Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-02-11
The Little Country Theatre
Unique Enterprise Founded at North Dakota Agricultural
N. college Attracts Nation Wide
Attention
Most Significant Social Power Ever Established By Any
Educational Institution In lAnerica Epoch ing
:sf Community Building g.f

Sll' hOrace3# i lunkett once SAID
that the simplest piece of amateur
acting or singing iidonesih the village
hall by one Of the villagers would
arouse more enthusiasm among His
friends and netghbors than. could
be evcitd by the most coasummate
performance Of as professional In a
great theatre where no one in the
audience knew or cared for the per-
former. When one stops to consider
this statement, he soon becomes con-
WINGED that nothing attracts SO much
attention in the country, proves so
popular. pleases SO many as q genuine
home talent play. AS a dynamic force
in bringing people together and build
ing up q community spirit its impor
ance cannot be over estimated. Moth.
ing interests people in eacns other so
much al habituallys working together.
A home-talent play not only accords
such an opportunity, but 1t also, un.
consciously, Introduces a friendly
feeling in q ~neighborhood. 1t is some
thing evefybodyswants t0smake a sue
cess, regardless Of local differences of
opinion. a$5a. II.
With a knowledge 81 these basic
facts in mind, as well as an. earnest
desire to stimulate an, interest for
good clean drama and original, en-.
tertainment among people living in
the open country and villages, an in
stitution known as The Little Coun-
try Theatre has just recently been
founded at the North Dakota Agri-
CULTURAL college, located at Fargo,
North Dakota. Ii
While it is true that large cities
beth at home and abroad, nave Little
Theatres, it lis doubtful whether an
other Little Country Theatre, having
as great. a mission to fulfill exists in
this or any other country. Students
of the drama are familiar with the
Little Theatre in London, Reinhart's
Kammerspiele in Berlin, the Theatre
des Arts in Paris. the Chicago Little
Theatre, the Little Theatre in New
York City, and Pdiladelphfa's Little
Theatre; all Of athese theatres are
In the cities, privately owned, per-
forming a,@great,; bdlt' mucils different
function. sH' E@--7
The Little Country Theatre is
complete in every detail. II is q
large playhouse put under a reduc-
Ing glass. Situated on the second
floor of the administration building, it
presents q most interesting, appear
ance. 1t is just, TIC Size 0tf an aver
age country town FELL having q seat:
ing capacity Of two hundred. The
stage is thirty feet Az Width. twenty
feet In depth, haYthg a MosseHium
opening Of ten tee I'm height, and fif-
ten feet in: fWidthE Boxes and bal
comics are absent. Vim the auditorium
proper the decorations are plain and
simple. The coloF scheme is green.
and gold, the gold matchmaking.
Three beams finished In golden oak
cross the mansard ceiling, the beams,
projecting Sdpwn sexefaEf on each
side wall, from which frosted light
bowls and globes ard suspended by
brass log chains. the indirect lighting
giving q soft and subdued tone to the
whole theatre. The eight large i'm
dows are hung VITA tasty green drap-