the sarah siddons award for distinguished achievement is perhaps unknown to you. it has been spared the sensational and commercial publicity that attends such questionable "honors" as the pulitzer prize and those awards presented annually by the film society.
the distinguished looking gentleman is an extremely old actor. being an actor - he will go on speaking for some time. it is not important what you hear what he says.
however it is important that you know where you are, and why you are here. this is the dining room of the sarah siddons society. the occasion is its annual banquet and presentation of the highest honor our theater knows - the sarah siddons award for distinguished achievement.
these hollowed walls, indeed many of these faces, have looked upon modjeska, ada rehan and minnie fiske; mansfield's voice filled the room, booth breathed this air. it is unlikely that the windows have been opened since his death.
the minor awards, as you can see, have already been presented. minor awards are for such as the writer and director - since their function is merely to construct a tower so that the world can applaud a light which flashes on top of it and no brighter light has ever dazzled the eye than eve harrington. eve.  but more of eve, later. all about eve, in fact.
to those of you who do not read, attend the theater, listen to uncensored radio programs or know anything of the world in which we live - it is perhaps necessary to introduce myself. my name is addison dewitt. my native habitat is the theater - in it i toil not, neither do i spin. i am a critic and commentator. i am essential to the theater - as ants are to a picnic, as the ball weevil to a cotton field.
this is karen richards. she is the wife of a playwright, therefore of the theater by marriage. nothing in her background or breeding should have brought her any closer the stage than row e, center.
 however, during her senior year in radcliffe, lloyd richards lectured on drama. the following year karen became mrs. lloyd richards. lloyd is the author of 'footsteps on the ceiling' - the play which has won for eve harrington the sarah siddons award.
there are two types of theatrical producers. one has a great many wealthy friends who will risk a tax deductible loss. this type is interested in art.
the other is one to whom each production mean potential ruin or fortune. this type is out to make a buck. meet max fabian. he is the producer of the play which has won eve harrington the sarah siddons award.
margo channing is the star of the theater. she made her first stage appearance, at the age of four, in 'midsummer night's dream'. she played a fairy and entered - quite unexpectedly - stark naked. she has been a star ever since.
margo is a great star. a true star. she never was or will be anything less or anything less.  .  the part for which eve harrington is receiving the sarah siddons award was intended originally for margo channing.
having covered in tedious detail not only the history of the sarah siddons society, but also the history of acting since thespis first stepped out of the chorus line - our distinguished chairman has finally arrived at our reason for being here.
eve. eve, the golden girl. the cover girl, the girl next door, the girl on the moon.  time has been good to eve, life goes where she goes - she's been profiled, covered, revealed, reported, what she eats and when and where, whom she knows and where she was and when and where she's going.
 eve. you all know all about eve.  what can there be to know that you don't know?
eve, of course, was superb. many of the audience understandably preferred to return another time to see margo. but those who remained cheered loudly, lustily and long for eve.  how thoughtful of her to call and invite me - that afternoon.
 and what a happy coincidence that several representatives of other newspapers happened to be present. all of us - invited that afternoon to attend an understudy's performance.
 about which the management knew nothing until they were forced to ring up the curtain at nine o'clock. coincidence. also every indication of intrigue, skulduggery and fraud.
to the theater world - new haven, connecticut, is a short stretch of sidewalk between the shubert theater and the taft hotel, surrounded by what looks very much like a small city. it is here that managers have what are called out of-town openings - which are openings for new yorkers who want to go out of town.
and she gave the performance of her life. and it was a night to remember, that night.