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Private Notes
Story about a typical, white, middle-class suburban family, the Masons, and the problems that arise from the drug use of their daughter Maxie.
This contemporary drama about idealism and indifferent reality puts the accent on youth; the leading players are young unknowns, and the playwright, 23-year-old Ron Cowen, is the youngest writer to be commissioned by CBS. Rich Meridan is white, well-to-do and wondering. He's about to enter law school so he can make a lot of money. Rich isn't sure if that's what he wants from life--but that's what his parents want. As he puts it, 'I never got a chance to choose. I had everything before I could hope to have it.' Macy Stander is black, a cut above poverty and in the seventh grade. He's young enough to dream, but his outlook is too bleak for him to risk the disappointment: 'The things you think about aren't gonna come true.' Both youths are stifled--Rich by having too much, Macy by having too little. They meet when Rich, clumsily but earnestly seeking to make a worthwhile contribution, offers to work as an unpaid tutor to ghetto youths. His pupil is Macy, caught between the distant glitter
Douglas got his first big break when he was cast in the pivotal role of the free-spirited scientist who compromises his liberal views to accept a lucrative job with a high-tech chemical corporation.
The power failure that blacked out the Northeast in 1965 provides a key dramatic element in this play, set in the 50th-floor offices of Cohalen and Associates. The business day is ending when the power failure occurs, stopping elevators and office machines, and trapping some of the workers in semidarkness. Candles are found, liquor and ice are gathered from the executive suites, and a quiet party begins. As the evening progresses and inhibitions are swept away, the stranded workers begin to reveal themselves in unexpected ways. The drama focuses on--Saul Novick, embittered because his clients are being stolen by Peter Hoyt, an aggressive colleague who claims that the firm's owner approves of interoffice piracy. Art Richardson, a cautious junior partner enjoying a brief liaison with one of the secretaries. Jerry Arnot, slipping in stature and making pathetic efforts to regain lost ground. And Novick's girl friend Jess, unsure of herself and their relationship.
