The Washington herald., 1913-06-15
DRAMA LEAGUE OF AMERICA,
WASHINGTON CENTER.
PLAYGoING COMMITTEE.

The purpose of this committee 10 70
encourage good drama by inducing at
tendance at plays which the commit
Bulletin. an ofdcisI statement of the
Drama League, In independent OF out
side influence.
Washington. D. c.. June L. 1919
To Members of the Drama League:
The stock companies now occupying the
Columbia and Poll Theaters have SO de-
servedly established themselves in public
approval that for this committee TO urge
their merits is probably superiuous 1t
may not be superfiuous, however, to call
attention to the fact, as this committee
believes it to be. of the great educational
value of these companies TO the commu-
nifty and the great interest they possess
In this respect for all lovers of the the
alter and observers of theatrical condi-
tons
Players are filling the great need of
wholesome entertainment at prices with
in the reach of thousands of people who
can seldom attend the high-priced pro-
auctions of the winter season. The
Drama League must therefore recognize
IN these companies one of the most po-
tent agencies toward the end for which
the league itself is striving-namely. q
higher level of public taste in the drama
ance of the stock companies are signi-
6cant testimony to the fact that plays
ranging in character from the morality or
the thoughtful drama down to the most
frivolous farce. but always legitimate,
wholesome plays, and not coarse bur-
lesque or tawdry musical shows, are as
popular as any form of entertainment
the theater can offer. To establish de-
mand like this is to clear the way for the
ls-I..- e srrt1, 80, IarI
and to hasten the departure Of the in
ferior things of the stage.
If there are members Of the Drama
League who have not been attending the
Columbia or the Poll Theater during the
stock season. this committee urges them.
for their own pleasure as well as In the
interest of league principles, to do so.
In the wide variety of the stock COM
pany offerings, not all, Of course. can be
equally pleasing to every theatergoer,
but upon the past records OF these two
companies. the choice may safely be ex-
pected to lie among the good of the vari-
Gus types, and there is also frequent OPP
portunity to see important plays by mod
ern dramatists which cannot now be seen |
in other theaters.
This. of course. is not to say that all |
or even most of the stock company plays |
would be the subjects of this commit |
Productions for which the price of ad- |
mission is at most 70 cents should not in |
fairness be judged by standards so exact
ing as those applied when the price is $
or $3.50, and the managers choice is I'M
limited; and for plays which have been /
but one week in rehearsal il is manifestly |
unreasonable to expect the same finish of |
performance that may and should be de |
manded of the production which has had
the advantage of long preparation The .
Columbia Players and the Poll Players,
however. notwithstanding, have each TO
their credit individual performances
which compare favorably with those of
the original companies, and from any
viewpoint their average merit is high,
each company including for important |
roles actors of proved ability and in some
instances exceptional versatility.
The Columbia and Poll stock companies
deserve your patronage.
PLAYING COMMITTEE