Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-23
COLLEGE HERO" IS |
PARENT OF STARS.
Great Extravaganza Has Been
Cradle to Famous Actors
and Actresses.

Wade Davis, the wizard, author,
producer, stage manager, musical
director and everything else of 1.-THE
College Hero" the big spectacle that
700 Newark amateurs are putting on
at the Shubert Theatre this week for
the benefit of the Babies Hospital,
and putting 1t on in such a manner
that 1t Is hard to believe the per-
formers are not professionals, handed
out the surprise of interviewer's
young career today.
So well trained are the amateurs In
stage work and ideas it would seem
that the man responsible for 1t all
must have had a long course in in
struction under David Belasco or
some other past master OF the art of
stagecraft. Hence the surprise, or,
rather, double surprise.
Mr.. Davis was asked: How long
were you on the professional stage
before you took UP this work."
Surprise No. l came with his reply:
II was never on the professional
stage in my life"
well, where on earth did you gain
your wonderful knowledge of stage
work and the handling of persons on
the stage2" asked the interviewer
when he had recovered his breath.
And after the reply he was again
breathless and speechless, for Mr..
Davis said: 81 was a school teacher
In Altoona, Pa"
Can you beat that? From school
teacher in a town that has been the
butt of as many stage jokes as Osh-
kosh, Hackensack, Weehawken or
kalamazoo to the producer of a spec
tacle that uses 700 persons in its pro-
duction and makes the onlookers gasp
with surprise and admiration every
minute of the three hours it lasts.
Mr.. Davis has been producing "The
College Hero" for an even dozen
years now, and in that time has
placed on the stage amateur per-
formers to the number of 100000, and
has earned over 100000 for various
charity institutions, homes and hos
pitfalls throughout the United States
and Canada. And Mr.. Davis is only
thirty-four years old today.
After the startling information that
the colossal production was really the
work of one man information as to
how it was conceived was sought
When 1t is considered that Mr.. Davis
takes 700 unframed amateurs and in
six weeks time drills them into a
company that produces a spectacle
that ranks well with the big profess
sional ones the work can well be
called colossal
Modesly the little, smooth-shaven
man, who confesses to thirty-four
years and looks twenty-six, told his
story.
Twelve years ago I was principal
of q grammar school in Altoona, Pa,
and at the end of each term we used
to give a cantata or operetta or some
such form of entertainment. 1t was
hard work getting cantatas or other
pieces that would fit the capabilities
of the pupils, so l conceived the idea
of writing a small play filled with
music and dances. l got j. Mahlon
Duganne, a music teacher of Altoona,
interested, and between us we wrote
the plot and music of what is now
The College Hero
THE first production was a sue
cess, and that summer 1 produced it
in a number of small towns near
Altoona. The next year I enlarged
the original production and produced
1t again in Altoona, repeating the
work of the previous summer by
giving it in other towns.
After two years of success / dis
covered that had something that
could be used to advantage in a
larger way, and gave up my school
work to devote my time to producing
The College Hero or Prince Ma
poleon,' as it was then called, exclu-
sively. The first real production in
conjunction with an organized charity
was for a hospital in Johnstown, Pa.
At that time | used about 200 people
in the show, and since then have
gradually increased until now 1 use
700 persons.
But essentially The College Hero
today is the same as when 1t was