Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-02-20

doors but for the pleasure-loving He
brews. Such a condition no longer
exists. As matter of fact. the di-
rector of the PEOPLES Institute
Charles Sprague Smith, is of the
opinion that theater offering a clean
entertainment at popular prices can
not have too many seats. More sur
prising things than popular passion
for the classic drama have developed
Only the other night. at The rooms of
the Peoples Institute Club A, in the
heart of the east side, Mr.. Smith, VINO
was formerly professor OF uodern
languages at Columbia university,
found an audience made up chiefly or
working girls eager to hear him dis
cuss the question whether homer was
man or myth and whether the
Minoan thalassocracy really did mucn
through cooperation with the PEG.
pies Institute that symphony concerts
at rs cents a season ticket-at the
rate of four and nesixth cents a
eoneert-haye been offered to peopl ?
who, except when at church, had per-
haps never heard anything but bar
rel organ or German band. If the
Institute had a house or auditorium
OF IS own. with 1900 seats, the place
would be filled every Sunday night,
in Mr. Smiths opinion.
Last year this theater movement
Grew 10000 people, most of whom
had never been inside a Broadway
playhouse before, to see Maud Adams
in Peter Pan and at present I, is
drawing hundreds of east .sd-rs
nightly to on of the new American
dramas. In two weeks. recently, ii
caused the sale of 3,5OG seats at the
theater where for two weeks George
Bernard Shaw's satirical Ceaser and
Cleopatra was being performed; 1t
sent 5000 people in seven weeks to
Sc tn drama made out of Lw Wal.
lace's Prince of India, 5000 more in
two weeks to see a revival of Shakes
peare rarely performed Cymbeline
and 1000 in the course of eight days
" sec a presentation u VI tI5uUlIllEt
Nights Dream. The same move
ment lately afforded some coo high
school pupils an opportunity to at
send matinee performances of Pippa
Passes. This new movement, in
some instances has actually been re.
sponsible for the success of a play.
The institute started with nothing,
it received $500 in contributions the
first year, and at that time this new
brotherhood of man idea SCENE
doomed TO pass away; but last year,
although the expenses OF the Insti
tute were $4,000, only a debt o.
about $500 was incurred. The late
Aram S. Hewitt was one of those
who helped Professor Smith in the
beginning. He it was who invited
the founder and his friends to use his
house as a meeting place, and he al
so gave the free use of Tie large halt
of Cooper Union for the experimental
course of lectures End discussions
The institute is dependent, 10 a
great extent upon the annual sub
scriptions OF its friends. and viii
grow. of course, in proportion to their
growth. Its nonsectarian religious
meetings at the Cooper Union Sun
day nights are remarkable for the
fact that they attract crowds Of peo
pie who have practically abandoned
the established churches; and 95 per
cent of these large congregations are
men. The institute has successful
undertaken many projects for civic
improvement. and :! has welded 4
powerful Influence MT only locally
but at Albany in regard to Legislation