which the audience can project its dreams. Corinne can improve her performance by playing against her lines, by being more courageous.

  SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, TORONTO: At 11 a.m. to St. Paul’s to re-record the music to fit union demands; Dr. Charles Peaker43 to play.
He understands the situation perfectly and means to turn over part of his fee to Cook, who is to be “disciplined,” i.e., bilked of $500 by the union. Charley plays far better than Cook, makes a fine tape, then regales us with rye in his snuggery, full of books and the console of the old St. Paul’s Casavant organ. Have a jolly time, Cook, Charley, Tony, Lee Martinec, Madeleine Christie, and me. During the afternoon I revise the finale, and shift the Yarrow party a page or two onward. An excellent performance in the evening with eight curtain calls. Good party at the Stewarts’ and of course everybody full of advice, about one third of it good.

  A strenuous week and life-enhancing. Failure or success, I have had a jolly good time in Toronto. But what will the U.S. response be to this very Canadian play?

  SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6: Train call to Detroit at 8 a.m. and we all assemble in Union Station looking like nothing so much as a company of touring theatricals. The crew are smart in Tyrolean hats and sunglasses, and hard to recognize. Leo Leyden comes as Le Juif Polonais44 in a fur cap and a coat with a fur collar; Rob Christie very actory in a raglan coat and a broad-brimmed hat; Lewin Goff (an “observer” from Kansas University, on a grant to watch Tyrone Guthrie at work) has a brown derby, not worn as a joke but in good sadness;45 Charmion King wears a honey-coloured coat with a very big collar, which has the effect of making her look short-legged, and a Eugénie hat of fur felt,46 and is a modern Miss Snevellicci, the young actress in Nicholas Nickleby. We have a parlour car to ourselves and everybody sleeps, eats, frets about immigration; and Ed Holmes emerges as a great cut-up, as does Gene Saks, who does a turn as a presidential candidate, and makes a speech from the back of the train. To Detroit at 2:30 and there is an immigration holdup; the manifest has not come. Grania Mortimer worried because she is pregnant and the U.S. authorities fear (with some cause, I suppose) that gravid women invade their land to gain for their young the dubious boon of American citizenship. At last all is well and we get to the Fort Shelby Hotel and change our $9.50 room for a $12 one.