Gaslight Conquers Opening Problems

Despite many unforeseen difficulties, Salt Lake's new Gaslight Dinner Theater opened Friday night with an entertaining production of the Abe Burrows comedy, "Cactus Flower."

The problems included some food that didn't arrive on time for the more than 400 guests who attended the premiere performance in the new theater facility at 830 South Main St.

Other problems were that the owners and operators had to paint and build almost to the opening hour and consequently weren't quite prepared for the first show, and because of this drawback, the scenery changes were slow, which in a three-act play with 15 changes can mean a difference of 20 minutes to a half hour in performance time.

Yet the trained and professional cast, led by Gale Storm, played the comedy for all its wonderful laughs. Each scene ends with a leg slapper. For instance, the character who plays the dentist, has this delightful line, "Tell me what she didn't say - word for word."

The plot deals with a philandering, unmarried dentist who tells girls he is married when it seems they are getting too serious. He cooks up this excuse for a young girl he wants to marry. But he finds himself in hot water and has to hire his office assistant to pretend to be his wife. She goes along with the gag through many hilarious situations that kept the opening night audience chuckling or laughing throughout.

Miss Storm, known mostly as My Little Margie from early television days, proves she is a talented performer by her timing and general acting ability. Ronald Knight, who plays the dentist, is handsome and a fine actor.

Kathy Dyas, who plays the young girlfriend of the dentist, is cute, knows how to act and comes through with some rare scenes. Charles Hudson, Kristoffer Anders and Laura MacFarlane are talented members of the cast. But a University of Utah graduate, Michael B. Raud, playing the Spanish patient of the doctor, gains several laughs on his own with his interpretation of the lines.

Another University of Utah graduate, Elise Moore, has done an excellent job on costuming, and there were many remarks from feminine members of the opening-night audience about the striking outfits Miss Storm wore. Charles N. Waters has designed some fine sets, but as we noted this aspect of the production suffers from slow changes. Lighting is by Thomas A. Bryson. John Hagan's directing is admirable because of his conquering the difficulties.

The Gaslight Theater of Justin R Barton and Vaud E. Massarsky is functional and a comfortable and convenient facility. It is a miniature of a Las Vegas showroom without having the tables so close together that patrons cannot move. It is an open and delightful theater.

The operators graciously acknowledged the shortcomings of opening night on food and invited all those in the audience to return on the house. This was a gesture that should help the accomplished company because they should have the problems of disappearing food, and slow scene changes whipped before another performance.