What do you know about drilling equipment for oil fields? A different kind of simple sweetness was seen in Wolfes portrayal of Morris, whose big heart and nervous soul made him lovable and lost at the same time. As an actress, she's performed in community theater and independent film before moving behind the scenes as a Stage Manager, Production Coordinator, Casting Assistant and just about every other production job you can think of. January 18, 1960. Motion Picture Daily. The Dark at the Top of the Stairs is a 1960 American drama film directed by Delbert Mann and starring Robert Preston and Dorothy McGuire. When the argument escalates too far, Cora is faced with a difficult decision, and decides to call in reinforcements: her older sister Lottie (Sarah LeClair) and brother-in-law Morris (Jim Wolfe). Rubin returns home but cannot bring himself to tell Cora he has lost his job. Synopsis: The setting is a small Oklahoma town in the early 1920s and the home of the Flood family: Rubin, a traveling salesman for a harness. The synopsis below may give away important plot points. It hit on topics that were seldom talked about publicly in the time setting. Note: The Transport Group has scheduled talkbacks to follow two upcoming performances. as Rubin Flood. June 14-29, 2013. While issues of religion, bullying, and domestic violence inject some negativity into the play, the signs of domestic bliss and reassessing of life lead to a hopeful ending. The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (Acting Edition for Theater Productions) by William Inge Jan 1, 1998. "[11] The film was voted one of the ten best of the year in 1960 by the National Board of Review. Monologue101 In this monologue i play Sammy, a troubled teen, that spent most of his life away from his mother in military academias; **MONOLOGUE: THE DARK AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS; SAMMY. With Robert Preston, Dorothy McGuire, Eve Arden, Angela Lansbury. I need a contemporary monologue, preferably dramatic, for a 20 or so year old (age can vary) Follow. Colby Minifie is touching as Reenie, and the adorable Jack Tartaglia is such a natural as Sonny that the audience was buzzing about him during both intermissions. By the end of the play, at least the first four characters have gone through some form of crisis and emerge somewhat better prepared for the future. Sonny has a fear of the dark. Mann's direction was nominated for a Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing in a Feature Film. Retrieved April 17, 2016. Mavis confesses that she has been in love with Rubin for years, but that Rubin has always been faithful to Cora, and also reveals that Rubin has lost his job. The Dark at the Top of the Stairs is a 1960 American drama film. TY - ADVS. dc.cookie='he=llo; path=/; expires='+ date_ob.toGMTString();} // --> In Oklahoma in the 1920s, Rubin Flood (Robert Preston) loses his job as a travelling salesman when the company goes bankrupt. They include a couple hidden theater gems as well as several famous female monologues, good for either Broadway or the local playhouse. During rehearsals for the production, Mann used the same process he had used since his first film, in 1955. See also. Publication date 1960 Topics Family Publisher Dramatists Play Service Collection inlibrary; printdisabled; internetarchivebooks; china Digitizing sponsor Internet Archive Contributor Internet Archive Language English. His wife Cora (Dorothy McGuire) is frigid because of trying to make ends meet. Warner Brothers began going to seven days a week production schedules, in order to complete filming before the strike. These 15 powerful female monologues for auditions are a great place to start the journey. Retrieved September 5, 2017. The two gossips tell Cora about Mavis, which re-ignites the argument. This is a list of great monologues for women. Eileen Heckart, as Lottie, impresses many people as magnificent-a loosely jointed, many-toned caricature actress a la Roz Russel. The Dark At The Top Of The Stairs (1960) In Oklahoma in the 1920s, Ruben Flood loses his job as a traveling salesman, when the company goes bankrupt. July 19, 1960. Reenie rushes to the hospital, telling him that she does not care what people think. It was nominated for five Tony Awards: Best Play, Best Featured Actor (Pat Hingle), Best Featured Actress (Eileen Heckart), Best Scenic Design (Ben Edwards), Best Director (Elia Kazan). Retrieved September 5, 2017. PRAYING FOR RAIN 4. Y2 - 1 January 1995. Krevitz also does his multi-dimensional character justice by fusing authoritative and compassionate qualities and making it believable. The Dark at the Top of the Stairs is a 1957 play by William Inge about family conflicts during the early 1920s in a small Oklahoma town. When the argument escalates too far, Cora is faced with a difficult decision, and decides to call in reinforcements: her older sister Lottie (Sarah LeClair) and brother-in-law Morris (Jim Wolfe). Cora is out with her daughter Reenie, buying a dress for a birthday party of one of her classmates, which will be held at the country club. Lottie's bigotry is revealed when she suggests that Cora and Rubin might not want to allow Reenie to accompany a Jew to the party. At home, Cora promises Sonny to stop being so over-protective so he can grow into a responsible adult. Variety Staff. But as a whole, especially in getting actors to work together, Kazan reaffirms his right to his reputation. Town and Country Players. The Dark at the Top of the Stairs is a 1957 play by William Inge about family conflicts during the early 1920s in a small Oklahoma town. While the acting may have seemed a little over-dramatic at times, there was enough diversity in her performance to make up for it. For two years, Lesley was talent agent to many of the finest child actors and models of the Philadelphia area. Archived from on April 17, 2016. Directed by Delbert Mann. It is the most autobiographical of all Inge plays. We witness a fun-loving, gossipy girl turn to an emotional wreck following heartbreaking news. This small-town family consisted of Cora (Shelli Pentimall Bookler), an unsatisfied housewife of a traveling salesman, Rubin Flood (Larry Krevitz), and their socially awkward children Sonny (Nicholas Tumolo) and Reenie (Annalee Tomanelli). As a friend of Reenie's, Evans Evans is wacky, flappery, and fun, except in her emotional scene, where she seems hollow. The driver, Sammy Golden, is relatively unhurt, and he and Reenie become attracted to one another. While there are signs of the childrens unsociable nature throughout the play, we see a different side of Sonny and Reenie when theyre joined by Reenies talkative friend Flirt (Colleen Smith) and two gentleman callers, an inebriated Punky (Trevor Kerns) and an affable Sammy (Nate Mann). Cora and Rubin commit to paying more attention to each other's needs. 1960 Full Frame. Rubin gets a new job as a salesman at an oil drilling equipment company. The Dark at the Top of the Stairs is a 1957 play by William Inge about family conflicts during the early 1920s in a small Oklahoma town. The film went into production in late January. THE BELLES OF THE MILL 20 Dramatic Monologues For Women From Tv-Shows 1.