Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-23
MOVABLE THEATER,
PUT OUT OF ACTION,
|SBE|NG RESTORED
Travelling Show Program Is
Held Up While Repairs Are
Rapidly Made.

Carpenters, stage and the regular
kind, have been busy today rebuilding
the first travelling theater ever seen in
Washington. C. H English. director OF
amusements of the District Of Columbia
War Camp Community Service an
nounces.
The big theater on wheels. after com
pleting the first days program Of shows
for Washington children, went all to
pieces, just like an amateur performer
at a first appearance. or like the one
boss shay. 1t was not built to stand
the rapid travelling that was required
to get it from one place to another on
its route. -.
When the theater on wheels reached
the city post office corner late yeSH--
day afternoon. after visiting Shotb
alley. Noel House and St Vincents
Orphan Asylum, the traffic officer at the
corner waved the stop signal Then the
fun began.
Unable to Stop.
The big theater. which dwarfed ttse
biggest seeing Washington automobile
into f1ivverlike insignihcance, Is built
on truck wheels. 1t has rather f1irnsy
floor and fiimsier superstructure- When
the sudden stop was ordered the motor
truck towing the theater-at the end OF
a towrope-came to a halt all right, but
the theater kept right on.
Miss Bass Of the War Camp Com
munity Service was the only person
was trailing along behind. When the
tongue OF the truck running gear
slid under the motor truck in front
the roof Of the theater began caving
in. Miss Bass was hugging a Dor
rowed talking machine with one arm.
while with the other hand she tried,
like Atlas. to hold up the overhead COW
ering. Then the floor sections be-
gan to separate under her feet and
life became hectic
ed into its component parts right
then. Miss Bass would have had TO as
sumo the posture of one OF those
circus riders who race mad1y around
the ring with one foot on one fiery
steed and the other foot on another.
shay act just then, sending scenery
and props all over the landscape.
For a few minutes it looked like "A
futurist picture-if a futurist pic
ture looks like anything-and then
Miss Bass emerged, firmly grasping
the horn of the talking machine.
Today a force of workmen was on
the job, with orders to make the
travelling theater strong enough to
travel. The job will not be com
pleted in time for today's scheduled
shows for the youngsters. but to-
morrow's schedule will be given. Di-
rector English AYERS.
The travelling theater is due at ST
AIMS Orphan Asylum at 2:30 o'clock
tomorrow afternoon, and at the Home
for Incurables, in Georgetown, at
$3.50 o'clock.
Chfldren's Entertainment.
Miss Ruth Jane Bauske, community
service director of physical recreation.
is to be in charge of a Christmas tree
and entertainment for children at
Community Club. No. s, 918 10th street
| northwest, tonight. At the same
place tomorrow night circus stunt"
party is to be given for girls who are
away from their homes. Open house
| is to be held every night at Every
girls room in community service
headquarters, 140S Pennsylvania ave
! nue.. At Club No. tomorrow night
there will be a Christmas party for
men in uniform.
At the Georgia Avenue Community
Center there will be a party for col
ored men, both in and out of the
service. Open house is being kept
there throughout the holidays.
Under the supervision of the War
school children assembled at the lib
erty hut last night for the fourth an
nual Christmas carol service and COM
munity sing. Special music was fur
nished by a celliSt and violinist from
New York city. One number on TIL.
program was rendered by $50 kinder
garten pupils. The stage was deco
rated with a large Christmas tree do
mated by the Washington Post Ushers
arranged the children in bass, tenor
alto and soprano groups and gavc
them programs in which the songs
were printed.