Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-19
URGES THEATERS
FOR CHILDREN
DR.. LANDONE ADVANCES SIX
REASONS FOR PROJECT
SPEAKS BEFORE GATHERING AT
WoMAN's CLUB HOUSE
Feels Confident That a High Class of
Productions VIII Prove Beneficial
and Meet with Generous
Support

The idea of a ch1ldren'S theater IN
Los Angeles was taken up by DR.. Leon
Elbert Landone Saturday morning
when he addressed a gathering of men
and women at the Women's club
house. Most of those who heard DR..
Landone's remarks have long been IN
sympathy with such movement.
DIR. Landone in presenting the pur-
poses, plans and methods or procedure
spoke in part as follows:
1.-THE purpose of the New Art theater
is six fold. We believe theater to
be the greatest teaching agency In the
world. Hence the first aim in estab-
fishing the children's theater is to give
to the audience something truly worth
presentation. BY this we do not mean
weak, preachy or Super-morallstlc
plays, but plays of vitality, plays or
action, plays of character, plays tnat
are as vital and interesting to the
adult as to the youth.
Dramatic acting is the highest art.
1t is a combination of the five fine
arts. The play itself is literature.
Every attitude of every actor is
sculptural pose; every stage setting,
every gown, each adjustment of the
properties is touch in the painting
of a picture embodying color and per-
spective, grouping and form. Inc
grouping of the scenery, the propor-
tionate lines of the same, the for1na-
ton of groups of individuals on the
stage follow the laws that one finds
in architecture.
Superior to Singing
Never in singing is one able to Sc
cure such variations of pitch TIMBER
resonance, placing, volume and pro-
lection of tone as is required In the
rendition of dramatic lines. Hence IN
real dramatic presentation we have the
combination-the elimination of the
five fine arts-literature, sculpture,
painting, architecture and music.
'These then are the first two pur-
poses for which the new theater is
organized. We trust that this new
=. eater will be a children's theater,
but not only children's theater A
good play well presented should not
only be pleasing to children, but to
adults also.
"The minds of children are more
mature than we often think. If
play is too weak, too childish, too sim
pie for adults, it is also too weak, too
childish and too simple for children.
1--WE hope, in time, to have one per-
formance a week given by children,
and still later to have one performance
week of a play written by children.
1--WE do not deem it advisable to at
tempt a children's theater producing
only plays written by children and per-
formed by children. This idea, If car
ried out. would be very beneficial to
the children writing the plays and to
the children performing the plays, but
the great mass of children are in the
audience and take no part in the writ
ing and the performing.
Rival to Picture Shows
"The best plays produced by the best
actors we can secure are none too
good for the children of our city We
hope that this movement will counter
act the attractions of the moving pic
ture shows, so that the suggestive in
fuence of their pictures will not be
so widespread as at the present AL
ready the United States government
has recognized the need of taking steps
for the purpose of regulating this evil
Doubtless there are many picture
films which can be viewed by children
and adults with pleasure and profit
but the attracting feature of almost
every program in every theater of
this type presents questionable sub
jects in such suggestive manner
that we prefer not to have our chill
dren attend.
"The Childrens' theater will aim to
present by good actors the MASTER
pieces that are being studied in the
public schools. Through this cooper
alton the child and youth, gaining the
literature in the schoolroom, will see
depicted on the stage the sculptural.
scenic. architectural and musical
phases Of the production. We aim to
interest the public in the great mission
of the drama; giving the youth taste
for the better type of action; selecting
individuals who show especial talent,
and pointing out to them the higher
mission of complete self-expression and
life interpretations.
''The great desire of all young peo-
pie to express dramatically Is not alb
normal: it is the desire to live fuller