Inchling

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Inchling
The Inchling set by Richard W. Johnson at the Forest Theater
Written byIra Mallory Remsen
Directed byBlanche Tolmie
Date premieredAugust 19, 1922 (1922-08-19)
Place premieredForest Theater, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
Original languageEnglish
SubjectInch worm
GenreChildren’s fantasy
SettingOpen space in the forest

Inchling is a three-act children's fantasy play by American poet, painter, playwright Ira Mallory Remsen. It was performed in the summer of 1922, at the Forest Theater in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. It was the most popular children's play ever performed at the Forest Theater.[1] It played again in 1928 and 1936 at the same venue.[2] The 1936 revival of Inchling helped overcome an accumulated debt that had taken its toll on the Forest Theater during the Great Depression. The play has been produced by schools and children's theater groups throughout the county, including New York and London.[3]

Summary[edit]

Inchling and a fellow actor

On December 27, 1919, Ira Remsen wrote a three-act children's fantasy play called Inchling, that tells a story of Inchling and his struggle for wings. The typewritten script was 66 pages long.[4] The Forest Theater Society's board chose it for their thirteenth season summer play.[5] It was played for the first time on the outdoor stage of the Forest Theater, in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, for two nights, from August 19 through 20, 1922, and captured the fantasies of young children. It was directed by Blanche Tolmie. The cast included almost every child living in Carmel playing a "creature of the forest."[1] Walter Flanders played the character Inchling. Rhoda Johnson did the costumes of the children. Richard Johnson did the scenery. Priscilla Gadsen danced the Butterfly dance and trained the children on the dances for the Fire Flies and Dew Drops. Edward G. Kuster (Cello) and Jeanne Burton (piano) played music for the dance members.[6][7][8][9] Thomas Vincent Cator wrote the incidental music. Jack Williamson and Lewis Josselyn were the electric light artists, and Hilda Wallace Argo handled the publicity. Talbert and Winsor Josselyn, and others were engaged in the production. Citizens were asked to lend a hand, to bring oak leaves and maple branches of to the Forest Theater.[10]

Remsen, who often wore jeans and a broad brimmed hat, camped on the Forest Theater grounds during the tryouts and rehearsals. He rewrote the script to fit with the forest theater, designed the Inchling sets, the costumes, and the lights. He loved working with the children and they loved him.[5] Carmel's master builder M. J. Murphy's daughters Kathleen and Rosalie had parts in the play along with many other Carmel children.[11]

Plot[edit]

Inchling is a story about Mr. Inchworm, the owner of a factory that makes green leaves for the return of Spring. Inchling, the son of Mr. Inchworm, fails at the task of making enough leaves because he is preoccupied with his ambition to fly. Subplots include a shortage of green to fill the orders for new leaves; the fears that Fire Fly might start a fire; the Robin can't sing to bring in Spring because of laryngitis; and the terrible and villainous Mosquito. At the end of the play, Inchling emerges from a cocoon and is transformed into a Butterfly.[3]

The scene is set with moonlight in the forest, with a large cocoon hung above the stage. The set remained throughout the play. There were three acts:[12]

  • Act I.
    • Evening - Mr. Inchworm's Factory for leaves
  • Act II.
    • Night - The Encampment of the Terrible Mosquito
  • Act III.
    • Morning - Played on Top of a Daisy

Characters[edit]

Walter Gundelfinger as First Robin in the play Inchling

(In order of their appearance)[13]

