The Washington herald., 1921-03-14

6=s#7'fTH|VlllI'
ACTOR WITH A. e. r.
APPEARS IN CAPITAL.
Washington. veterans who served
in the Twenty-ninth Division will
recall Snap 1t Up" the doughboy
play that scored such hft in the
camps Of the A. e. F. and in Paris.
Ray George Leayitt. the American
actor who directed the production,
was here last week at the National
appearing as Freddy oliver in TITS
Up to YOU
Washington theaters are surely
q far cry from playing on the mess
kit circuit. as we used to call our
performances over there in France"
said Leavitt when seen in his dress
ing room getting ready to go on for
the last act.
They were novel dressing rooms
over there, all right. No such lux
uries as electric lights-you were
lucky to get candles, as for make
up-it was more makeshift-just
anything that happened to be lying
around.
TELLS OF ADVENTURES
ON MESS KIT CIRCUIT.
THE circuit got its name from
the practice of standing in line for
chow with our mess-kits after the
performance. We used to call II
playing the mess halls"
Transportation from one camp to
another was often a difficult prob
lem, Leavitt said. The company was
usually taken about in army motor
trucks.
But the gratifying thing about
II was that our audiences were not
hypercritical." he continued. '-rhe
boys were always glad to see US
and gave us a good hand no matter
how tired they happened to be. 1t
was a pleasure to play to an audi
ence that laughed at every joke and
applauded every stunt. Believe me
there's nothing like playing to a
bunch of American boys away from
home"
SERVED IN RANKS
WITH GUARD TROOPS.
Like many American actors,
Leavitt enlisted at the beginning Of
the war, leaving a very successful
engagement in Texas to return to
his New Jersey home to join his
pals in the Fifth Regiment of Infan-
try. New Jersey National Guard.
He served throughout the war as
an enlisted man and went to France
with the 2sth Division.
When the War Department had
developed its plans for recreation
for the men Of the A. Z. F., the
z9th Division was combed for pro-
fessional and amateur talent in the
hope of organizing a theatrical
troupe.
In the entire division there were
only three professional actors, but
many men were found with some
talent, and II was not long before q
creditable organization had been
perfected.
The recreation activities of the
First Army Corps were under the
direction of Capt. Jerry Donovan.
who served as entertainment officer
under Lieut.. Gen. Hunter Liggett.
promotion OF theatrical entertain
ment for the 2sth were Capt. Muir
ray Cobb. aide de camp of Gen. Nor
gan, and Walter Duggins, a color
sergeant. who was Capt. Donovan's
right hand man.
PLAY MADE SUCCESS
IN FRENCH CAMPS.
Snap 1t Up" had-a long run in
the camps and was shown also In
Paris 1t was given before Premier
Lloyd George; Clemenceau saw It.
and a performance was given In
honor of Gen. Pershing. Among
those who took an interest in the
production was Miss Margaret Will
son, who saw II at Chaumont.
The show was given here at Polls
at the close OF the war, Secretary
Baker attended and after the per-
formance went back to Leavitt's
dressing room to congratulate him
on his contribution to the work of
providing recreation for the men OF
the A. E. F. Miss Wilson addressed
a congratulatory letter to the COM
pany.
BORN OF ioNG LINE
OF THEATRICAL FOLKS.
Leavitt, as is so often the case
with stage-folk, comes of a theatri-
cal family, Asked how he happened
to take up the stage life, he said
that practically all of his family as
Gar back as he could remember
were players.
when was born my mother
and father were both in the show
business he said. MY mother,
Louise Mortimer, was leading lady
Of the show and my father. was
property man. The show was owned
and managed by two uncles, M. b
and Abe Leavitt.
Leavitt's older brother, Douglas
usually plays in the same show with
him.
F. W. W.
UniUersity Exams