New Orleans. Considered one of the most influential women of her era, Dorothy Parker (1893-1967) was a woman of much talent and wit whose published works include poetry, theatrical reviews, and screenplays among the list. Currently, her story is being told on stage at le chat noir by Janet Shea and Michael Cahill. Dorothy And Alan is a short history of the writer and her husband Alan Campbell.
For those who may be struggling with just who Parker was and what she wrote, perhaps the line "Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses" will strike a chord. That is one of her most recognized quotes but there are others that are equally as witty, some of which are employed by Cahill in writing the story and delivered by Ms. Shea to the delight of the audience. A couple of the best are:
"I require three things of a man. He must be handsome, ruthless, and stupid."
"That woman speaks eight languages and can't say no in any of them."
"I don't know much about being a millionaire, but I'll bet I'd be a darling at it."
and,
"The producer asked me if the actress should wear a brassiere and I said, 'God no. You've got to have something in this play that moves."
Parker's early life was strained as her mother died when she was four and her father remarried. Later, her brother died on the Titanic and when her father passed away she moved to New York where she played piano at a dancing school. She later began submitting some of her writings to publishers. A poem, "Any Porch," was accepted by Vanity Fair which led to a position with Vogue.
It was during this period in her life that she married for the first time, to Edwin Parker and while the marriage was short-lived but now as Dorothy Parker she was assigned to the theatre beat by Vanity Fair and became the only female member of the famed Algonquin Round Table, a renowned intellectual literary circle.
Cahill has blended many of the elements of Parker's life into his play including Parker's involvement in the 1927 Sacco and Vanzetti trial and her problems with the House Unamerican activities in the 1950's. It was her marriage to Alan Campbell, a writer and actor, in 1935 and the two moved to Hollywood where she began doing some screenwriting, winning an Academy Award for her work on A Star Is Born.
Parker and Campbell's marriage was not always perfect and during World War II when Campbell was overseas, he wrote a "Dear Jane" letter and a divorce followed. But the two were soulmates and later re-married although this marriage, too, would end in divorce.
Over the course of two hours, Cahill has put together a most entertaining play that tells the story in such a way that viewers get a good picture of Parker, her work and her life with and without Campbell. With a series of vignettes, Cahill takes you on a journey that brings out Parker's writings including much of her poetry which has been woven into the fabric of the story. He also paints a picture of Alan Campbell through scenes where the two actors build and destroy - their relationship.
Janet Shea is perfect for the role. She delivers the sometimes feisty, sometimes sweet Parker with the talent that has served her well on New Orleans stages for many years. Through her performance we get to know Dorothy Parker and gather insight into her character and her life in an entertaining, witty way.
Cahill, too, delivers well in the Campbell role. While we would have liked to see a little more fire from him at times, he does present Campbell so that he doesn't really overshadow the real subject of the story, Dorothy Parker.
Dorothy And Alan will end its run at le chat noir on Saturday. It's a play that provides the viewer with lots of laughs as Parker's words are quoted by Ms. Shea and it's also a play that entertains with a well told story.