Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-03-11
CONCERNING
HOOSIER NIGHT
By WALTER ID. HICKMAN.

By WALTER ID. HICKMAN.
An evening with Indiana authors, as
observed last night at the Masonic Tenn
pie auditorium by the Little Theater
Society of Indiana, again reflected the
aims Of the society In bringing before
the public the works of Indiana writer's.
Interest, personal interest, 7 mean, CEN
tered upon Disarmament" by Lois
Compton Fuller, because of the manner
in which the author handler the phi
losophy of an ex-soldier Of the World
War who, on returning from conflict,
found his place in the business world
hIled by another. he becomes a mem
Der OF the unemployed and finally a
pun with house-breaking tendencies.
We are introduced to the man after
ne enters as a burglar the bed chamber
OK girl. He is welcomed to her apart
ment by the crack of a revolver OF
course, she misses and discovers that
the burglar was once her hero soldier"
Turing a lengthy conversation with her,
ne recltes his pitiful experiences follow
ing his discharge from the Army. He
Is "soured" on life and blames war for
MS condition. When he leaves the apart
ment, one is assured that it is only a
question of time until he ends his ex-
istence with the revolver which the girl
had fired at him on his entrance into
the apartment.
Disarmament" is a study in gloom
and despair and although I do not agree
with the philosophy eXpOunded, the play
is well drawn from a thought standpoint.
AT times it is daring and cruel.
The program listed is as follows:
DISARMAMENT"
play IN one act, by Lois Compton
nal
The Man ...................R Robert Wild
The Girl ........... Miss Angelina Bates
The scene is laid in the bedroom
of the Girls apartment New York
City. The time is the present.
Our friend, John Kenyon Nicholson. for
years press agent for Stuart Walker dur
ing the summers at the Murat, con
tributed a genuine novelty under the
title OF The Casino Gardens" which
might be described as a study in what
the members Of 4 cabaret or dance or
chestra thinks about. The ending is dra.
matte. The novelty element of the
piece is increased by dance selections
played by the orchestra which reflects the
action of the story.
The cast was as follows:
Eddie, the 1st Violin. Frederick Jaehne
Lew the Pianist ....Clarence VI. Weesner
Harry, the Saxophone. Eugene Franzman
Al, the Cornet .......Alvfn Roy Dithrick
Bonnie, the Traps. Harry A. Perine
The scene represents the musi-
clans stand in the Casino Gar
den's dance hall in upper Har-
lem, New York City.
The bin opened with "The Betrothal
Cake" a polite little comedy of domestic
humor by Kate Miner Rabb and Lee
Burns. The comedy spanked at times
with original comedy situations
The cast consisted OF the following:
Aunt Mag. Mrs Charles D. McNauu
Molly, her grand -daugh ter............
.~................. Miss Eleanor Fogg
lin Wtggens. peddler ...........
..................W W. Woollen, Jr
The action taken place in an old fash
Toned farmhouse kitchen, in southern In
diana, on day in June, 1918.
The final play Of the evening was Chill
dren Of the Moon" by Hildegate Elan
ner. 1t was necessary that l leave the
theater before this fantasy was presented
give the cast as follows:
The jailer. Ralph F. Thompson
Fierrette. Mrs. Ruth TODD
he rich man. .......-..P. Harding Weer
The milk man. ......... Murray Wickard
The action takes place in a prison.
The players in the plays I saw were
successful In catching the spirit OF the
writer's. Mr.. George Somnes as usual
directed the productions and the lights
again were cleverly handled Last night
was another successful evening In the
history Of the society.
HOOsIER AUTHOR
NOW HAVE a BIG CHANCE.
The program announced that the Little
Theater Society one prizes amounting
TO 500 for four ne-act plays by resi-
dents OF the State. The winners are as
sured Of having the plays not only pro
duced by the Little Theater, but Bobbs-
Merrill Company has agreed to publish
the plays in book form.
l have been requested to publish the
following rules:
l. Plays submitted in competition must
must be original and unproduced works
by residents of Indiana.
2. In form, length and construction they
must be Of the One-act type.
Continued on Page Nine.)