The Times

Wednesday, December 29, 1976 TIMES/GUIDE 25

Players Rep seeks solutions to money problems

By CLAIRE ORTALDA Entertainment Writer Several South Dade and Coral Gables residents are involved in forming a Committee to Preserve an Endangered Theater, which will attempt to raise $69,000 for the financially troubled Players Repetory Theater, headquartered at the Museum of Science, 3280 S. Miami Ave. Miami Mayor Maurice Ferre and Sen. Kenneth Myers are co-chairmen of the committee, which includes committee members Harold Bergman of Coral Gables, who also serves on the board of directors for Players, Dr. Hank Diers, chairman of the drama department at the University of Miami, UM President Henry King Stanford of South Miami, Nikki Beare of South Miami, and Phil Giberson, chairman of the Florida International University Drama Department and acting artistic director for Players. Coconut Grove resident Alan Radcliff, who is president of the Players board of trustees and a member of the new committee, was instrumental in setting up the committee, according to Baird Thompson, public relations director for Players. "The committee is pledged to eliminate a $69,000 debt accumulated in nine years (since Players inception)," said Thompson. "Our goal is to completely solve that problem." "It's the mark of any mature community that it supports the cultural arts, among which is the dramatic arts," added Erica Meyer, a member of the board of directors and chairman of the public relations committee. "Players is the only professional theater in town," said Thompson. A member of the national organization, LORT, or League of Resident Theaters, Players is the only Miami repertory theater which hires actors and actresses and pays them union wages. A Ford Foundation grant, announced Wednesday, Dec. 22, should ease this year's production costs for the theater. Players will receive $7,500 from the foundation for performance of new American plays. Two new American plays are already slated for the 1976-77 season, "The Immortals," to run Jan. 13 to Feb. 6, and "Boardwalk With Two Houses," to be performed from March 10 through April 13. Other plays slated for this season include "A Thousand Clowns," to run Feb. 10 to March 6, and a contemporary character study, or possibly the Miami premiere of "Knock, Knock", a successful Broadway comedy by Jules Feiffer. "Arms and the Man", the current production, will run through Jan. 9.

Film series

"The Man in the Glass Booth," the first in a series of Jewish films, will be shown Sunday, Jan. 16 at 8 p.m. at Temple Beth Am, 5950 N. Kendall Dr. Dr. Allen Rutchik, a psychologist, will discuss the film afterwards.

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