▁and ▁very ▁fun ny . ▁ ▁Peter ▁Gra ves ▁and ▁Jane ▁F onda ▁were ▁discussed ▁as ▁leads ▁in ▁the ▁play . ▁Then ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁Car roll ▁Baker ▁was ▁mo oted ▁as ▁star . ▁Baker ▁ended ▁up ▁going ▁into ▁Come ▁on ▁Str ong ▁a ▁play ▁written ▁by ▁Kan in . ▁Jane ▁F onda ▁was ▁also ▁offered ▁the ▁lead ▁but ▁she ▁turned ▁it ▁down ▁to ▁make ▁The ▁Chap man ▁Report ▁which ▁she ▁felt ▁was ▁more ▁challeng ing . ▁ ▁The ▁lead ▁roles ▁went ▁to ▁Pat ▁Stanley , ▁Robert ▁Red ford ▁and ▁Con rad ▁Jan is . ▁ ▁Red ford ▁had ▁deliber ately ▁sought ▁out ▁to ▁do ▁a ▁comedy ▁on ▁Broadway ▁because ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁doing ▁so ▁much ▁heavy ▁drama ▁on ▁stage ▁and ▁TV . ▁He ▁lo bb ied ▁for ▁the ▁role ; ▁producer ▁David ▁M err ick ▁was ▁rel uct ant ▁but ▁eventually ▁agreed ▁to ▁aud ition ▁him . ▁Kan in ▁later ▁said ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁intend ▁to ▁cast ▁Red ford ▁in ▁the ▁lead ▁as ▁" we ▁already ▁had ▁a ▁major ▁New ▁York ▁actor ▁signed ▁and ▁se aled ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁wings ." ▁Kan in ▁aud ition ed ▁Red ford ▁for ▁a ▁less er ▁part ▁then ▁the ▁actor ▁asked ▁if ▁he ▁could ▁read ▁for ▁the ▁lead . ▁The ▁director ▁agreed ▁and ▁said ▁Red ford ▁gave ▁" a ▁subt le , ▁fun ny , ▁original ▁performance " ▁as ▁Mike ▁Mitchell . ▁" He ▁was ▁can ny . ▁He ' d ▁been ▁holding ▁back ▁on ▁the ▁first ▁reading , ▁which ▁wasn '