New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-08
REHEARSING CHILDREN
Hugh Ford Shows His Method Of Training Child Actors
during Rehearsal for Children Theatre on CenuyRoof.

believe that they are fairies or dolls.
: rehearsal becomes romp TO them,
game OF lets play
For example. in rehearsing . little girl
/ who has the part Of an old woman. ! eX-
/ planned to her that she was supposed TO
I be old stopped and quave ms. Ike some
/ old lady you know. | said. ! touched
/ her imagination. made her draw upon 1t
for a picture OF an old lady, and this she
| showed in her response. "Oh. yes.
know: like my grandma The result was
an imitation OF that particular old lady.
and all she has to do henceforth is 10
play that she is her grandmother."
/ What Mr.. Ford has found in his work
with children on the stage is what the
promoters Of the theatre hope TO make
use Of with tie youngsters in the audi
ence-namely their love Of play and their
instructive mimicry.
I With the increased realization OF the
theatre as potent factor IN life the
definite effort 10 utilize its power Us an
organized force has followed. In place
! Of indiscrimlnate theatregoing Ior chill
/ dren, in which their receptive minds can
absorb fully as much that Is injurious
that which is beneficial. there has grown
I'D q movement 10 make the most OF The
possibilities OF the stage. The insugura-
ton OF the special Childrens Theatre
marks the climax OF this growing senu-
ment thus FAR.
Il have received hundreds Of letters
/ advocating such a theatre since tic an
nouncenent OF our plays NJ Tyler fur
Their explained 10 the interviewer. When
W X Vanderbilt discussed with me The
possibilities Of such scheme We felt
that the time had come TO launch H. The
financial support Of n Vanderbilt alone
made the project possible.
"Our aims I'm the conduct @ t0- taeatIe
are TO present plays written expressly for
children. We also want those plays to
contain something OF value. We intend
10 use with them pictures 10 aid and
stimulate their imagirations where come
thing presented is beyond their compre-
hension. For that purpose We have Gr-
ranged % present various educational
subjects prepared by the Kinemaco.or
Company. These will not be moving pct-
ures in tine ordinary sense of the term.
but use OF moving pictures to explain
and instruct"
For the presentation Of the first play
the directors have secured more than
thirty children and several older actors
Of known reputation. Chief among the
/ dolls" OF the play is Master Gabriel, who
although he is AN adult in years is as
small as any Of the smallest children. He
will play the part OF Peter Piper. the
comic doll living in "Racketty- Packetty
House" whose love affairs with the aristo-
cratic dollie form the basis OF the doll
story. The heroine among the dolls will
be Alma Scdley, remembered for her APP
pearances in the juvenile productions Of
Alias Jimmy Valentine" ana other Wal
lacl: Theatre plays. II addition the chill
dren include BABY Esinond. Helen Milling
ton. Ynez seabury, Ma Macomber. King
don Brown. Ethel DoNEcy, Maxine Sickle
Baby Edna Wallace Hopper, Crcss Joss.
Mao Galley, Bessie Bishop. Thclma Percy
and ,wo sets Of twins. Fred ard Alan
Turner and Sophia ard Gertrude Rogers.
Among the grownups the accomplished
Maude Granger will be an old nurse,
Marie Pincklrd another and Mona Hun
gerford will ne Crossoatch. queen Of the
fairies
As for the theatre In which ~ these
adventures in doll land will take place II
is rapidly assuming shape and will be
completed within few days 1t has
only one floor. which seats eight hundred
poople. Here performances of "Racketty-
Packetty House" will be given every after
noon after school hours.
In IFS details the theatre promises I'M
usual attractivcness. The roof is arched
and groined. the color scheme Of 1t and
the walls being French sray and suDdued
white over the proscenium arch, which
Is low and broad. suggesting toy play
house. a friezo by Philip Martiny' the
SCULPTOR. adapted from Italian art OF the
sixteenth century, will be placed. The
base of the frleze Is supported with BITS
Of animal life. illustrating the fables OF
zssop and La Fontainc. which idea is FUR
thcr carried out In pictures In cameo re-
lief through out the interior. Boxes nave
been placed about the back OF the audi
torium. and between them exit Is gwen by
MANY large doorways To promenade OH
tho roof of the Century Theatre Building.
..xyc have MANNED an attractive setting
for the FIRST children's theatre IN the
rrn,ted states" Mr.. Tyler has further ex-
] ,Iained "Such theatre should be an m
| s,itution. II is in line with modern
.hought I'm education, and should. IN my
| estimation. become one OF the foremost
\ movements in that direction IN modeih
civilization"