The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-09-08

cniidrens plays draw large heas,
On several occasions here, IA
films q favorite children's ~
were shown. children and ~
adults stood in line for an hoss
more patiently waiting for n
turn to get seats.
When Mrs. Tinnin found rb.. !.
could not rent enough films Tor -
ular display. she decided Ia -
producing for herself. plays a ~
and later perhaps moving pict,ss
as well.
When We are completely orn.
lied" said Mrs. Tinnin, I'VE Nh r.
members OF a circuit, and the NJ
We produce will supplement NJ.
We can obtain by contract"
OF the three women produc..
Mrs. Tinnin is most interests !, \
the children's theatre. Seye,s,
years ago, she established in on. >
Washington's poorer districts
House Of Play where children =
the neighborhood came to act plass
as q pastime, and occasionally |.
give a performance for their frieaAs
Before Mrs. Tinnin went to n.
settlement to start the House y
Play some one had been maxine ,
crude attempt at giving the an.
dren lessons in dramatics with n.
idea of helping them to work a
surplus energy.
when l CAME into the hail. sau !
Mrs. Tinnin. they were tsarins
about. shouting and scrapping d
an orgy Of Indian and cowboy mela
drama. began to wonder il the1s
so-called toughs could after ali h
interested in more delicate things
In all the confusion, l pulled 1
beautiful rainbow colored scarf ont
of my property bag, and threw 4
over the screen. The room became
perfectly still. AS they came IN 10
gaze at it, l told them that 4 va
the cloud over the queen Of The
North country"
| Their interest once caught, Mn,
Tinnin told the story and they
played it
The Spirit Of Beauty.
I From then on" she says Z
never doubted their ability 10 come
up to any level Of fantasy. We rare
ly equaled that first dramatic mo
ment, though. 1t was something
they always remembered, and the
Queen of the North Country was Z
favorite play with them.
Little Italians, Irish, Poles and
Hebrews were all imaginative and
full Of temperament One day
explained to them the importance
. of beauty, that they could could
learn to appreciate beauty in the
plays and that they must carry I,
over into their lives. "A feeling fos
the beautiful may help to make you
a poet, or an artist, or a jeweler,
l finished.
They thought about it, and ther
, one raw-boned awkward youtl
, whispered with wonder in hi
voice, Will it make me a poet
, like Henry Wadsworth Longfel
: low""
; With such experiences as thes
back of her. Mrs. Tinnin says tina
. she knows that children, the poor
. lest and most carefully reared, ar
eager for inspiration. In fact, sh
; says that children need an lnspira
r ton more than adults, and that
: great many adults would be NOR
: capable of appreciating good music
art, and literature if they had had
3 conception of beauty instilled int
4 them as children.
e The new theatre now has fou
: plays in process Of production. tw
I of which are primarily for chi
: dren. One is a fantastic coined
0 called 1.-THE Princess Who Wouldn
q Say Die" by Bertram Bloch, whic
e exploits the doings of the man !
the moon, Davy Jones. an octupu
and other unusual characters, nj
: to mention the princess of the It'll
n The fourth Ilay is built aroun
e the story of the children's crusade
: in the middle ages. 1t is of the il
n spirational type, replete with idea
n Of chivalry and heroism which Al
: the idealistic corporation hopes !
= young patrons will absorb al
t carry home.