The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-10-29
THE DRAMA LEAGUE

afternoon, following the luncheon, at
which Mrs. Starr Best. vice president
of the National Drama league, will; be
an honored guest. naturally we turn
to the seasons activities of this big
organization. and l know no better
! preface" to this subject than Mr.. Per-
cival Chubb's article in the current
number of The Drama, of which he is
the able editor
Mr.. Chubb is par excellence an au-
| thority on the Drama league and its
work, being the highly esteemed presi
| dent of the league. ana, by the way,
| visit from MIR. Chubb to Birmingham
| this season is one 70 the pleasant an
| ticipations that the birmingham CEN
! ter has in store for large memDec-
/ ship.
| Mr. Chubb says among other things
| in his very readable and interesting ar
tice, introductory: The League Fro
| gramme and Plan Of Operations"
| THE programme of the Drama
/ league may best be understood from
| the point of view of one or two sem
| eral considerations. art Is long runs
| the familiar epigram, which goes on 10
! contrast it's length with the brevity OF
| life, and incidentally suggests the DIS
| tinction between the ephemeral and the
|
reminder in these whirling days Any
| art movement that IS to count must
start with the long view of art, as
T, foil to that short-range view to which
we are so easily subdued by the eX-
citing nearness of contemporary life
| and effort. That life now seethes with
restlessness. and for many it is big
| with vague promises of a new order or
/ things. Hence. an abnormal receptive
ness to what is new and tendency 10
a dazed generalization of it.
Here is the determining problem for
all--art movements. drama included:
p, How to be receptive to what is new
/ without being stampeded by its va
carries. Safety lies in preserving an
interrupted sense-which must Of ne
cessity have historic backing-of what
4 is really eXcellenf in art.
THE programme of the DEma
league shapes itself under the pressure
| of this Fundamental problem, and mas
the double aim Which it suggests First,
| that of relating the lovers and PATROLS
of drama to what is worth WINE
Wholesome and hopeful in the contein-
| porary drama; second. that of educ2tT
| ing younger America, the still moulda-
BILE audiences of the future. to de-
| lighted appreciation of what is first
rate in drama, after its kind, The two
! aims march together; the second
| steadies the first; the first enllvens lhe
! second.
| cause it enforces the long view OF ART
which calls for patient and persistent
! educs tional work; the work that is
I necessary to convert a lazy, untutored
| longing for sensational entertainment
| in the theatre to an alert and INFORMED
/ appreciation of excellence. be 1T That OF
a slight one-act interlude or an august
| trilogy."
! Further on in his article Mr. Chubb
says:
!" "Again. there is evidence of grow
! ing perception of the part which drama
| may again play in connection with re-
| ligion and the church, significant re-
| turn of drama to an old home. TlHi1
experiments have been ventured here
and there The churches (under tie
| discredit of their impotence to avert
war; are desperately seeking for new
agencies of power and influence TITS
/ should be a most fertile field Our COM
Il mittees are doing team work here also.
FINALLY. there is the immense sug-
| gestiveness of the role played by drama
as a driving educational and recreative
factor in the war--the way in which
the patriotic appeal was lnstlntVeiy
dramatized by street pageantry. the
| early systematic organization of drama,
professional and amateur. in the camps
and at the front; the cropping efforts
that are now being made to continue
to stabilize community and camp &C
tivities; the movement TO .estapilsh
memorial theatres as living monu-
mentS to the heroes of the war. 1t is
going to be difficult to realize upon
all the assets; but the league is doifg
its best to aid in the effort
"The significant endeavors and ad-
vanees made by the various depart
mentse will be chronicled here. expe--
fences pooled, plans outlined and sus-
gest;ons offered Cooperation ana
mutual helpfulness will be the policy
faction and achievement across conti-
lnent, the ambition. Let those who can
do: those who cannot, try again"
All of which leads up to the enor-
nous interest in what the Birmingham
center has planned for this seasons
work.
Mrs ]. r. Hornady the popular and
charming chairman of publicity of the
Birmingham center. in speaking OF va
rious activities of the league, said yes
terday:
."The conference luncheon which will
be rendered Mrs A. Starr Best by the
members OF the executive board Of the
birmingham center Thursday, promises
to be AN occasion OF unusual interest
FOR besides the social feature. Mrs. Bcst
will make a talk and assist us in ar
ranging our programme Tor the sea-
SON
THAT the luncheon will be an artis-
tic and delightful affair goes without
saying with Mrs. Leslie Fulenwider
assisted by Mrs Webb Crawford in
charge of the arrangements Mrs
Hornady continued. Following the
lunch con. the first meeting of the ses-
sion will be held in the ballroom of the
Tutwiler. at which time Mrs. Best will
make an address to the members of the
Drama league and Miss Erin Weller.
one of Birminghams most talented mu-
conditions had left the place helpless
drove his daughter to party.
The head of the house where the
party was held was perforce acting as