The Washington times., 1922-11-19
Community Actresses in an Inter-
esting Scene from "The
Blue Bird"

PASADENA, the exclusive, In South
ern Califoria, best known as the
habitat of retired millionaires, until
now, bids fair TO gain even wider fame as
the home of a movement for democratic
ing the stage and once more bringing
spoken drama back into popular favor
through it's nationally famous Community
Playhouse-a movement which is spread
ing all over the United States.
1t is civic enterprise, conducted along
non-proft lines, and exists chiefly for the
purpose Of putting on plays "for, Of and
by the people themselves on a non-com-
mcrcia basis. The project marks once
moro a turning back to the days of the
guilds. in the middle ages, when people
amused themselves and one another, in
stead of depending on paid or professional
entertainers.
And. as necessity is usually the mother
of invention, so this Pasadena innovation
grew directly out of the need felt for
spoken drama, during the Great War,
when very few theatrical companies trav-
clIcd to the Pacific Coast Motion pict
urcs wcr" all right as far as they went,
but they failed to satisfy many playgocrs.
The city was too small to support a stock
company.
Nothing remained for these people who
wanted plays but to put them on them
selves, making the best Of the talent and
facilities at hand. That the undertaking
might not be lust another amateur dra-
matte club, the bars were let down and
everyone in the community invited to
come in and take part.
The result has been that not infre-
quently, master and man have appeared
in the same cast, opposite each other and
in parts exactly reversed from their sta
tions in real life and mistresses have
brought their maids in their motorcars to
play in the same piece with them. Society
leaders and school teachers, gardeners and
professional men, employers and laborers
all have taken part together in COM
munity plays without any social or class
distinction being made.
And this in sO-called exclusive PaSa-
dena,
The Community Playhouse s just what
its name infcrs--a house Of play--where
people get together in joyful cooperation,
to do something for the amusement OF one
another. As such, it has become Il recog-
nzcd centre from which altruistic infu-
cnce radiates; and, as such, II stands as q
potent example of the fact that mass and
class are not naturally antagonistic. From
rchearsing together several weeks and
then playing anywhere from fourteen to
twcnty-one performances, they have OPP
p0rtunity to get something Of each others
viewpoint and they separate with a much
better understanding Of their mutual in
terCsts.
Percy Mackaye was the Hrst ono to ad-
vocate citizen drama--that IL, plays done
by the people for themselves instead OF
by professional players-larqely becsuse
of his dissatisfaction with the theatres as
conducted chiefly TO make money. But
the Pasadena Community Players have
taken no such attitude. They are in no
way hostile to the commercial theatre,
and no more in competition with Il than
the public library Is business rival Of
the bookshop. Community plays whet the
appetite for spoken drama, and it is the
community players who have kept the
dramatic flame alive in numerous Ameri-
can towns during a trying period for the
theatre, when Il might otherwise have
gone out entirely.