Attorney-Actor Rae Undertaking Biggest Stage Challenge

Attorney-Actor Rae Undertaking Biggest Stage Challenge

Sunday February 28, 1971

John Rae, attorney by profession, actor by avocation, makes his 36th appearance in an Ann Arbor Civic. Theatre Play at 8 p.m. this Wednesday-Friday when he appears as the father in Frank Gilroy's “The Subject Was Roses.”

The three-character play, which also stars Veich Reinhart and Michael Bott, is Rae’s biggest challenge, if no more than from the viewpoint of having to memorize a whopping 1,417 lines.

Rae has been in five other plays with Mrs. Reinhart, who is making her 15th appearance in a Civic Theatre play, but never before have the two played directly opposite each other, such as husband and wife, or the like.

They, in fact, started their Civic Theatre appearances together in “I am A Camera,” the year being 1956. Since, Rae has been in three or more plays a year.

Up to now, his biggest role was as Capt. Barkley in "The Cain Mutiny Court Martial,” which required he be on stage almost all the time but without anywhere the number of he is learning for “The Subject Was Roses.”

The plays he can recall being in off-hand were “Merchant of Venice,” “Julius Caesar," “Visit to a Small Planet," “Teahouse of the Moon,” “Never Too Late," and “The Best Man.” He also has appeared in all musicals since 1956, including “Oklahoma,” "Guys and Dolls,” “Man of Mancha,” “Marne,” “Pajama Game,” “South Pacific,” “Wonderful Town,” “Kiss Me, Kate,” and in the two versions of “Guys and Dolls."

He also was Andy Devine’s sheriff in the Drama Season professional version of “On Borrowed Time” and the boyfriend and police commissioner in “Pal Joey” with Julie Wilson.

Rae made his first stage appearance as J. Booth Mac-Ready, retired actor, in “Half Back Sandy,” which was put on by St. John’s Military Academy, Delafield, Wis., in 1932.

At Colgate University, where he majored in political science and sociology, Rae was in productions of the school’s Mask and Triangle.

He then went through the U-M Law School without going near the stage.

But in 1956, when son Bruce became involved with the Ann Arbor Junior Theatre, Rae decided to encourage him by returning to the stage himself. Now teaching drama and art at Lansing Waverly, and acting with the Eaton Rapids Community Theatre, Bruce will be in Ann Arbor to see his father perform.
Daughter Nancy is coming from Stevenville on Friday. Molly, another daughter, was in "The Miracle Worker” when she was 10 and won the AACT award for best supporting actress.

Rae did miss one season. In 1966, he was busy traveling on law business. From 1943 to 1946 he had his hands full as Washtenaw County prosecutor, but being county supervisor from 1954 to 1964 didn’t put a crimp on his acting activities.

“This show is delightfully challenging!” Rae exclaims. “It runs the gamut of emotions from anger, pride, jealousy to prejudice and Oedipus relationships. Gilroy wrote it as a monument to his own life.”

Pat Reilly is the ninth director for whom Rae has acted. The others are Ted Heusel, Jerry Bilik, Douglas Spragg, Reid Klein, Laurel Johnson, and a couple he can’t recall.

JOHN RAE [image]