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[[?]]ur Share of Super-Savings

Radio Star Heads 'Screwball' Comedy Cast at Playhouse

Heather Tweed and Michael Stuart, stars of the Legitimate Stock company at the Gregory street playhouse, Gregory St. and South Ave., are having themselves a joyous time this week in "Button," "Button" which opened Tuesday night and will continue on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights. In a featured role is Blanche Stuart Scott, known to thousands of western New York radio fans as Roberta who plays a slightly screwy Rita Weed, a collector of antiques. And how she collects them. She is only one of the family of Weed who are all more or less batty. She follows Alison Skipworth who played the original part in the New York production and numerous curtain calls indicated that she lost nothing by comparison. Roberta has plenty of experience in the writing and act of comedy. She was a staff writer of two reel comedies for Paramount, R.K.O., Universal and Educational Pictures and staged and acted in her own comedies at station F.X.R., Los Angeles.

Heather Tweed plays her daughter, Phoebe Weed who has a penchant for reciting soulful poetry and Michael Stuart plays "Button." He wants everybody to be happy and contented and although sane seeks refuge from the cares and worries of a troubled world in an insane asylum. He makes the patients as happy and contented as himself and they go home to their families as sane, only to come back again worse than ever. So now they throw "Button" out. He promptly finds another sanitarium and the same thing happens again. His brother, a gold addict, tries to teach him the game and "Button" smashes all the clubs. He buys an antique for Rita Weed and when it's unveiled he loses her friendships for life. IN fact about everything "Button" does is the screwball idea in reverse and the audience greet his every move with howls of laughter.
Others in the cast are Eleanora giles, David Frome,rosemary Olcott, grandniece of the famed Chauncey Olcott, singing star of the nineties; Jean Ennis, Jack Reynolds and Leonard Conboy. 
"Button," "Button is the fifth of a series of plays new to the Rochester which Director Francis Ballard is staging in the manner of "stock as it used to be."

ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLES 
SUNDAY, JULY 14, 1940

Comedy Slated At Gregory Playhouse

"Button, Button," fifth of the series of plays new to the Rochester which Director Francis Ballard is offering at the Gregory Street Playhouse, will open Tuesday night with a cast of nine. Heather Tweed and Michael Stuart, stars of the organization, are supported by Blanche Stuart Scott-known to radio fans as Roberta-in the featured role of Rita Weed, a slightly odd collector of antiques. Others in the cast are Eleanora Giles, David Frome, Jean Ennis, Rosemary Olcott, Leonard Conboy and Jack Reynolds, who will have an acting part for the first time since the opening.

"Button, Button" was staged originally at the Bijou Theater, New York, with Lynn Overman, the picture star, in the part of "Button." Incidentally, Overman is a close personal friend of Director Ballard and is following his venture here with intense interest.

New York critics found the comedy of the "screwball" idea in reverse hilariously funny. "Button" is an orderly person and wants peace and quiet where he will not be annoyed by the everyday problems of life. To get away from it all he has himself committed to an insane asylum. He begins to remodel the administration to suit his own ideas of what should be done and the authorities in trying to get rid of him are driven nearly mad themselves. What happens to everybody concerned is said to make up three hilariously funny acts. 

The comedy will be repeated Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night. Curtain time is 8:45.

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