The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-05-05
CAPITAL GIRLS
IN GREEK PLAY
Graduates of Local Semin-
aries to Appear in Trojan
Women.
FROM SCHOOL TO STAGE
Miss Ffoulke One of the Leading
Players in Drama to Be Pre-
sented at Columbia.

Three young women who graduated a
year ago from two of Washinstons lead
ing seminaries will be seen in leading
roles in The Trojan Women at the
Columbia Theater Friday afternoon.
They stepped Immediately from the class
room to the stage. and what is perhaps
more remarkable they were engaged by
the most eXacting theatrical manager in
this country.
Maurice Browne. manager of the Chi
cago Little Theater Company, has high
ideals and some peculiar notions re-
Garding stagecraft. His ideals have
gained for him an international reputa-
ton as an experimental along new lines
of staging and lighting. Sheldon Cheney,
author of THE New Movement. in the
Theater," recently said of the Little
Theater Company, that it is IAN organi-
cation which stands as one of the most
vital expressions of the new dramatic
expression IN America"
Actors Are Nnm-Ics..
One of Mr.. Brownies ideas is that the
people in his cast must remain anony-
nous. With him 1.-The plays the thing"
and he will not permit his actors to eX-
ploit themselves. nor are their names
70 be found in the programs or in any
of the ''litera ture" put out by him.
Mr.. Browne doubtless will he extremely
angry when he finds out that the public
has been let into the secret that Miss
Gwendolyn Ffoulke. daughter of Dudley
Ffoulke. and niece of Mrs. c. NJ.
Ffoulke. of Washington. is one of the
leading women in the cast of The Tro-
jan Women Miss Ffoulke graduated
from the Cathedral School last year and
almost Immediately thereafter Joined the
Chicago Little Theater Company.
1t would be trespassing too far upon
Mr.. Brownies good nature to reveal the
names of the two other young women
who went from a school here to the COM
pany at about the same time. although
it is more than proba BILE that some of
their friends will recognize them when
they appear upon the stage of the Column
bia on Friday afternoon.
The Little Theater Company is not a
money-making enterprise Mr.. Browne
scorns financial rewards for his endeav-
ors. and money to him means only the
medium by which he may continue his
experiments by which ultimately he
hopes to achieve the perfect drama. He
pays salaries to his players, but any
front liner" in a Broadway chorus
would spurn his most generous offer with
contempt.
Women as Carpenters.
For the pittance that is paid them the
actors and actresses are required to per-
form tasks at which even the most
mediocre stock actor would balk. The
first rule of the Little Theater Company
is that all members of the cast must
take any parts assigned them. Some
times they are assigned to take tickets
at the door. or sell them at the box
office. Members of the company have
even been known to usher.
The second rule is that all members
of the company must turn in and help
make costumes and scenery. Some of the
women are said to he first-class carpen-
tiers.
The play has been brought to Wash
ington for one performance only by the
Wa shington branch of the Woman's
Peace party.