Act I

  • Gyem - Billy Argo
  • Wood God - George Dorwart
  • Scrub Oaks - Vera Basham and others
  • Buckthorns - Mary Douglas and others
  • Pine Seeds - Frances Brewer and others
  • Head Cutter Ant - Scott Douglas
  • 2nd Cutter Ant - Ross Burton
  • Foreman Ant - Robert Curtis
  • Expressman - Wesley Callier
  • Wee Ant - Mark Daniels
  • March of the Dead Leaves - Christine and Virginia Burton and others
  • Spring and Her New Leaves (Mud) - Virginia Burton and others
  • Mr. Inchworm - John Navas
  • Mrs. Inchworm - Anne Greene
  • Lady Bug - Christine Burton
  • Water Bugs - John Campbell, Billy Botke, Bobo Norton, Billy Neuman
  • Butterfly with Golden Wings - Annette Gundelfinger
  • The Terrible Mosquito - Owen White
  • Four Little Mosquitos - John Campbell, Bruce Waybur, Billy Botke, Florence Brown
  • Fire Fly - Hart Rogers
  • Inchling - Walter Flanders
  • First Robin - Walter Gundelfinger

Act II

  • Sentry Mosquito - Billy Brown
  • 1st Soldier Mosquito - David Ayer
  • 2nd Soldier Mosquito - Clayton Leitch
  • Sticky Monkey - Louise Gundelfinger
  • Bats - Hildreth Taylor and others

Act III

  • Spider - Wesley Callier
  • Dew Drops - Patty Johnson and others
  • Mr. Snail - Edwin Tyler

Reviews[edit]

Adult actor playing an ant and a child actor playing a little ant.

The performance of Inchling had the following reviews. Theatre critic and author Walter Prichard Eaton called it "the most charming children's play ever written."[3]

Ira Mallory Remsen, author of the play, is to be congratulated. Inchling in the regular use of the word is not a play, but rather a fantasy. It is constructed out of a series of delightful little woodland scenes. It is something different from the conventional children's play, in which grown-ups usually play the leading parts. The scenery and customs, all designed by the author, are worthy of special mention. Credit is due to Blanche Tolmie, the producer, for the smooth performance and the training of little actors and actresses. The waits were too long, but this was probably due to the fact that there were so many changes of custom to make.

— Belle DeGraft, editor of the Monterey Daily Cypress[6]

Inchling confirms us in our beliefs and hopes that a native drama may be built up for the sky and tree-bound stage of the Forest Theatre with themes inspired by acts of our own experiences-our lovely natural surroundings, our rich traditions, or the dreams of our artists... Though the play dragged severely, who cared? Enough youngsters enchanted the audience to keep us smiling inside ourselves... The play was effectively written, gave pleasure both by its lines and by the dramatic opportunity afforded the little actors.

— Anne Burroughs, writer of the Carmel Pine Cone[7]

Adaptations[edit]

On August 3, 1928, Remsen's play Inchling was presented at the Forest Theater for the second performance, this time under the direction of Garnet Holm. Pete Steffens played Wee Ant, Harry Leon Wilson Jr, Charis Wilson, Jane Hopper played Butterfly, and Joe Schoeninger was Inchling.[14] The play was rejected by New York producers after Remsen submitted the play for a theatrical release. The rejection threw him into a depression. He talked about Carmel poet and playwright George Sterling's death as a "glorious finish," who committed suicide in 1926. Remsen did the same on November 29, 1928, at his studio in Carmel-by-the-Sea.[15][16]

Remsen's musical fantasy play Inchling was published after Remsen's death, by C. C. Birchard Co., of Boston, Massachusetts in 1931, with lyrics were by Irene Alexander and a musical score by composer Thomas Vincent Cator.[17]

The play has been produced by schools and children's theater groups throughout the county, including New York and London.[3]

In June 1934, Byington Ford directed Inchling at the Douglas School (now the Stevenson School) in Pebble Beach, California . Katherine Elkins played First Robin, Audrey Ford and Betty Hunter played Mud, and Mary Morse took the part of Lady Bug.[18][19]

In September 1936, Inchling was presented again under the direction of Byington Ford from September 3rd and 4th at the Forest Theater by the Carmel Community Players. Ruth Austin was the dance director and Mingdon Sheets did a solo number.[20] The revival of Inchling, and accompanied village fair at the theater grounds, brought in a profit of $1,000 (equivalent to $21,957 in 2023), which reduced an accumulated debt that had taken its toll on the Forest Theater during the Great Depression years of the 1930s.[3]

