The Detroit times., 1915-08-13

ready for H." declares Jessie Bon
stelle. whose company Is playing
the sixth week OF It's sixth Detroit
season In the Garrick theater
AN architect. a good friend Of
mine. IL drawing plans for such 9
playhouse a. would like to see.
she continued, enthusiastically. III
will be . municipal play center. with
a gymnasium and q pool and bowl
ing alleys and other amusement
features besides the theater. On
Sundays, concerts of good music
could be given. want q theateI
whore people won't have to pay q
to see . first-class play. but wnere
they can set the best seats for sc
or Is cents, and can have an even
ing's entertainment for rs cents
yes. for 10 cents. My architect
friend believes that such q building
could be erected for $4,000. Aren't
there one or two rich men In De.
troit who would like to bestow such
a playhouse on the public?"
When Miss Bonstellc talks OF a
municipal theater. she knows
whereof she speaks. for she directs
the work Of the company which
plays In the municipal theater of
Northampton. Mass.--a city under
| taking which has proven financially
successful In spite Of handicaps
that would have discouraged any
but the most courageous.
In the first place, Northampton Is
town of only about 10000 people.
In the second place, 1t wasn't edu.
Gated to the theater. In the third
place, It's leading citizens were
afraid that the enterprise would
bankrupt the city. On the other
hand. Northampton is the seat OF
Smith college. with about 1900
young women who are not too blase
to be interested In the doings OF a
stock company producing a new play
every week. Miss Bonstelle admits
that but for the college. the under
taking might have been a failure.
Northampton's municipal theater
was something OF an accident. and
for some time considerable OF q
white elephant for the town. II was
presented TO the city by leading
citizen who didn't mean any harm.
AT first, the people didn't know what
TO do with IL. Occasionally a com.
pany would drop in foi one-night
stand. and once In a while lectur-
er hired the hall. but most of the
time II was dark. People began to
wonder IL they couldn't remodel the
plant into municipal garage. Then
somebody got the idea of perma-
nent company. with Miss Bonstelle,
whose knowledge of stock produc-
tons begins where most. peoples
leaves OF. as It's director. In spite
Of fear and opposition. the idea car
ried. Last season the theater
cleared a few thousand dollars
above expenses, in the worst the
atrical year the American stage has
ever known, vindicating one Of the
boldest experiments In municipal
ownership that the country can
show.
What has been done In Northamp-
ton can be accomplished in Detroit
on much larger and better scale,
Miss Bonstelle b ,lieves. IL her own
experience Is criterion-six sea.
sons Of successful stock. with sold
out houses at nearly every perform.
ance TO akest Miss Bonstelle's skill
In hitting the public taste, and the
peoples appreciation Of good plays
she is right
Miss Bonstelle Is just as much a
Detroit institution as the Central
high school and the Museum of Art.
Her aim. she says, 10 to give pleas.
ure, and while she Is giving It, to
instruct.
Il try to nnd some good idea In
each play which can be driven home
to the audience" she says. II say
to my company: This Is the big
idea in this play. Let's send the
people home thinking about IT,
Usually the company catches the
point. Sometimes It takes a week
or two to show all the members
what ] mean, but then they grasp
the Idea and work hard Mt II. My
company this year Is exceptional.
1t IL eager for work. The members
want to be In every performance.
Think OF II! Actors like Mr.. Pringle
and Mr.. Allen and actresses like
Miss Won Ottinger asking for the
smallest parts, rather than not ap-
pearing at all! Everybody tells me
that this 10 the best company that
have ever had" and Miss Bonstelle
sighed. I'm afraid. I'm afraid I'll
come next year and take q step
But them" she bright
ened. they've been saying that
every year."
When Miss Bonstelle IL not play.
ing In stock in Detroit and Buffalo,
and spending her week-ends In
directing the final re- |
hearsals Of the company in the
theater. she 10 In New
York, reading plays and preparing |
for their production. This fall, she
will produce play by Mrs. George
p. Goodale. Of Detroit.
How I dread that opening in New !!