Randolph Del Lago, Creative Director of the Delray Beach Playhouse has created showcases of well-know playwrights, stage actors and actresses for the Trails Chapter of the Brandeis University National Women’s Committee for the past ten seasons. www.bunwctrails.org He usually creates three or four segments, the last one being a musical tribute to the subject honoree, spread over a three month period between January and March each season.
Del Lago does extensive research, writes the scripts and engages a troupe of four players to do the reading to sell-out audiences. In past seasons he has provided retrospect’s on the lives of Lillian Hellman, Arthur Miller, George S. Kaufman, Somerset Maugham, and Fanny Brice, to name a few. In recent years neighboring chapters of BUNWC in Boca Raton and Boynton Beach have subscribed to his popular showcases.
Subscriptions are so popular two performances had to be scheduled: Thursday and Friday, January 17 and 18. The performances began at 2 P.M. to a full house each afternoon in the 400 seat Temple Emeth sanctuary off West Atlantic Ave., Delray.
Randolph’s introductory monologue described the early life of playwright/novelist Edna Ferber who was born August 15, 1885 in Kalamazoo, MI. At age 15 in Appleton, WI. she became the first female newspaper reporter. Her family had moved from Ottumwa, IL. where they had been subjected to humiliating anti-Semitism. Ferber nurtured smoldering indignation about discrimination from that early experience. The stories she wrote were often about strong women facing down adversity. In the mid 1920’s Ferber was the most popular female novelist in the country with novels such as “So Big,” “Cimarron,” “Giant,” and “Saratoga Trunk.” Many of her works were made into films and theatrical productions.
To dramatize scenes from Ferber’s plays, Del Lago introduced four actors who read roles from selected plays. Shown in photograph: Heidi Harris, Randolph Del Lago, Harriet Oser, Lourelene Snediker and Wayne Le Gette. They gave excellent performances.
Before the program began a special member of the audience was serenaded by everyone with “Happy Birthday To You.” Henrietta Warhoftig, (shown in photo) seated in the front row was celebrating her recent 100th birthday.