The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-10-27
Washington Square
. Players Act for Fun,
And $40 Per Week!


York artists-one OF them is lawyer
from the West, another II carpenter
from New England. third Is an ac-
tress from Indiana. still another an
advertising man from somewhere else
who snatched a branch OF the acting
art from its quiet resting place on the
shelves In the back part OF pook
shop in McDougal street cleared out
the shelves so that art couldn't pos
sibly get back again-and proceeded TO
act II there and then!
And the noise they made In the act-
ing so upset the quiet OF all that part
OF the country that loves real one-act
plays and real ncting-real amuscment
that the artists have been ORA SEQ
from their book shop, througn lttiS
and then a little larger the iter. uhlil
now they are intending to take that old
shelved art all over the country. ana
set Il up I'm the artistic market places
where those people who really like II
can see It,.
An Amateur Press Agent.
In case there might be some person
who thinks that this is an indirect way
of writing a press agent yarn for The
Washington Square Players to induce
larger audiences to attend their per-
formances at the Belasco Thcater next
week. thus bringing more roney into
the box office. and greater profits TO
a commercially minded manager, 1t
might be just as well to state that the
press agent Of the Washington square
Players Is a very raw amateur Mt tie
business of press agenting, and that
he does not know thing In the world
about this story.
That is'in the first place. In the sec
ond place the Washington Square PLAY
ers very wisely provided for all con-
tingencies when they originally organ
ICED themselves In the back, room OF
the bookshop to which reference has
been made. When they had finished
casting the characters for their fist
play. there was one man too MANI.
And so he became the audience!
And ever after that the Washington
Square Players. recognizing the neces-
Sity Of having an audience have nj
ways left one member OF the company
to take that part.
Once upon n tiuIe-this is the begin
ming OF the real story. and II isn't gong
to be whole lot longer--opcc upon "A
time "A group 10 people whose daily call
ings lead In tn, direction of writing or
painting. or lawycrinR, or insurlnG, OF
acting. and whose principal business in
life was being as human as they knew
how. foregathered I'm the back room Of
the book shop kept by Boni Bros. In
McDougall street. just or Washington
square. New York.
Men and Women in Group.
There were men and women in the
group. and they all lived in Washington
square or McDougall street, or there
abouts.
They all Of them wanted to see real
plays well acted. Principally they want
ed to see plays acted for the sake OF
the plays--which Is about the highest
form of acting, when you get right down
to II.
One of the group-thc lawyer, whose
name IL Edward Goodman-had come
ideas about putting on plays. PHILIP
Moellcr. a writer. had some ideas about
writing them. Helen Wesley. who had
been an actress and had turned illus
TRAITOR. and Ralph Roeder, who was once
an actor but transatlantic earn board
money, had some ideas about acting
them, and Robert Emmett Jones. an ar
tist, who had some ideas about painting
scenery-these were in the group. Noel
Ter. being a writing and not talking
person. didn't take much part In the
discussion, but he showed himself some
thing OF a man OF action by bursting In
on someone with:
IF you birds really want to see this
sort OF stun acted. why don't you act 1t
yourself: Won know so much about it
and why don't you get busy and act II
And Mr.. Moeller, being a man OF ac-
ton, even II he isn't an actor, suiting
the action to the word, as the late Mr..
Dickens was so fond of saying, com
menced to tear out the rear row of
shelves in the Messrs Bonis perfectly
good bookshop to make room for the
actors to start acting. And the actoCS,
not to be outdone by the energetic Mr..
Moeller. were UP ana at 1t In Juhr a
| pair of minutes.
All One-Act Plays.
The first play was Lord Dunsane' 4
"Glittering Gilt"-a one-act affair. All
of sthe Washington Square plays are
one-act affairs, by the way; the only
thing the members Of the company adj
mire the regular stage for Is the nerve
of the actors in continuing TO act three
more acts after they have produced one
that is really amusing-and the Players
must amuse!
| 1t might be mentioned. i'm passing
mat Mr.. Moeller-showing that he haC
the courage of the convictions of al
| the rest of them-was the only one Of
that original group who didn't act--anC
| he was thereby elected to be the audi
ence! Also It might be mentioned tina
Mr.. Moeller Is the author of the mos
successful, and consequently the mos
| amusing, play the company has ye
Observation-Disclosures Husband" He II
| generally accused of having that pla!
L Il he 1Nat Tod NINn In