Evening star., 1917-10-21

bond loan booth was seen in the foyer
of the house. 1t is located at the south
honored by the oil painting of the late
B. F. Keith. The booth 10 the joint
work of Stage Manager Thompson. who
also is head Of the scenic department;
Joseph Boucher. the chief carpenter.
and others of the force back of
stage"
1t represents the end of marble
corridor and the floor is two steps
above the level of the lobby. About
a third of its height is filled with the
four stately pillars rise. with large
globes of dazzling light at their tops
At the back and seen through the
vista Of marble stairs. pillars and
ter of which is a remarkable fine like
ness of the President. Above this is
the legend: Camp Woodrow Wilson.
Recruiting buyers for the second lib
executive is the familiar face of Uncle
Sam with finger pointing hypnotically
toward the spectator, and saying. Il
want you, to which Inscription has
your money and with all your might
to help me win this war" and on the
other. I'm the front ranks of the buy
ers of the second liberty loan bonds"
In each upper corner of the banner
Is the figure Of an eagle grasping in
across which rs printed the line Buy
a liberty bond" The booth in struc-
tural and decorative design harmo-
nizes with the beautiful marble and
bronze foyer
Stage Art Par Excellence.-Robert
Edmound Jones' gifts as a designer Of
piquant and effective stage scenes are
shown at their very best in Good Gra-
cious. Annabelle'' at the Belasco The
ater this week.
Mr.. Jones achievements were well
known in Washington before he en-
barked on metropolitan career as a
DESIGNER of the much admired back
ground and costumes for Granvill
Married Dumb Wife" His success
with Good Gracious. Annahells' srd
again with Till Eulenspigel" investi-
ture: made for NJ. Nijinsky. firmly es-
the capital of the theatrical world
Opposes Stage Realism-William Nor
ris, who plays one of the principal roles
in "On With the Dance" is not only
one Of the most capable actors on the
American stage, but shrewd and in
telligent critic of the drama He has
original and interesting opinions, not
the least Individual of which is that
the purpose of the theater is not to
reproduce life. but to create the IL
fusion of reality.
The primary purpose of the theater
the author is clever enough to adorn
his tale with moral or a bit of philos-
ophy so much the better. But the en-
tertainment comes first. To entertain.
the theater must get away from life.
A certain imagination. certain fan
mi 10
wise. why should people go to the
theater. when actuality is SO much more
vivid.
Reality in a world of illusion is
what the theater should strive for Most
people go to the theater not to see life
as 1t is. but as they would like 1t to be.
Every man Is the hero, every woman
the heroine of each play"
Clean Picture. for Young PeopIe-
Mrs. Elizabeth Richey Dessez, who for
the past two years has been active In
the better film movement, and who,
with Mrs. Philip Speed, successfully es-
tablished motinees for young people in
the motion picture theaters in New
York and Brooklyn. was in Washing
TON last week endeavoring to interest
tiiun"omen; ti parent-teachers' associa-
uons. social service organizations. edu-
Gators and the mothers of the CITY in
the need of a family day in the local
theaters. when clean programs will be
shown. "
When Mrs. Speed and I started To
work two years ago" Mrs pessez said
I'VE encountered two almost inaur.
mountable obstacles, the dearth OF Aims
suitable for. young people and the in
difference of parents to what their chill
dren saw in the motion picture thea
ters. We went to work most earnestly
to arouse public demand that wouId
be felt by the manufacturers, that suit
able things might be produced. While
we were doing this in New York SINH
lar movements had sprung up all over
the country.
Shortly afterward the committee on
better films of the national board of
review was formed. and they have done
work in arousing interest in
this much-needed reform and in anil
iating with the committees formed all
over the country to put on selected pro-
grams.
Most thinking people feel now that
the solution Of the complex motion pic
ture problem lies in a program that
will interest the whole family, young
and old alike. Needless to say, such q
program Is dificult to find. It is pos
sible to assemble a program Of this ma
ture from the output of different manu-
facturers, but this nscessitatss q study
Of the productions Of the motion pie. !