Mystery History -- Solved

Joseph wins with his Tuesday 8:27 a.m. guess "It's the Pasadena playhouse in 1959. Students are Colin Campbell and Lynn Preston. The instructor is Joseph Vince, if I'm not mistaken." But who are you, Joseph? The link goes nowhere, so please e-mail me to find out about your fabulous prize.

In the 1959 photo above, Pasadena Playhouse drama students Colin Campbell and Lynn Preston learn fencing tips from master instructor Joseph Vince, who had been a U.S. fencing champion in the 1920s.

The Pasadena Playhouse got its start in 1917 and opened for business in its present location in 1925 after the citizens of this community contributed a whole lot of funding.

It has a long history of being the "Star Factory" where renowned actors including Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, Victor Mature and Raymond Burr got their training.

More recently, the Playhouse closed its doors -- temporarily, we all hope -- due to funding issues.

The City of Pasadena owns the building, which was designed by architect Elmer Grey.

Many thanks to the University of Southern California.

Looped

See "Looped" at Pasadena Playhouse! I went last night with Jan Sanders, our director of public libraries, and Karyn Ezell, director of human resources.

This world premiere production stars Valerie Harper as Tallulah Bankhead, the legendary stage and screen diva who, like so many of that era, shot to stardom in the exciting yet oppressive Hollywood studio system while being a hard-driven, self-absorbed, promiscuous, drug-addicted alcoholic and then spiraled down to a failed career for the same reason.



The play depicts an actual moment in Tallulah's career when she had to come into a sound studio to loop one line for what was to become her final film. The session should have taken about three minutes but it actually lasted an entire day. The playwright, Matthew Lombardo, uses this event as the vehicle to show the audience what an eccentric, entertaining and tragic figure Tallulah was.

It's funny, filthy, poignant and entertaining. Valerie Harper nails the role of Tallulah. As Jan and Karyn and I said when the play was over, we didn't see Rhoda come through once during the play. Harper channeled Bankhead magnificently.

Chad Allen costars as the studio manager who is at turns frustrated and angry with Bankhead, and desperate to learn more about her, all the while hiding his own secrets that she eventually persuades him to reveal.

"Looped" is at the Playhouse until August 3. Get there and see it! I presume it's destined for Broadway. I already smell a Tony nomination for Valerie Harper!