Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-01-06
TO GET CHAIR OF DRAMA
Harvard Probably Will Accep,
Proposed Harris Endowment.
Faculty Has the Proposition.-wnrn,I.
Advocated ny Prof. baker Mt Com
ference Here-sf0O.O0O Build
ing Will he Needed.

The announcement was made unoffici
ally that an endowment fund Of s25orr
for the establishment Of n chnr Of dra.
matte art lin some university"-the s,1p.
gestion Of Henry p. Harris OF the tIud-
son theatre, who will contribute $4,000
toward the project with thhe UNDER
standing that nine other men each will
furnish Ike sum-wll 70 to Harvard
University. says the New York Globe
At conference In tho homo Of Mr..
Harris. George Y. Baker OF the Harvard
faculty, who came here TO learn Just
what tho manager had in mind in tho
way Of now and comprehensive uni
versty elective. the Cambridge institu-
ton was given the refusal OF the propo-
siton.
Prof. Baker was enthusiastic over tho
,, Ideas Mr.. Harris advanced. and. al.
though he did not act in an Official ca
pacitv. promised to work hard 70 obtain
an early establishment of the important
department. He thought tho Harvard
| corporation would surely sanction such
| action when the matter was tho oughly
presented.
Mr. Harris will await some word from
the Harvard authorities before announc-
| ing definitely all that the project will
| embrace. He feels sure IN" chair will
be established at Harvard because Prof.
Baker has already started n small play
writing school there which had been very
| well received.
SPECIAL BUILDING NEEDED.
Although Prof Baker d!d not care to
discuss his conference with Mr.. Harris
because he wants all information on the
| subject to come from the Harvard cor
poration. It Is known that he spent tho
| day discussing the project with wealthy
| friends who are likely to give financial
assistance. It is proposed 70 erect
theatre that will seat 800 persons In
| the same building Will be lecture and
model rooms-a complete plant for the
, study Of the drama from It's beginning
down to the present day, together With
facilities for tie staging ot the produce
tons OF the young playrichts.
Both Prof Baker and SIR. Harris agree
that perfectly appointed theatre that
will cost In the neighborhood of sl0N0ol
Is absolutely necessary. Not only tho
playwright but the actors who produce
the pieces will be amateurs; and for
the most part undergraduates will he tho
spectators.
| Manager Harris believes Prof Baker
to be the best equipped man in the coun-
try to be at the head Of such q pro iect,
because for eighteen years he has mada
| the drama a subject for special study.
| The ways and means OF instructing am
| bilious youngsters in the art of dramat-
| ic writing also has been on his mind for
| long time.
BAKER STATES HIS VIEWS
After Mr.. Harris made his generous
proposal through these columns Prof.
Baker was the first man to respond. In
| arranging to come here for a conference,
| he wrote:
! What will make the work Of perma-
nent value will be an endowed chair
under carefully specified conditions
name might provide not only the endow-
ed chair. but building containing IA
small, but perfectly equipped theatre,
some rooms for conferences and lectures
and a small library of plays, dramatic
prints. models of historical stages and
current publications Of tho drama in
different languages"
At Harvard. Prof. Baker now has
about twelve young playwright hopesuls
who are known as the Bakers dozen :"
Professor and pupils meet weekly in ths
work, and discuss thhe technique and
history Of the art.
BY establishing chair in playwriting,
Mr.. Harris hopes to revive more
wholesome interest in the drama and
lift dramatic criticism, as a whole, to a
higher plane.