Fred Grandy, James Woods. |
A couple of British students, having graduated from college,
pass their last day together before one of them, an economist named Perew
(James Woods, before stardom found him), leaves for abroad. They play endless
games involving the assumption by each of a mock personality and mock foreign
accents.
Perew becomes “Carruthers,” and his roommate, Lacy (Fred
Grandy), a botanist, becomes “Bradshaw.” During the course of their
shenanigans, Perew keeps in touch by phone with his mistress, an older woman of
the town referred to as Green Julia, whom Perew plans on leaving to his friend
as a legacy. Though the audience learns of her growing insobriety, it never
gets to see her.
Well enough acted and designed, this British import offered
little that was unique, and didn't impress the critics. It nonetheless survived
for over four months. Mel Gussow’s opinion was representative: “Since this is
Ableman’s first full-length play, the greenness I kept thinking about was that
of inexperience.”