New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-07-02


ton. Herewith is an expression of the
organizations hopes for the future by
the Misses Alice and Irene Lewisohn.
This year, that marks for the
Neighborhood Playhouse its eighth
season Of real adventure, has been re-
markedly eventful to our organization.
1t has meant such growth and develop
ment that it leaves US almost breath
less at the end Of the season.
From The Madras House to the
'Follies,' with the color organ half
way, with 'Salut au Monde still ring
ing in cur ears, we feel that we must
pause and take stock before throwing
ourselves into another season of pro-
duction.
"The seven years OF experiment
show permanency Of direction as we'll
as a permanency in the playing group.
A glance at the play bill of our last
performance will show many of the
names that appeared on ethe program
Of the opening festival. This has
meant the stimulating experience Of
growing up together, of rare contacts,
the refreshing enthusiasm and abound
ing vitality of the Festival Dancers
and the Neighborhood Players, the
vision, the personality, the maturity
of such friends as Sarah Cowell LIE
Moyne and Yvette Guilbe1t, who have
contributed so generously to this CO.
operative enterprise.
ut is impossible to overvalue what
these seven years have meant to the
members Of the Neighborhood Play
house, from the emergence from the
early traditional festivals and plays
in the Henry Street Settlement gym
nasium and at Clinton Hall to our
present relationship, where the spon-
tanelty Of the amateur and the tech
nique OF the professional supplement
one another, while both are concen-
trated on the perfection Of the produc-
ton rather than on individual achieve
ment.
The widest catholicity has marked
the program: Motion pictures; plays
IN 4iddish, with Ben Ami; Wnitford
Kane, with his Irish players; Dunsany,
Shaw, Galsworthy, translations from
the Spanish. the French miracle, 'Gui-
oour'' with Yvette Guilha4; the Japa-
nese 'Noh,' Russian ballet&,nd Hebrew
festivals illustrate our dramatic ad-
ventures.
Sees Greater Possibilities for Future
Our groups have responded to this
wide range Of experience with en-
thuslasm. Our audience, too, has been
generous with its response, but there
are vistas beyond which open I'd great
er possibilities and that demand a
more complete expression than we
have thus far been able to achieve. AL
though the material Immediately avail
able for production is sngula5ly lack
ing, we have on hand sources of un-
usual promise. This material, how
ever, requires such subtle and care
1ul treatment that it would be impos-
slble to give it adequate production in
the usually allotted time. The pro-
ducIpg staff needs to be released
from the grind of the production for
period of research and preparation
OF this material. 1t has therefore
been decided to postpone further pro-
auctions until the fall of 1928.
I'm addition to presenting the purely
dramatic forms, it is hoped to con-
tlnuc experiments in the lyric drama
and revitalize through some new mode
the spirit Of the ancient ritual festivi-
walls. The production of the 'Salut au
Monde indicated infinite possibilities
in this synthetic art form.
ITO achieve the subtle interpreta-
ton of these varied productions it is
necessary to have, besides adequate
cultural background, a sufficient train
ing in vocal and plastic technique.
Each performer, each student must be
able to grasp the values of the ritual
festival, must possess the ability TO
characterize modern comedy, to give
to verse the dizziness and charm of a
harlcquinade, to endow prose with vi
ta!ity and distinction, to mime, to
dance, to sing, to overflow at the end
of a hard season with the wit and
spontaneity of a 'Follies'
"We have nucleus for such group.
Many of our Neighborhood Players and
Festival Dancers since their earliest
Settlement contacts have been fitting
themselves for just such an experience,
but it is long and difficult road, and
much time and study, and the means
for that time and study, are needed
Actors, who for years have been
schooled in repertory both here and
abroad have brought the qualities, com
bined with the constituencies, open
mindedness and the desire for further
experiment. New recruits are still
needed, and we hope to search for and
seek the gifted and add them gradually
to our number.
Group to Build a Varied Repertoire
"In brief, combined with our Fest-
val Group, we hope to begin our next
season of production with group who
will devote the year exclusively to
building up a repertoire as varied and
| eXten SiVa as NOSsih1e