Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-09
Theatre For Children
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By Predefie j. HAslrln.

| uuceu just fOI tDcm ana Ia tncabTe Oi
| their own.
The childrn's theatre idea has bern
tried several times in other cities, but
usually AZ philanthropic or halfway self
supporting proposition. In \ project Of
this sort interest and funds usually dwindIe
| in short time. But now comes q new
theatrical corporation which believes that
the demand for suitable entertainment for
| children is great enough 10 warrant put
ting it on strictly business basis
/ Tho new corporation plans TO erect a
novel theatre building to contain three
auditoriurns under one roof. One will
be children's theatre to seat about
| 1000 young playgocB, with stage large
enough for elaborate settings. Then
| there will be a theatre for adult audiences
in which such children'a q plays as are in
terestlng to grown people Will be pre-
sented and regular stage successts ~ well.
| The third auditorium is 10 be a concert
| hall to seat 1000, and besides theee, the
\ building is to contain a green room for
business purposes and informal affairs.
This three-deck theatre is the idea Of
three Washington women who have had
considerable experience in theatrical lines.
Women are entering the New York
theatre world as producers and Manager,
but this is probably the first theatrical
corporation to be organized entirely by
women.
The whole project is unusual and 4, il
not surprising therefore To find that the
new company is to attempt to uplift the
drama insofar as uplift can be made com
patible with business.
FOR BETTER PLAYS.
"The theatrical business claims that it
is giving the public what il wants in
risque farces and rank melodrgmag," said
one Of the feminine producers, but
a great many people ore demanding
something better. T hey would like TO 20
TO the theatre for iDsopiration. They
are asking for plays that will do little
more for them than merely rest their
brains. We believe that romance plays
and clean comedies are popular with the
theatre-goin public-and with some
people-who do not 90 TO see the usual
best seller Of the stage
"All Of our plays, both for children and
adults, are 70 be cast with professional
actors, using few, If any, amateurs or
children. Children demand the best
just as grown people do"
The company figures that 70 PRODUCE a
children's play with good cast, artistic
costumes and settings and hrst-clsss
music, il will have TO range its prices for
seats from fifty cents to one dollar. A
children's matinee will be given each after
noon after school hours, and two per-
formances Saturday, morning and sfter-
noon.
At night moving pictures for children
will be shown In their theatre. A long
az children will 20 70 moving picture shows
- a. 49,
better for them TO see plays that thev can
understand ad enjoy than the average
show.
That the sversge moving pictur. plsy is
not written with children in mind az
spectators is obvious to the most casual
frequenter Of the movies. Mrs. Glenna
s. 1innin, one Of the three members Of the
new corporation, says that some tine ago
she planne d TO rent an auditorium in
order to show pictures suitable for boys
and girls.
NO FILMS FOR CHILDREN.
But when she tired 10 book pictures, she
found that not more than ten films of the
kind she could use were obtainable. Part
of the difficulty was that she was not on an
exhibitors circuit, but the mann trouble
was that scarcely any pictures for children
are being produced, though 1t Is recog-
nized that children's plays draw large
houses. On several occasions here, when
films of favorite children's stories were
shown, children and some adults stood
In line for an hour or more patiently
waiting for their turn to get seats.
When Mrs. Tinnin found that she could
not rent enough films for regular display,
she decided TO start producing for herself,
plays at first, and later perhaps moving
pictures as We'll
''When we are completely organized"
said Mrs. Tinnin, 1--WE, VIII be members
of a circuit, and the films we produce viii
supplement those We can obtain by con-
tract"
OF the three women producers, Mrs.
Tinnin IS most Interested in the children's
theatre. Several years ago, she established
IN one of Nashlngton's poorer districts
House OF Play where children of the
neighborhood came TO act plays as 8
paStime, and occasionally TO give per-
formance for their friends.
Before Mrs. Tinnin went to the settle
ment to start the House of Play some one
had been making a crude attempt st
giving the children lessons in dramatics
with the idea Of helping than TO work of
surplus energy.
when / came into the hall" said Mrs.
Tinnin, they were tearing about, shout
ing and scrapping in an orgy OF Indian
and cowboy melodrama. began 70
wonder If these so-called toughs could
after all be interested IN more delicate
things
I'm all the confusion, pulled beauti-
full rainbow colored scarf out of my
property bag, and threw it over the screen.
The room became perfectly still. As they
came up to gaze at ii, told them that il
was the cloud over the Queen of the North
Country"
Their interest once caught, Mrs. nnnin
told the story and they played it.
THE SPIRIT OF BEAUTY.
"From then on" she says, 81 never
doubted their ability TO come up TO any
level of fantasy. We rarely eQualed that
first dramatic moment, though. ftwas
something they always remembered, and
the Queen of the North Country WAS 3
favorite play with them.
Little Italians, Irish, Poles and He
brews were all imaginative and full of
temperament. One day | explained to
them the Importance of beauty, that they
could learn to appreciate beauty IN the
plays and that they must carry it over
into their lives. A feeling for the beautiful
may help to make YOU a poet, or an artist,
Il Hn.eh.l