The Washington times., 1913-12-22
New Juvenile Play
Will Be Seen Here
By JULIA MURD0CK.

- ORE than ever. before, in ths
INA memory of the oldest play.
Y going inhabitants. the thea
- ters have this year walked uE
! to the need of doing something to in
terest and amuse the children. In
catering TO the little people the English
! managers have gone step farther and
have planned for annual pantomimes
and pageants, together with quaint
little plays which are appropriately
given at the sYuletide season. which
custom has resulted in a regular annual
deluge- of juvenile. plays. which. fer
a time, bring The regular machinery
Of dramatic production almost. to a
stapdstill. s<s,s -
Chicago is just now having this ex-
perience- In the La Sale Opera House,
under the auspices of the Chicago GEN.
ter of the Dran1a, League of America,
the charming little play. "Racketty-
Packetty House, is being given daily
at morning and afternoon matinees, the
engagement having been SO successful
that the time for. the production has
been proronged Indefinitely.
Already here In Washington We have
number. OF plays for children. THE
Blue Bird which was the latest pro>
duction of this sort, was largely pa
tronized by children. though fully as
many grown people enjoyed the won
derful production We have had Tho
Poor Little Rich Girl which Is also
a chiids play for grown-ups. and we
Devil" which captivated Paris when Ia
was first produced. and which repeated
its wonderful vogue in this country un-
der the management of David Belascos
Winthrop Ames' delightful Offering of
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,s
was another child's play which was
largely patronized by local theatergoers
of all ages. and las, : season we had
Macde Adams in that charming fantasy
of childhood. the boy who couldn't grow
up, ''Peter Pan" who flew avxy to the
Never. Never Land. FOR nine years this
masterpiece has been the annual offer
ing at the Duke of York's Theater. Lon
don, and in all that time the play has
never lost its prestige. and people are
thronging the playhouse lhis season In
even greater numbers than in previous
years. ~
Then there was Marion DeForest's
dramatization OF Little Women"
child's play for srowh-ups.- which has
already claimed a position among the
list Of marveiously successful plays
Concerning The last of these plays
which have oeen arranged for WASH
ingtop children. hut in which their par4
ents And big brothers aud sisters wiiE
find much of interest. definite announce
nent is made that the original Liebler
produ1 ION of ''Racketty sPacketty
House." which was chosen to open the
Children.s Theater. perehed high upon
the roof OF the Century Theater. will be
brought 10 WashinGton under the aus
pices of one OF Washington's well
known Organizations. the Drama
League. which organization is also
standing sponsor for the play in Chi
cago. While the time and place for the
production have not yet been an
nouneed. the statement Is made that it
will be given in the near future. and
the proceeds will be turned over to the
House OF PLAY fund.
Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett. for
mer Washington woman, is responsible
for the dramatization of. "Racketty'
Packetty House, the play. having been
made from the authors charming story
OF the same name. Her son, Vivian
Burnett composed the quaint Ettle
songs that are a delightful feature of