New-York tribune., 1920-06-20

tried at Washington Square
College to carry out the contentious
Of Randolph Somerville, instructor
in English and the modern drama in
New York University, that the thea
ter is on the eve of reawakened
viriity and that the proper ap-
proach to the future stage door will
be through the college door.
Mr.. Somerville, upheld in his
views by E. H. Sothern, Julia Mar
lowe, Louis Calvert, Stuart Walker
and others who cherish the drama
as fine art, argues that prompt
books, costumes. scenery and foot
lights are as consistently part of
the college curriculum as are psy-
chology and sociology. The study
of the drama, he says, not only helps
to uplift the drama by placing those
in front of the stage who are better
able to understand it and those on
the stage who are better able to
portray it, but it also is in itself,
without reference to acting, stimu-
lus to finer perception of character.
Moreover, it is one of the promis-
ing signs Of the times, Mr. Somer-
vile asserts, that students and edu-
Gators generally are becoming more
alert to the educational value of
drama study.
"Put theater in every college
and university and you will find that
they will soon be as popular as the
gymnasium or the gridiron, and
twice as busy" he says.
AS head of the newly created de-
partment of dramatic art at Wash
ington College, which is part of New
York University. Mr.. Somerville re-
Gently put some Of his precepts into
practice. Out Of the talent avail
able in the college he produced at
the Lenox Little Theater, in East
Seventy eighth Street, four one-act
plays-Sir j. M. Barrie's "The
Twelve Pound Look" Lady Greg
ory's "The Rising of the Moon,"
Lord Dunsany's "The Murderer"
and Harold Brighouse's "Lonesome-
like" By dint of throwing into the
discard altogether some of the trite
and STACEY conventions commonly
supposed to be inseparable from
technique, by arduous rehearsing
and by assembling such available
scenery as would effect a sufficient
illusion, Mr.. Somerville presented a
series of plays which were declared
to be bits of stage effects singularly
natural, spontaneous and refreshing.
The little unevennesses which dis
tinguished the performance from the
professional were the quality which
John Ruskin says belongs to any
thing sincerely made.
Develops Character
Reasons advanced by Mr.. Somer-
vile for his position are that if the
drama is to emerge from the welter
Of musical fripperies and casuistica
problem plays it must look to the
colleges for fresh material and that
dramatic training is in itself sufi
cient warrant for its being, since il
is primarily a study of human char
acter.
OF the latter idea Mr.. Somervill,
has this to say:
IF the parents and educators gen
orally realized what power to ana
lyze character develops from The
preparation of good play, they
would urge this phase of study a:
stoutly as they now encourage
courses in psychology and sociology
y full incorporation of set of STAGE
characters in ones mind involves ar
expansion of the intellectual peri
'Aeter in directions opposite to thos,
OF intellectual bias and emotiona
reJudice. An cndeavor to express
'nose characters develops the re
sources OF the human mechanism a.
no cher practice can and begets ;
remarkable sensH Ct sympathy wit,
everything human. Let each schoo
and college have is own theater 9ne
It VIII be found to he as popular a.
the gymnasium or the gridiron are
twice as busy
Washington Square College, wit,
',s Gght hundred students, seems t,
De particularly fitted for the devel
opment of dramatics as a major col
'ese study. Situated in the heart o
the city, in the top noors of the uni
'era:ty building, It has no camnu
and no facilities for sport. Hence it
Students took readily to the plan c.
gong in for dran,a1'cs.
Ey urging The Importance Of tai
k;rC of study Mr. Copoervil1o -;