The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-24

turn the different performances. At present there are 6S groups. As far as possible it is arranged that each group shall get seats once for every play or opera produced. The society is run very economically, but with such vast organization it has largely to depend on unpaid help. Every group is attended on and organized by seven volunteer stewards, who come to the theatres and help to arrange places and keep order. The cost of perform ances is low. Many professional man agers, scene painters and actors help gratis. Som metimes theatres are lent to the society free of charge: other help is given with scenery and costumes. So with a total revenue from all sources of a little less than $2O0,000 year, 50,000 Berlin workers are supplied with as much first class drama and first class music as is enjoyed by the aver age middle class man and woman.
 Unlike so-called Peoples theatres" in other cities, the Berlin New Free Peoples Stage has kept it's working class color.
 Nearly all the members are either man ual workers or are in a position very lit- tie higher. In the first 10000 member s were over 100 bricklayers, and nearly 800 seamstresses This kind of membership is encouraged The aim of the founders was that the society should be not only for but also of the working class The final authority in the -ociety's affairs is the members own annual meeting. This democratic organization. combined with expert guidance. has attracted the work ing men. The rush to join has been great Since 1909 23,000 fresh members have been added. This has caused difficulties The society cannot refuse members: and it began sometime ago to have trouble in hnd.ng enough vacant theatres to seat all. pr. Bruno Wilsy always kept as his ideal the building of theatre for the society itself. with a first class audi torium and technical equipment: and also with room for other institutions of the peoples palace kind. This ideal met with obstacles of a financial kind. but the ob- stacles have been triumphantiy overcome The money for the theatre was provided by the worimen themselves. For years past every member on paying his 9 cents tor seat has had to ssay o-cent sup r'ement for the the,--re- building fund. The hundreds of thousands of 2-cents have been kept for the theatre The con triputor IS given an equivalent fer his cents. When he has paid 9 cents 10 times he gets "buildi- g stamp value 70 eents and after. he has stuck 10 build Ing stamps on his membership. ticket, he is presented with s2 paid-up stock in the theatre company which bears interest a. tHe rate or per cent. Many work men consider this fsir investment for part of their savings; and buy tip more than the compulsory number of stamps. This way of raising money, which re- sembles the minute ,. stem practiced in German labor insurance. has proved great success. Thousands of men who would not pay a dollar down, have paid much more in the shape of s-cent quota; and the theatre company has now a build ing fund of nearly $1S0, ,So0 With this and with some assistance from the city Of Berlin. it is, building the Bulowplatz the atre. The theatre has been designed py Oscar Kaufman. an accomplished archi- tect It is in modern German style. en- tirely of stone. and has two large winss for the subsidiary a.Eis of a peoples palace The auditorium will hold 2ooo persons. All seats will be of the same class and will be identically furnished. Chance will decide vn;ch members get the best seats for seeing and hearing
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