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"Life with Father"
A
COMEDY
By Howard Lindsay
and Russell Crouse
Performed Dec 2 -
12, 2004
Father and his
wife Vinnie, their young sons, relatives and friends, all are involved
in this epic, comical and warm hearted struggle between father and
mother to have father properly baptized. FWP's tribute to Ms Dorothy
Ellison, our own theater's First Lady, who appeared in both the
Broadway and Road Show productions of Life with Father.
Life With Father is adapted from the stories of
Clarence Day. He wrote humorously and with love of his family and
life. The stories of his father, Clarence "Clare" Day senior are
taken from the "New Yorker" magazine. They portray a rambunctious,
overburdened Wall Street broker who demands that everything from his
family should be just so. The more he rails against his staff, his
cook, his wife, his horse, salesman, holidays, his children and the
inability of the world to live up to his impossible standards, the
more comical and lovable he becomes to his own family who love him
despite it all. First published in 1936, Day's book is an accurate
picture of New York middle class family life in the 1890's. It is a
timeless classic of American humor filled with affectionate irony.
The stories were adapted for stage by Howard
Lindsay and Russell Crouse. Life With Father opened on Broadway at
the Empire Theatre November 8, 1939 and remained there until September
8, 1945. It continued to be performed on Broadway until July 12, 1947
and closed after 3,224 performances. Howard Lindsay, himself, starred
as Father in the original cast. Francis Wilson Playhouse' own Dorothy
Ellison performed as Mary Skinner for a year in the road company which
substituted on Broadway while that cast was on vacation. Byron
Ellison, our director, performed as the youngest son, Harlan, in the
road show as well.
Day's understated, matter of fact style
underlines the comedy in everyday situations. Life With Father
resonates with the gentle humor and nostalgia audiences respond to
when seeing the good in life. We hope you enjoy our show.
Meet the Director
BYRON ELLISON (Director) - Mr.
Ellison started his theatre career at the age of seven playing Harlan
in “Life With Father” on Broadway, and for eleven months thereafter
was part of the cast with the road company. Two years later he played Arna in “I Remember Mama” on Broadway and in “Atlantic City, a six
month run. During his high school days in Clearwater he worked for
WTAN for three years. After a stint in the Marine Corps, Mr. Ellison
joined RCA for eleven years. While with RCA in Cherry Hill, New
Jersey, he formed a community theatre program comprised of RCA
employees.
In 1999 he purchased WETT in Ocean
City, Maryland, and was the voice of Fox TV and radio "High Speed
Sports". He moderated CBS radio's "Travel America" for nine months in
1999 and in 2001 he became chairman of Atlantis Studios, a TV
production company based in Ft. Lauderdale and Deerfield Beach,
Florida. Mr. Ellison has been involved with the Francis Wilson
Playhouse since he was a small child. His mother, Dorothy Ellison,
was Executive Director for many years and Mr. Ellison continues to
serve with the theatre as a member of the Board of Directors.
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