Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11
ON The WHITE HOUSE lawn [
PLAYS FOR THE BENEFIT OF
THE FAIRGROUNDS FUND.
Al Fresco Entertainments to Be
Given Next Friday and Saturday
at Request Of Mrs. Roosevelt.

In response to the request of MIS-.
Roosevelt and in the interest of the
Washington Fairgrounds Association the
Ben Greet players, whose out-of-door
theatrical offerings have made them
famous. will present two plays. midas
and His Golden Touch" and pandora
and the BOX Of Mischief" adapted from
Hawthorne's wonder Book" by Rose
Miller O'Neill. on the White House lawn
next Friday afternoon at o'clock and
Saturday morning at 10 o'clock.
The Friday afternoon performance is
intended rather for the general public,
while that Of Saturday morning will be
ington school children.
An Ideal Outdoor Stage.
The west knoll in the White House
grounds, its beautiful trees and shrubbery,
furnishing an admirable background and
setting for the plays. has been chosen Tor
the stage. Its elevation Of about eight
feet above the level Of the lawn will en-
able every one to have a good view OF
the performances. Twelve hundred re-
served seats will be arranged IN semi
circular form for the spectators, and a
number of chairs will be placed In the
rear for those whose seats are not re-
served.
In the event of stormy weather the
performances will be given at the Ma
tional Theater. A committee consisting
of Commissioner Henry l.. West. Cuno
H. Rudolph. Arthur C. Moses, John B.
Sleman and DR.. Henry s. Curtis has
charge of the arrangements I. Arthur
Smith will conduct the sale of the tickets
and seat reservations.
The proceeds Of both performances will
be donated to the Washington Play
grounds Association for the benefit of the
children of the District.
When these plays were presented by
Mr.. Greet and his company for the benefit
of the Spires School at Columbia Field.
New York, in September. Mrs. Roosevelt
and a party of fifteen went on the Sylph
from Oyster Bay to see them. She was
so delighted that Mr.. Greet offered the
plays at Oyster Bay, but Mrs. Roosevelt
suggested that 1t would give her greater
pleasure If he would produce them at the
White House for the benefit Of the Wash
ington Fairgrounds, in which she takes
deep interest. The coming performances
are the result Of the suggestion.
The Two Plays.
The plays are two of the best known
stories of Greek mythology. The one
dealing with the famous King of Phrygia.
whose love for gold was SO great that the
god Silenus. in return for services rem
dered. decreed that everything he touched
should turn to gold. This was. of course,
very satisfactory to him until he found
his favorite son a golden statue and the
very food he ate became golden ore with
in his mouth. when he prayed for re-
lease from the golden curse and OBJ
tained 1t.
The story of Pandora. the beautiful wife
of Epimetheus. brother of Prometheus. is
still more interesting. Jupiter in his an
ger had sent to Epimetheus an alabaster
box to be placed in his garden, with the
command that he was not to open it.
Pandora had a woman's curiosity and did
open 1t. after long resisting the tempta-
ton, with the result that she released to
torment the earth and its inhabitants all
the plaques known to mankind. The play
opens with a procession Of children in
Greek costume who afterward dance to
the music Of timbrels, flutes and harps.
The Marine Band will furnish the ancient
and modern Greek music incidental to the
plays and give an offertory concert pre-
ceding their commencement.