‘Front Page’ Follies

Stop the presses!

A condemned anarchist has escaped from his cell on the eve of his execution and two newsmen are helping him, to get an exclusive interview.

OK, it’s not real, but it is the plot of “The Front Page,” the 1928 play by Charles MacArthur and Ben Hecht opening tonight at the Colony Studio Theatre in Los Angeles.

“It’s about the manipulation of ideas,” Director David Rose said. “It also is a very funny play.”

Rose thinks that the wild antics of reporter Hildy Johnson and his scheming editor Walter Burns are not all that unrealistic.

“There’s so much talk these days about the media’s role and how it affects things,” he said, adding that the authors claimed the play wasn’t an exaggeration. “It’s a timeless American classic.”

The language in the play, by today’s standards, is pretty tame. But Rose points out that “in its time, in 1928, it was absolutely shocking. Tennessee Williams said (the play) uncorseted the American theater.”

Not only did the play leave a permanent mark on Broadway, it went on to Hollywood, where it was made into a film--three times.

“I think if we capture the world of Chicago in 1928, we’ll be successful,” said Rose, who has been directing off and on for about 10 years.

“I act more than I direct,” he explained.

Rose has been with the Colony three years and serves on the company’s board.

“The Front Page” runs at the Colony, 1944 Riverside Drive, through Jan. 10. Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets are $18; $20 on Saturdays.