Steadstyle Chicago
	February 2010 Theatre Commentary by Joe Stead
	Back on Board the 'Old Rust Bucket' 1984 was the year I wrote my first theatre review at the advanced age of twelve.  It was also the year I watched a very special, one night only live theatre event...on television.  I know many will make the argument that theatre performances are never as effective on video or television, but from the perspective of a young person trying to learn everything they could about the theatre and to experience everything it had to offer, often on a very limited income, this was a gift.  The play was the World War II classic "Mister Roberts," which today is remembered mostly for the film adaptation starring Henry Fonda, Jack Lemmon, James Cagney and William Powell.  The "NBC Live Theatre" production assembled a similarly impressive lineup of familiar names of the day, including Robert Hays, Kevin Bacon, Charles Durning, Howard Hessman, with Marilu Henner in the small, lone female role of Lt. Ann Girard.  Over the years I recalled this production, which was my introduction to Thomas Heggen and Joshua Logan's highly acclaimed stage and screen classic, with great affection.  Early in my directing career I had chosen to direct a production of it aboard an actual World War II naval ship that was docked in a Baltimore harbor.  The realities of producing a live play on board a real vessel were as impractical it turned out as they were exciting.  Although the logistics of that particular production proved insurmountable, I have always held out hope that one day the right opportunity would present itself and I would finally be able to realize my dream of mounting this hilarious and poignant study of the real enemies of war, boredom and monotony. Just as that perfect opportunity has continued to evade me, so has the thought that I would ever be allowed to re-live that "live theatre" event from my childhood.  The NBC "Mister Roberts" was a one-time only deal and never commercially released.  Until now.  My heart nearly jumped out of my chest as I was recently exploring the seemingly unending Netflix queue and what would appear but that very performance I had not seen since childhood.  I instantly marked it as my first choice and true to form, Netflix delivered the disc to my mailbox within two or three days.  Would it ever live up to my childhood memories or all the "directorial" ideas that have since crowded my imagination?  Happily, the play holds up quite well whether one is approaching it for the first time or as an old friend.  Part of my problem with the 1955 Fonda film version was that it was highly sanitized in order to meet Hollywood's ridiculously conservative "Production Code" of the era.  That means the sailors spoke like choir boys, and Ensign Pulver's less than chaste efforts to lure a naval nurse on board for a homemade concoction of "Red Label" Scotch was more like an invitation to share a Cherry soda at the drug store.  Fonda himself reportedly felt the play was better than the film, and he should know since he originated the role to great acclaim on Broadway.  Subsequent actors to wear "Mister Roberts" rank of "JG" (Junior Grade) Executive Officer were John Forsythe, Richard Carlson, Tod Andrews and Tyrone Powers in London.  To my knowledge there has not been a major production of "Mister Roberts" in the Chicagoland area in decades.  The great William Pullinsi staged it in 1964 at his celebrated Candlelight Dinner Playhouse with Ron Masak taking the title role.  But it seems to have largely disappeared.  Perhaps some industrious theatre out there will have the guts to give it another chance.  I believe it is still as timely and hilarious as ever as it pays tribute to those heroes who chartered the murky waters of "Tedium to Apathy and back again with an occasional side trip to Monotony".  It certainly would be a challenge, and if there are any Chicago area theatres up to taking that challenge, I know a director who would be most happy to sign up for the task. Two years before "Mister Roberts" hit the airwaves in 1984, another classic play was filmed live on stage with another all-star cast.  This one has proven to be nearly as elusive, although it receives an occasional cable TV airing, which I was fortunate enough to record to DVD.  Unlike "Mister Roberts," William Inge's "Bus Stop" has had productions in Chicago and throughout the country in the five decades or so since it debuted on Broadway.  And it is also well remembered for a movie version that played fast and loose with the original script.  Hollywood envisioned it as a vehicle for its biggest star, Marilyn Monroe, and opened up the one-set diner to show all the back story that led up to the events in the play.  While the Monroe version is certainly entertaining enough on its own terms, it really bares little resemblance to the original play. The 1982 video is not a re-make of the Monroe Hollywood glamour version, but an honest and extremely entertaining live production captured for posterity.  The stars include Margot Kidder (a surprising and effective choice for Monroe's role as no-talent chanteuse Cheri), the very handsome Tim Matheson, the magnificent Pat Hingle, Claude Akins to the good old boy Sheriff manner-born, a folksy Barry Corbin and an earthy Joyce Van Patten.  I am sure there will be those who argue that neither of these live performances on video are a real substitute for the real thing in the theatre.  And Chicago audiences were fortunate enough to have a very fine "Bus Stop" at Writers Theatre several seasons back.  It still gives me enormous pleasure to make their re-acquaintance every now and again, and to think of all the other incredible theatre treasures out there that may live on thanks to the wonder of video.     Some of the actors to wear "Mister Roberts" uniform (from left to right) Henry Fonda (Broadway and film), John Forsythe (National Tour), Richard Carlson (Chicago's Erlanger Theatre) and Ron Masak (Candlelight Dinner Playhouse).   About Joe Stead Joe Stead has enjoyed a lifelong passion for the theatre, which has involved acting, directing, producing, designing and reviewing for the past twenty-five years.  He served as founder, producer and Artistic Director of Curtain Up Productions in Baltimore, Maryland and Four Star Players in Tampa, Florida.  Favorite productions have included "Life With Father," "Deathtrap," "The Odd Couple," "The Miracle Worker," "Brighton Beach Memoirs," "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" and "Godspell".  He has also performed leading roles in "Fiddler on the Roof," "Pippin," "The Phantom of the Opera," "The Front Page," and most recently as Hucklebee in "The Fantasticks" for Waukegan Community Players.  Joe holds a degree in Commercial Art from Tampa Technical Institute.  As a critic, he has reviewed everything from Broadway to community theatre and major regional theatres throughout the United States including the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey, Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut, and the Asolo Theatre in Sarasota, Florida.  Since 1998, he has been a proud resident of Chicago, the greatest theatre city in America.  He served for two years as Theatre Editor for College News and Central Newspapers.  He created the website Steadstyle Chicago in 2000 to showcase the city's outstanding and diverse theatre scene.  Joe was proud to serve alongside a distinguished panel of theatre professionals as a judge for two seasons of Speaking Ring Theatre's "Vitality" Festival of original short plays.  His most fulfilling role, in addition to reviewer and all-around theatre fanatic, was as director of the 2007 production of Peter Shaffer's "Equus" at Actors Workshop (now Redtwist) Theatre, which was nominated for five Joseph Jefferson Award Citations and won for Best Actor (Peter Oyloe).