The Detroit times., 1913-11-15
DRAMA FIGURES
IN MAKING OF
GOOD CITIZENS
Quite as Important as Public
Libraries, Minnesota Savant
Tells Detroit Audience
MUNICIPAL THEATERS
BOUND TO COME
Predicts They'll be Regular In
stituti0n Within 20 Years
Praises Ibsen
PROF. RICHARD BURTON.

Municipal theaters within 20 years,
and q maximum admission price of
81. we're among the predictions of
Prof. Richard Burton, OF the Univer-
sity Of Minnesota, speaking In Gen.
trail high school auditorium, Friday
evening. under the auspices of the
Detroit branch of the Drama League
OF America. on THE drama of today
The play. declared DR.. Burton. Is
coming into its own again as a potent
factor in the life Of the people. Its
new vigor. which has come about in
the last quarter of a century, he said.
has developed under the direct influ-
ence of the genius OF fbsen.
The text OF the lecture. so to speak
was Matthew Arnold's statement,
THE theater is irresistable; organize
the theateF." From Ii the speaker
drew his theme. that the drama
should be made a controlling infiu-
ence for good in the civilization Of
the near future.
ut Is not an academic subject on
which come to address you" he said.
"but rather question which. involves
the making of good citizens. DO you
think municipal theaters . dream?
Let me ask You question. Why
should we pay taxes to support pub.
lie Libraries? Because they aid In cul-
tnre that is for the public good. so
also does the drama, and we are in
clined to underestimate its influence
rather than otherwise. About 2,000.-
900 persons week 60 to the theater
exclusive OF the countless numbers
attending the moving picture shows"
A national theater for America like
the theater OF France, DR.. Burton pre-
dicted, will soon be reality One OF
the hopeful signs pointing toward II
is. he said. the custom Of publishing
plays for reading and study
ITO get the best In the drama" he
declared, I'VE must have a trained
audience as we'll as able play-writers,
critics and actors. We must be able
courage II. The chief reason for the
position Of the French stage is that
the theater-golng public there, with
its three centuries OF training, knows
always what 1t is getting. and will
listen to nothing but what Is good"
The study OF plays and the condi-
tion OF the drama today, asserted DR..
Burton, Is being taken up by clubs
and organizations all over the country
OF which the Drama league Is only
the leading one. The failure Of the
recent experiment is an endowed the
ater In New York. he accounted for
by -tifc-nweff meaning but Hbyssmaf
ignorance OF the millionaires who
supported It."
With all of his admitted desire to
make the drama an uplifting social
force, DR.. Burton declared that he
believes thoroughly in plays purely
for entertainment He reserved the
right. however, to define entertain
ment in such a way that It would al
low the cultivation of the best human
instincts and emotions and the elm
ination Of all less worthy appeals.
To show that those plays which
preach moral and do It artistically
are the ones which exert the strong
est influences and become most pop
ular. he referred to "The Servant In
the House." "The Passing Of the
Third Floor Back" and "The Poor
Little Rich Girl"
He indorsed the Little theater"
movement and all that 1t stands for.