The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, Digital Edition > My Day
DECEMBER 22, 1953
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NEW YORK, Monday—On the opening night we went to see Katherine Cornell in "The Prescott Proposals," by Lindsay and Crouse. Everybody had told me, of course, that since I was the only woman delegate who had served from the beginning of the General Assembly the writers must have had me in mind in writing Miss Cornell's part. I feel quite sure that such a thought never crossed their minds and I only wish I could have been half as effective or half as attractive as is Mary Prescott when acted by Miss Cornell. Neither did anything as exciting as the story of this play ever happen in all the years I served on the United Nations.
It is a good play I think and the authors get in some very useful information about the UN and actually, through the portrayal of the characters, I think they will get considerable understanding over to people about the UN, so from my point of view it is a useful play.
People go to the theatre largely to be entertained, however, and I can only say that all those who were with me were both interested and entertained. You could criticize little points here and here, but as an evening's entertainment I think people will find that it is good. I hope it will run for many months because of the information it does impart in such sugar-coated fashion.
The casting is remarkable. I enjoyed the Russian delegate and I admired the Pakistani delegate and I was glad that, in rather exaggerated form, the sensitiveness of people from that area of the world was brought out so clearly. We cannot be too careful lest we offend in minor ways and thereby hurt the deeper understanding and goodwill that we strive for.
At noon on Thursday of the past week I attended the Advertising Women's luncheon. General Romulo and I decided that we were always too prompt. He had been told to arrive at 12:00 and he was on the minute. I had been told to arrive at 12:00 also but I delayed it and only arrived at 12:15. We did not, however, sit down to luncheon until 1:00, so I decided it would be a good idea not to be so prompt in the future.
Luncheon, however, was perfectly delightful. Both the Ambassador from Korea and General Romulo made delightful speeches. Everyone spoke briefly and I felt that it was one of the few occasions when one did not mind being held a little beyond the 2:30 time that many of us had set for departure.
Mrs. Dorothy Lewis of the UN presided and made us all feel that we were making a real contribution no matter how short our speeches were or how little they really contained of importance.
One thing I think everyone felt was that the purpose of the luncheon was worthwhile. The advertising women are pledged to support 15 Korean children and this luncheon was given to aid that endeavor. It gave us all a chance to say Merry Christmas to each other and hope that some children far away would be happier in their lives.
E.R.
(WORLD COPYRIGHT, 1953, BY UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART PROHIBITED.)
Names and Terms Mentioned or Referenced
Persons
- Cornell, Katharine, 1893-1974 [ index ]
American actress
[ LC | ISNI | VIAF | Wikidata | SNAC | FAST | ANB ] - Crouse, Russel, 1893-1966 [ index ]
American playwright and librettist
[ LC | ISNI | VIAF | Wikidata | SNAC | FAST | ANB ] - Lindsay, Howard, 1889-1968 [ index ]
American theatrical producer, director and playwright
[ LC | ISNI | VIAF | Wikidata | SNAC | FAST | ANB ]
Organizations
Geographic
- [ index ] New York (N.Y., United States)
About this document
My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, December 22, 1953
Digital edition created by The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project The George Washington University 312 Academic Building 2100 Foxhall Road, NW Washington, DC 20007
Digital edition published 2008, 2017 by
The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project
Available under licence from the Estate of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt.
Published with permission from the Estate of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt.
MEP edition publlished on June 30, 2008.
TEI-P5 edition published on April 28, 2017.
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