Evening star., 1920-08-08
HEw THEATRICAL VENTURE.

Announcement that the Washington
Theater Productions. Inc. had been
chartered brought out the last
week THAT plans which promise much
to the playgoing public are wen
under way. = If
Producing plays and developing all
the arts Of the theater is the aim OF
the new corporation, which has
m6sica1 revue and three other oner-
ings ready for early autumn he
hearsais.
sEmphasis is put on the fact that
while the highest aspirations OF the
theater will guide the company in the
selection and production OF plays, IL
is the plan to present what IS popu-
lar in the best sense of the word
The public responds quickly 10
dramas that make wholesome appeal.
and at this time. when there is eVl-
dence of a revolt against the class OF
plays. that has held the stage 10 tne
exclusion of the finer interpretatiohs
of life. the projectors believe 'ha'
they have a great opportunity.
The first Offering will be Such
Things Are" a musical revue that In
PRODUCES original characters and VIII
be staged in a novel manner: & rhe
musical score of this is unusual Inc
by Chappell. the New York puoiisner-
Since a children's theater is to oe
one of the chief interests of the
Washington Theater Company.
junior version of such Things Are
has been written. Thus muslcal
comedy for children. probably the
first especially prepared for tne
youngest audiences of the country, is
promised The two other plays ready
for production are The Princess W no
Wouldn't Say Die" and The Glorious
Road" both of which will meet with
nf a
first is fantastic comedy with
scenes in the moon and under the
sea, and the other is drama OF that
pitiful, medieval tragedy. The Chill
dren's Crusade 1t is the purpose to
produce these plays and to offer them
through the usual channels while the
promotion of theater building is
carried on.
The theater building itself is a
most ambitious enterprise, since 1t
includes under one roof theater
where plays may be booked and
repertory company may be main
tanned for the production of. new
plays; a children's theater that en-
braces all the most progressive ideas;
a large concert hall with seating
capacity of 1000 and green room
in which may be held club meetings,
conferences and assemblies of var1-
GUS sorts. The need of such a build
ing IN the capital. which is to be in
time the greatest in the world, mas
been long recognized, but the exact
manner of meeting this need mas not
been apparent. Since the structure
is net, according to present ma
tional views, legitimate government
project and since private capital must
be assured of fair return on money
invested. effort to supply the demand
for what appeared din1cult enter
prise has been delayed.
The organizers of the new COM
pany are three women who have been
associated with the theater in vari-
Gus capacities and they have obtained
substantial support from persons OF
influence as well as from prominent
members of the theatrical profession.
Katharine 8. Brown. who heads the
organization. has been director Tor
New York managers and has conduc
ed her -oWA theaters In the west AS
a college girl she first became inter-
ested in acting and went on the stage
for a little while, later turning her
attention to the work of producing
plays. which is her chief interest. She
has been a frequent contributor to
lnaganizes. her articles on the drama
finding ready acceptance. Miss Brown
came to Washington three years ago
with the intention of establishing
theater similar to the Parish Theater
which she had operated for two years
in Chicago. While waiting for her
gram director for the Radcliffe Chau-
tauqua System. The Chautauqua ex-
perience proved that she had unusual
power as an executive and business
administrator.
Glenna Smith Tinnin is widely
known in Washington and New York.
Her studio on Connecticut avenue has
been q place in which the highest
ideals Of art were developed. She
originated and directed the Chi1dren's
House of Play here in Washington
and was director of two similar insti-
tutions in New York city. Out Of her
successful experiments in an entirely
new field grew her dream of a Chill
dren's Theater that will make real to
its patrons the charming Land Of
Ake-believe. This theater will pro-
and romance can offer. Its plays will
appeal to persons of all ages. for no
one is so old as to be beyond the
reach Of the magic spell of romance
and adventure which stirs the heart
of youth.
Mary Holland Kinkaid, the third
member of the theater company. Is an
through her newspaper and magazine
connections. She resigned last week
from her position as director Of pub
licity. woman's bureau, democratic
national committee, in order to as
sumo her share Of the work of for
warding the big enterprise. Miss
kfnkaid was engaged while in New
York in the preparation Of manu-
scripts for production.
c. B. Huntress, who has wide expe-
rience In managing large enterprises,
is business director.
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