In November 1950, the Harrison Memorial Library held an exhibit honoring Remsen with a display of his published works including Inchling, Mr. Bunt, and The Tinsel Angel, programs of performances given at the Forest Theater, and the three-sided stage set to produce Mr. Bunt. Several items on display were contributed by the director Blanche Tolmie.[21]

Inchling was presented again at the Forest Theater from August 10 to 11, 1962, directed by Nancy Lofton. It was sponsored by the Summer Recreation Program of the Carmel Unified School District under the direction of Lofton.[22]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Gilliam, Harold; Gilliam, Ann (1992). Creating Carmel: The Enduring Vision. Salt Lake City. pp. 134–136. ISBN 9780879053970. Retrieved 2022-10-13. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ^ "Ira Mallory Remsen (1876-1928)" (PDF). Traditional Fine Arts Organization. Arizona. p. 587. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  3. ^ a b c d e Richard Flower (2014). "Inchling to the Rescue: The Worm That Helped Save The Forest Theater". Stories of old Carmel: A Centennial Tribute From The Carmel Residents Association. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. p. 113. OCLC 940565140. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ "Catalogue of Copyright Entries". U.S. Government Printing Office. 1919. p. 1409. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  5. ^ a b Blanche Tolmie (17 November 1950). "Ira Remsen, Artist and Writer". Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. p. 1. Retrieved 2022-09-17.
  6. ^ a b "The Inchling". Monterey Daily Cypress and Monterey American Archive. Monterey, California. 19 Aug 1922. p. 2. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  7. ^ a b Anne Burroughs (24 Aug 1922). "Inchling Makes Hit at the Forest Theater". Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. p. 1. Retrieved 2022-09-11.
  8. ^ Frank Lloyd (1976-07-15). "Once upon a time". Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  9. ^ Getman, Frederick H. (1940). The life of Ira Remsen. Easton, PA. pp. 101–102. Retrieved 2022-09-11. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  10. ^ "Inchling, Forest Theater Childrn's Phantasie, Unique". Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. 1922-08-17. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  11. ^ Hudson, Monica (2006). Carmel-By-The-Sea. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California: Arcadia Publishing. p. 108. ISBN 9780738531229. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  12. ^ Ira Mallory Remsen (1928). "Inchling Manuscript". Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Retrieved 2022-09-21.
  13. ^ "Inchling Programme". Forest Theatre Society. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. August 18, 1922. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 2022-09-21.
  14. ^ "Carmel To See Three Plays". Oakland Tribune. Oakland, California. 2 Aug 1928. p. 18. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  15. ^ "Playwright Suicide Laid To Rejection of His Drama". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. 30 Nov 1928. p. 1. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  16. ^ Dennis Taylor (9 Jun 2017). "No Skeletons In Closets, But There Was Definitely Champagne" (PDF). The Carmel Pine Cone. Long Beach, California. pp. 9, 29. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
  17. ^ "Inchling. A musical fantasy in three acts". C. C. Birchard Co. Boston, Massachusetts. 1931. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
  18. ^ "Village Fair And Inchling For Forest Theater Soon". Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. 31 Jul 1936. p. 1. Retrieved 2022-09-11.
  19. ^ "Del Monte Forest Made Gay With Wood Nymphs, Sprites And Fairies", San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco, California, Jun 16, 1934
  20. ^ "Former Production of Inchling Recalled as Revival Approaches". Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. 21 Aug 1936. p. 7. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  21. ^ Carmel Library Exhibits Works of Late "Rem" Remsen, 1950-11-18
  22. ^ Rem Remsen (August 10, 1962). "Inchling. A Fantasy In Three Acts". The Forest Theater. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Retrieved 2022-11-10.

External links[edit]

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