European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 13, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Doily Magazine by the Paradox of new York times James Earl Jones will portray Robeson with soviet envoy in play. By Robert Lindsey new York times n a second floor rehearsal studio in California actor James Earl Jones is bringing life these Days to the character of Paul Robeson a Black Man with a curiously paradoxical place in american history. The setting will be an imaginary concert Hall it might be Carnegie Hall where Robeson through Jones exchanges dialogue with imaginary people across a Panorama of time and events spanning most of the years Between Robeson s birth in 1898 and his death Early last year. Jones in rehearsing this new one character play for Broadway is enlisting in a resurgence of interest in Paul Robeson an artist widely regarded abroad and a Man of so Many accomplishments that he would seem assured of an unquestioned place of Honor in american his tory but whose memory is tainted by a still controversial flirtation with communism. For decades after world War ii Robeson was All but a pariah in the mainstream of White America and even among parts of Black society. But in the last three or four years As recollections of the Mccarthy Era grow dimmer there has been an Effort to resuscitate his reputation. There was a Carnegie Hall tribute in 1973 there have been revivals of his films an upturn in sales of his re cords and the posthumous tribute to him last year at the museum of the City of new York. The play which will be called simply Paul Robeson is Likely to accelerate the new interest in the amazingly ver Satile Singer actor while reviving the old controversy about his political leanings. Written by Phillip Hayes Dean and directed by Charles Nelson Reilly Paul Robe son is scheduled to open in new York in february after an eight City tour that starts sept. 15 in Louisville by. It is being produced by Don Gregory whose Clarence Darrow starring Henry Fonda and the Belle of am Herst with Julie Harris As Emily Dickinson have made him one of the founding fathers on Broadway of the theatrical concept of hiring a single actor or actress to impersonate a famous figure for two hours or so in a Way that attempts to illuminate the person s life and psyche. Clearly one character plays have an Appeal to theatrical investors and producers reducing the Cost of mounting a play and of keeping it going. Gregory who recently also began rehearsals of a Dore senary written portrayal of Franklin Delano Roosevelt starring Robert Vaughn said that while it took about $250,000 nowadays to mount a major drama on Broad Way one character plays Cost about $150,000. And Al though the weekly break even Cost of a conventional play usually runs $45,000 to $50,000, the weekly nut for Paul Robeson will be about $31,000. The Belle of Amherst he said Cost $135,000 to produce and so far it s grossed Over $3 million Darrow is doing even better. The economics of the situation aside the new Robeson play is Likely to raise anew the controversy surrounding the son of a former slave who seemed to do so Many things Well. Was he a hero fighting discrimination Long before the civil rights movement opened opportunities for others or was he a foolish dupe used for propaganda purposes by the rus sians or was he both one of the first Blacks to enter Rutgers College in new Jersey Robeson won a Phi Beta Kappa key there while being designated All America on the football team and winning letters in three other sports. After graduation in 1919, he earned a Law degree at co Lumbia University but before he had a Chance to practice Law he gravitated to the stage where he was soon heralded As a concert Bass baritone and a shakespearean actor of herculean Talent. His singing of "01" Man River in show boat is still regarded by Many As one of the brightest moments Ever on Broadway. He also made 11 movies of which the Best known Are the emperor Jones and show boat. However his outstanding accomplishment As an actor was his Othello which he played to acclaim in the theater Guild production on Broadway in 1942, achieving a record run for a shakespearean play. Angered by the treatment of Blacks in this country Robeson increasingly began to perform and live in Europe. Beginning in the 1930s, he made numerous visits to the soviet Union praised communism supported left Wing unions and communist supporting groups in the ., and in 1952 received a Stalin peace prize. Although he had some defenders and Loyal fans he fell into disgrace in the  His income fell from $100,000 in1947 to $6,000 in 1952. His refusal to say whether he was a communist before the House committee on in Arneri can activities did nothing to restore his reputation Al though in private he did deny membership in the party. Bitter he generally withdrew from the Public Eye after becoming ill in 1968. How will Robeson be treated on the stage the people putting the play together say they will use mainly Robeson s own words but they have the Power of selection and the Power of Choice would seem also to mean the Power to distort. Well Tell it As truthful As it was said Reilly a Broadway actor turned director who last year directed Julie Harris As Emily Dickinson. Well have the Tran script of the congressional hearings and Well just Lay it out and let you the audience decide. He was not a com  Jones whose portrayal of the Boxer Jack Jefferson in the great White Hope in 1968 won him