The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-06-01
PROVIDE AMUSEMENT
FOR SOLDIER BOYS IN
THE TRAINING CAMP

NEW YORK. May tt"alz!nG tho
need % wholcsa;" entertainment tor
soldiers training IN III" National Army
and National Guard environments
throughout tho country. the govern
men, Of the United States tor The first
time N HISTORY. has undertaken IN"
task ct providing dramatic anuse-
msntS of :, high order and. (" maintain
and Improve IN" standards already Sc.
has gone into II" business q: theatrical
naSemcnt. Til" success already
achieved according I" i r"sun1c o.: the
situation complied 10y ;he Commission
on Training Gang Activities "t m"
War Dcpa riu,cnt. IN charge -: ;he
work auEurS we'll Toy IN" continuation
and expansion Of the york.
~ Il first sep. the Wa7 department.
constructed N each g: the sixteen
National Army cantcnnrntS Il thealr"
seating :5eu or 1000 persons. and IN
each OF the sixteen National Guard can
comments. Il smaller one with 4 capacity
between 1000 and lcOn In Zach OF
these theatres Their" il h"tnE presented
nightly a dramatic. musical Or NAud'-
vile performance foc which IN" ad-
mission charge is twenty-five cents.
The plays presented are all Broad
way successes Of past years. given By
excellent companies. the numbers oil
which har given their services at
greatly reduced salaries. Royalties
have been waived by the authors and
the scenery and costumes have been
donated by various theatrical mana
gers Some Of the actors appeared IN
the original productions.
The government itself owns and
operates q number of the companies.
A new play. "a Marriage Made in
Heaven by Captain. H. H. Hughes. OF
Camp Lee. written expressly for pro
duction in cantonmentS, marks the
initial attempt Of the United States In
the encouragement Of the young dra-
matist. When first presented a Camp
Lee. May Is. the play proved an In
slant hit
Although investigation has shown
that the soldiers taste runs TO farceS
aud musical comedies. with plenty OF
pretty girls. the government is about
to experiment by booking 4 classical
play, Moliere's The Imaginary Inva-
lid" through the camps. More amol-
tious than the type OF entertainment
thus far presented the piece possesses
a distinct farcicat appeal. It's pro-
duction by the Cobarn Players Is
awaited with interest.
The kiad of plays possible for pro-
duction in th" Liberty theatres. as the
cantonment'S playhouseS have been
named. is limited by various causes
and i, is impossible 20 judge OF their
suitability b. ordinary standards. EN-
pericnce has shown that thr soldiers
prefer comedies farceS and musical
plavs. MnlodramaS and plays dealing
with the war are little liked. except in
rare instances.
Because OF these facts. he comulS-
sion on training camp activueS na3
appointed 4 plav-reviewinS committee.
whose duty il will be To see Broad
way productions. as well as 70 DECIDE
uDon past successes and even ne"
ulays with Il riew 10 their production.
Lack Of aesthetic value IS not TO IN
fluence the committee in its choice
- plays. u entertainment. only l. 10
he the basis TO- the rendering OF ludS-
ment
The thorouChneSS with which me
committees researches must De con-
Quoted may be understood from the
reproduction o: some oc Tho questions
which appear on blank form winch
the committee must use III submitting
its repor, on a play. The questions
follow:
Is the play Interestingly Is II hu-
norouso Is the play decent" Does
it offend against any religious. racial
or national faith or conviction: Is
the acting good medium or bad: ha"
many in the chorus" As the SiriS
pretty? Do they dance welt" DO they
sing we'll: Is the music pleasing: