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| William Kelsey, Mary McGregor, Gwen Mitchell, John Swearingen. |
THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION [Comedy/Death/Fantasy/Marriage/Religion/Sex] A: W. Randolph Galvin; D: William E. Kinzer; S: William E. Kinzer and W. Randolph Galvin; C: Mary Lou Harvey; L: Lee Goldman; P: W. Randolph Galvin; T: Cherry Lane Theatre (OB); 10/27/70 (1)
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| Frank Borgman. |
As the ubiquitous name in the credits suggests, this one-performance
disaster was largely the work of one man. Mel Gussow bellowed, “It is a work
that does not even merit the title vanity production. Whose vanity does it
assuage?” This critic considered the backstage life, glimpsed through gaps in
the amateurish scenery, more interesting than what was transpiring in the play.
“Misconception, yes,” commented Jerry Tallmer, “Immaculate, not quite.”
At the start, an old millionaire (Frank Borgman) converses
with God—a Celestial Memory Bank—and asks for a review of his past deeds to see
if he deserves his fate after he dies. It turns out he had planned to leave his
man-hating daughter (Mary McGregor) and her husband (John Swearingen) six
million dollars, but the will revealed that they could collect only if they had
a baby. Since they dislike each other too intensely to have sex, it is
suggested by the devious Dr. Zaharako (William Kelsey) that they talk a black
servant (Gwenn Mitchell) into being artificially inseminated so she can bear
the child for them. The doctor actually stands to gain the estate himself for
his research institute if no child is forthcoming. And so on . . .