a Tony award on Broadway and an Oscar nomination for the film version indicated the thrust of the play when he said his life was and is a tragedy and the play will reflect this though we Are having a great Deal of fun and humor with it As he did with his life. But it was a  Gregory the producer said the material in the play had been extracted from the Public Domain congressional testimony newspaper interviews and so Forth. There will also be what we Call in the Trade reasonable dialogue " involving thoughts and comments that can be reasonably assumed to have gone through the mind and lips of the Singer he said. Asked if the Robeson family was collaborating on the production Gregory responded with a Quick "  Gregory denied any friction with the family but Paul Robeson or. Issued a statement that said in part i am not associated with this project in any Way. I have read a script of the play and it is a fictionalized and grossly distorted portrayal of Paul Robeson. It is my opinion that the script is a crude attempt to misrepresent my father and therefore i am exploring the possibilities of Legal  Token resistance to a t by Lawrence Van Gelder new York times nce upon a time there were two Small businessmen clothing manufacturers from Cambridge mass. Who were so grateful to the City of new York for what it had meant to the Success of their business that they decided they should do something in return. Everyone knew that the City of new York was not Only next to Yonkers but also next to penniless. So Charles Drapeau arid Michael Smith who run a clothing company with the incongruous name of great Northern land & cattle co., decided to Send new York the Ideal gift Money. And along with the Money Drapeau and Smith who used to Hitchhike to new York and stay at they while beginning to sell their clothing to such stores As Saks fifth Avenue Paul Stuart and lord & Taylor sent a Promise to Send More Money. Little did they know. The Money they sent to mayor Abraham Beame amounted to $110. It s difficult to write letters to eight million people dra Peau and Smith said when they wrote to the mayor on june 15. So thank you or. Mayor. Thank you for new  the Money represented the profits on their first shipment of a line of to shirts de signed As a tribute to the City. One of the shirts the Keystone of the line according to Drapeau showed a worn subway Token. Running across it is a quo tation from . Mencken everyplace else is  Beame responded with a letter express ing his warm personal thanks. Comptroller Harrison Goldin responded with gratitude and appreciation. Deputy mayor Osborn Elliott in charge of the office of economic development responded with the wish that some of the Small businessmen crushed by blackout losses could be infected with some of the enthusiasm of great Northern land & cattle co. The metropolitan transportation authority sent a threat. This authority holds certain proprietary rights in that Token and it cannot be reproduced in any form without written permission said a letter from the state Agency. This is to advise you that unless you immediately cease distribution of the to shirt currently being marketed by you the authority will have no Choice but to take appropriate Legal action against  an ant does t fight with an elephant. Not even a dumb elephant great North Ern land & cattle said in a letter sent a few Days ago to the mayor. That same size precluded any thought of petition and be  fearful of entering negotiations that would cause delays and might jeopardize commitments to fulfil orders great Northern sent out letters of cancellation to such stores As Barney s and Saks in new York Filene s in Boston Burdine s in Miami and Garfinkel s in Washington. Drapeau said he had thought that profits from the to shirts might have run into five figures during the next year. Informed of the great Northern Promise to Send All the profits to the City a spokes Man for the Meta which has entered Royalty agreements with similar concerns said we were unaware of any communications with the City. It s too bad we did t have any communications. I think All this could have been avoided. We maintain that we Are Correct in sending our letter. It s unfortunate the organization did t see fit to Contact us. I m sure that we could have worked something out with  great Northern wrote to the mayor with copies to other officials express ing the Hope he could obtain a release from the transportation authority so that a renewed Effort to Market the shirts could be made. Said the mayor through a spokesman i regret that the enterprising and Public spirited owners of great Northern. Land cattle have encountered this ugh Neal problem with the Meta. However 1 under stand that the Meta is very willing work with them in reaching an agreement and Hope that new yorkers and Cuple throughout our nation will again be treated to these delightful to shirts which carry the message that new York City is truly the greatest and most exciting place in the  informed of the mayor s statement Drapeau indicated some optimism about the future we originally told the mayor it s difficult to say thank you to eight Mil lion people. In the idiom of the people who now seem to hold its future our thank you is now stalled deep under the East River. If the other parts of big new York can be As helpful or farsighted As the Good mayor perhaps we can get our thank you to the other eight million running  tuesday september 13, 1977 the stars and stripes Page 13