Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1896-09-12

SOLDIERS HOME THEATEK
this kind, saying: "The police of this
city know that these old soldiers are
not vagabonds. They have home, and !
all of the policemen know where it is. |
Any well-dressed department clerk !
taken in an intoxicated condition will
be sent to his home in cab. Here
after | wish that when these old SOL |
diers fall by the wayside the policeman !
discovering them would call an am
bulance and send them to their home."
That is good common sense, and
emanates from spirit of charitable
ness somewhat like the spirit which ami
mated Andrew Jackson when he stood
between his old comrade and dismissal
from the army. There is no reason
why these old soldiers who have this
weakness should be locked up and
dragged before u police court, when
our dudes and lordlings are tenderly
cared for.
Everything that can be done is being
done to add to the attractions of the
soldiers home, and now they are to
have theater for the purpose of keep
ing them home and amusing them at
night. The building is of marble ex-
terror and is almost completed. 1t is
next to the library building, and oppo-
site to Scott hall, building named
after Gen. Winfield Scott, the founder
of the home.
The new theater will be spacious
enough for the purpose indicated. 1t
is 125 feet long from front door to rear
of stage, and is 67 feet wide. The fo,In-
dations are of granite surmounted by
roughly finished sandstone, and the
entire building faced with Vermont
white marble from Senator ProctoT's
quarries. The main entrance is to be an
ornamental archway and portico of
Guiana marble.
The stage is to be 66 feet wide and 25
deep, with a prosccnium opening of 32
feet, allowing plenty of room in the
wings for stage apparatus. Inasmuch
as the stage is the most important fca-
ture of any playhouse, it will be OBJ
served that the architect has devoted
an unusual amount of space to this
| feature of the new theater. On the right
,shand side of the proscenium on the
stage, an electric light switchboard is
to be placed, and an operator at this
point will have charge of all the lights
in the house, as well as on the stage.
Handsome scenery of the "up-to-date"
variety is h.ing prepared, and every
thing correlative done to make this
theater for the old soldiers one of the
finest and most complete in the country.
Six dressing-rooms are being comfort
| ~ E
actors, and they are all beneath the
stage. Stairways from the rear en-
trance, and also from the auditorium
lead to these dressing-rooms, so that
they are quite accessible.
The old soldiers are not to have the
privilege of hearing the greatest actors
and actresses; at least not this year
They do not go to theaters to crit '-'H-
or analyze the play, but to be
tanned. Consequently, they will
demand the finest elocutiona-y et
Under the directions of Gen.
Stanley, who has charge of the sol
home, some of the leading amate
Washington, young men and w
who intend to make profession
stage, have organized what is k
as the SOLDIERS Home Dramatic
pany," and they are rehearsine
plays all the time, for the purp'
giving the old soldiers plenty of =nrcI
: tainment next fall and winter. w,
; have several amateur dramatic Scom
panies in Washington, nearly all of then
being composed of high-school grad
yates. They are intelligent, ambitious
energetic and capable. The old soldiers
5 will witness some superior perform
ances.
I There will be good orchestra for thu
new theater, and it will not cost any
thing. The regular soldiers home band
!, which gives such excellent open mir con
7 certs during the summer evenings tha
l hundreds of people go from this city Il
!, hear them will form an orchestra, an,
i the performers on the stringed instru
e ments are now making preparation
7 for their practice with the cornetist
J. and other members of the proposed
r orchestra. Altogether this new theate
d is to be creditable affair, and will adj
: much to the enjoyment of the veteran
who have served their country, and VIII
a nre now passing off of the stage OF life
e after having acted well their parts.
SMITH d. FRI.