Barter Theatre (Cont.)
Conclusion
Screen 1 of 1It Was Not All Work
We had many light moments in the Barter company. Despite a demanding schedule, we found time occasionally to play tennis, cool off in the somewhat dilapidated college swimming pool, and to relate to each other funny experiences we had had on stage -- both before and after we joined the Barter Theatre.
I remember being waked up one night at three in the morning there in our headquarters at Abingdon by the screaming voice of our leading lady, Eleanor Powers, as she chased her husband, Storrs Haynes, across the front lawn with a woman's high-heeled shoe in her hand. Every time she came near enough, she would hit him over the head with the sharp heel of that shoe. What led up to that little family argument, none of us knew. Even at breakfast the next morning we learned nothing more. Eleanor and Storrs were as solicitous of each other as ever and made no reference to their night chase, and of course we didn't ask.
Another time -- I believe it was one of the nights we were playing at Abingdon -- Bob Porterfield (most of us were calling him Bob by this time) was called to the front box office and asked by the girl taking tickets if we would take a live pig as barter for admission. When the puzzled Porterfield said yes, he guessed so, the man holding the squirming pig asked how many members of his family could be admitted for this one pig. "Oh hell," Bob was heard to exclaim, "let 'em all in, but not the pig; he will not enjoy this particular play." And that's what happened. The entire family saw the play, after we put the rambunctious little pork in one of the equipment boxes backstage. This turned out not to be a very good idea, because the pig's squeals frequently punctuated our lines at the most inopportune times. A caption under the picture of this pig run the next week in the Baltimore Sun read, "He gave his life for art's sake."
Another amusing incident happened at Johnson City, Tennessee. I say amusing but to the person most involved the incident was serious, perhaps even disastrous. We were playing in a public library there. The seating area was extremely limited and the stage completely inadequate. When we asked the librarian where the dressing rooms were, she said there were none but that we could use two small storage rooms below the stage for changing costumes, if we wished. Accustomed to surprises of all kinds, most of us were not particularly bothered by this situation, and as we usually did, the men told the women to take their choice of the two "dressing rooms" down below. All the actresses except Eleanor Powers (a beautiful and talented woman) agreed and began to put on their make-up in front of a cracked mirror in the room they had chosen. But Eleanor could not stand "the degradation" as she called it. She began cursing and told Bob Porterfield she absolutely would not perform that night if she had to do her make-up and dress in that "prison cell." Here is where the firmness and fairness of Bob Porterfield stood out -- to the admiration of everybody in the company except Eleanor Powers.
"Miss Powers, you will perform tonight as agreed, no matter where you have to dress. If you will check your membership agreement with Actors Equity, you will find that I, your manager, can demand your performance under these circumstances, under penalty of your being blacklisted by Equity for one year. Furthermore, the Equity membership agreement gives me full authority to terminate your services from this company when your behavior warrants it. This authority I now exercise. You are hereby fired, effective at the final curtain of tonight's performance!" These may not have been the exact words of Bob Porterfield on that night in Johnson City, but what I have written was clearly the essence of what he said to Miss Powers. All of us thought he stood very tall when he took that action. Our only criticism was that he should have called her bluff several weeks before.
Eleanor Roosevelt and Whitetop Mountain
Another event connected with the Barter Theatre is the day Eleanor Roosevelt came to Whitetop Mountain in southwest Virginia. This mountain, famous for its folk festivals of dance, song, and handicrafts exhibits, was not far from Abingdon, and when we heard Mrs. Roosevelt was to attend this annual event, several members of the Barter company and I decided to go to see her -- and the festival. We did. We saw her close up. We heard her speak. We watched her mingle with these rural people, and we slept rolled up in blankets on the ground that night -- not more than "three blankets" away from where Eleanor slept on the ground with the same accommodations. What a lady! I said then and still do now.
Back to New York - That Long Bus Trip Again
Early in September, the Barter Theatre completed its summer schedule in Abingdon and most of its members returned to New York. I, too, went back to that magic city. I had been fascinated with it earlier in the summer, but now after the exciting experience in Abingdon I was more anxious than ever to continue seeking my fortune on Broadway -- especially since I was now so enamored with a girl there by the name of Carol.
More about that in a later section.
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