APRIL 25, 1952, THE HERALD (ARLINGTON HEIGHTS) - Those who attended the "State of the Union" production given by the Village Theatre group of Arlington Heights last week end enjoyed a sparkling show.  Perhaps the political conniving exposed on that state may or may not be true to life, but he audience ate it up.

Is there anyone who hasn't some idea about political trickery as practiced in this great country?  The plot is based on the efforts of James Conover (David V. Shaughnessy) to nominate on the Republican ticket an honest man for office of President of the United States.

He was succeeding until his "victim," Grant Matthews (Bob Hutchinson) decided that the love and respect of his wife was more important to him than the nomination.  He really loved his wife, Mary (Jane Barton), although a triangle with Kay Thorndyke (Jane Anderson) as  the other member, came near breaking up the home life of Matthews.

The quips on Truman, Dewey, Stasson, Robert McCormick and others brought roars of laugher from the audience.  The political commentary originally in the script had been brought up-to-date by the theatre group.

Spike MacManus (Doug Anderson) was supposed to direct the speaking tour of the candidate, who spoke off the cuff too frequently to please the policital shieftaines.

A bit of spice was injected in the play bit he "on again, off again" attitude of Mrs. Matthews toward her husband.

Judge Jefferson, Davis Alexander (R. Derek Barton) and his wife, Lulubelle (Kay Hwley), who may have been the only Democrat in the play, were also popular with the audience.  WHo couldn' love the southern belle with that deawl and her effervescent friendliness?

Politicians of low and high degree included Senator Lauterback (Paul Breitsprecher), Sam Parrish (Joseph D. Crittenden), William Hardy (Robert B. Bishop) and Grace Draper (Grace Crittenden), lent the political touch of bigwig politicians.  

Supporting members of the cast were Muriel Mills, Davey Crittenden, Dennis Malcolmson, Curtiss A. Dahl, Marcelle Wilcos, Arthur W. Bates, James H. Kuykendall, and Alvin AQ. Werner.

The play was directed by Marian Malcomson.  The cast was well chosen and the production had a spontaneity elevating it above the amateurish class.  The set, under the direction of Maurice Geye, added another professional touch.  It required three complete changes, which called for perfect timing on part of the stage crew in order to get the work done during the ten minute intervals between acts.

The curtain has been rung down on the two evening performances, but take it from this writer, "State of the Union" deserved larger audiences than it received.

More About This Play

Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse first staged their Pulitzer Prize—winning play State of the Union in 1945 and published it a year later. The play was inspired by events of the time. Following World War II, which ended in 1945, global politics became a concern of many American citizens, as the play indicates. Issues of declining relations with the Soviet Union, atomic weapons, and America’s inclusion in the newly formed United Nations are mentioned at various points in the play, which explores the various underhanded and dubious political methods that candidates use to get elected president of the United States. The two playwrights wrote the work after a friend, Helen Hayes, suggested they write a play about a presidential candidate.

In the play, that candidate is Grant Matthews, a self-made businessman who is very popular with the public for his strong and controversial views—and who at least one critic feels is molded after the real-life 1940 presidential candidate, Wendell Willkie, a person who is mentioned in the play. A politician, James Conover, and a host of other politically influential supporters convince a reluctant Grant to run for president, and he agrees, thinking that he can do so without compromising his plan to be an honest candidate. Unfortunately, as Grant makes more and more concessions, he—and his wife, Mary—realize that in order to be honest, he must risk alienating special interest political groups, which could cost him the election. Ultimately, the playwrights, through Grant’s final speech, encourage the American people to take a more active role in the political process. Although the playwright team wrote many popular plays during their partnership, State of the Union is arguably their most well-known. The play is available in a 1998 paperback edition from Dramatists Play Service.

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Synopsis from:  http://www.bookrags.com