BARBER, Philip "Phil"

BARBER

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 11/11/2014 at 02:38:30

The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Saturday, October 19, 1940, Page 18

THEY STARTED HERE
No. 31 in a Mason City Series of Success Stories

PHIL BARBER, Theatrical Producer

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The producer of "One Third of A Nation," the Federal theater's smash hit during the four years of its existence, and the man who was the directors of Uncle Sam's venture on Broadway, is a native of Mason City, a graduate of the local high school nad has since his school days been interested in things theatrical.

He is Philip Barber, son of Mrs. Charles H. Barber, 217 Delaware avenue southeast. His latest venture has been in the field of writing for the radio. With his wife, an accomplished writer for radio and stage, they undertook the research work for the popular radio feature, "Sky Blazers," recently heard over CBS via KGLO. Their home is in New York City and they have a summer home near the city, where their summers are spent with their two small sons.

When the first curtain on "One Third of A Nation" went up at the Adelphi theater on 54th street east of Seventh avenue in the heart of the theatrical district in New York City, Jan. 14, 1938, no one had any idea the show would be the smash hit of the federal theater project - except perhaps Mr. Barber who had spent many a restless nights whipping it into shape for the opening.

* * *
"One Third of A Nation" finished that season and ran through the summer and well into the middle of another season, however, before the theater had to be closed for a new federal production that had been in rehearsal and was waiting.

It's the first curtain, however, that is always the test of a New York producer's nerve - that and the long wait for the morning reviewers to know what the newspaper writers will have to say about his play. The critics of Broadway were kind to this Mason Cityan, however, who first tried his hand at improvising lines in a play when he changed the ending of the high school senior class production to make a badly mixed up stage set and situation close with a happy curtain.

Only the persons who were playing with Mr. Barber realized what he was doing that night in 1920 and perhaps something of the same thing might be said of the production that opened on Broadway in 1938. The outsider never knows all that goes on behind the scenery. But Mr. Barber was the idol of the critics throughout that season, for he had a hit on his hands.

* * *
Arthur Pollock of the Brooklyn Eagle wrote, "Contrived with amazing efficiency and succinetness, staged with seductive skill, acted with spirit and fancy and realistic competence. This government of our is just about as fine a producer of plays, judging by the "One Third of A Nation" as we have in the country. In fact, the U.S.A. is better than Max Reinhardt and twice as modest."

And that goes equally as well for the producer of "One Third of A Nation." Mr. Barber is not the type of person to talk of his successes. He would rather talk on the influence of the federal theater as a whole on the commercial theater than to take any credit himself.

"It isn't price alone that brings people to the federal theater productions," said Mr. Barber at one time while "One Third of A Nation: was still running. "If a play is a flop, it's a flop at 75 cents or $3. Competition is stiff in New York - if they are hits. The federal theater has brought the theater to more than 3,000,000 people who had ceased to attend legitimate attractions."

* * *
Although much has been said pro and con over the closing of the federal theater project, it cannot be denied that the Federal theater gave impetus it has known theatrically in many years. It has been suggested that the "Living Newspaper" as a means of creating drama is the first new contribution in the whole world of the theater since realism came in with Ibsen. It is probably the greatest contribution since the introduction of scenery in the 17th century.

Burns Mantle, whose book of "Best Plays" each year is the Bible of Broadway, has recorded the history of all of the plays produced by the federal theater and by Mr. Barber, who incidentally has produced some of his own.

The entire career of Mr. Barber has not yet been written, however, for he has not wished it. Theatrical business is precarious at best, according to Mr. Barber. One never knows in the theater what will happen next. But this Mr. Barber considers is a good sign - for once the theater settles down it is dead. And this is the last thing Mr. Barber wants to see happen to it.

* * *
Mr. Barber left Iowa in the early part of the '20s to enter the now historical Prof. George Pierce Baker's 47 Workshop at Harvard, which incidentally is credited with producing some of the finest dramatists of the country. Later he was graduated from Harvard and went to Yale with Profesor (sic) Baker with an assistant professorship. After teaching for some time he finally arrived in New York City to continue his theatrical career.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt's announcement of a program to combine the financial relief with gainful occupation under WPA in the theater, Sept. 7, 1935, started Mr. Barber on his career in the big city. On Oct. 10, 1935, he became a regional director for the state of New York at the same time that Elmer Rice, now of the Playwrights Producing company, was appointed reginal director for New York City.

One incident upset the program of the federal theater in New York City, however. That was the production of "Ethiopia" the "Living Newspaper" production which was barred by government censorship because of its depiction of Selassie and II Duce.

* * *
With the rising of the hand of censorship, Mr. Rice resigned. When Mr. Rice walked out, Mr. Barber walked in and remained with the New York office until the project was closed.

Although he is known for many productions besides "One Third of A Nation," some of his outstanding work was in connection with "Triple A Plowed Under," "Murder in the Cathedral," the Negro production of "Macbeth," and others.

His story is not complete, but this is what one of Mason City's sons accomplished in the big town.

NOTE: The Federal Theater Project (FTP) was a New Deal project to fund theater and live artistic performances in American during the Great Depression. It was sponsoered by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) with a primary goal to provide employment for out-of-work artists, writers and directors while providing entertainment for poor families and creating relevant art.

FTP was established August 27, 1935, and ended on June 30, 1939 when its funding was canceled.
~ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Theatre_Project

"One Third of A Nation" opened January 17, 1938, and ran for 237 performances, closing October 22, 1938, Adelphi Theater, 152 W. 54th Street, New York, New York. The Adelphi Theater was built in 1928 an demolished in 1970. It had a seating capacity of approximately 1,434.

Photograph courtesy of Globe-Gazette

Transcription and note by Sharon R. Becker, May of 2014

Cerro Gordo Biographies maintained by Lynn Diemer-Mathews.
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