The Washington herald., 1922-03-11
SCENERY BARRED
In HIGH SCHOOL
PERFORMANCES
School Board Acts on
Commissioners Order
AS Fire Precaution.

Theatrical performances involvin:
tie use of movable scenery were
barred from all high aad public
school auditoriums OF the District
by thc Poard Of Education yestpr-
"aE. f"c action VIZ 'ay,n upJn
recommendation OF the District
commissioners. Central High Scaool
auditorium was excepted. with a
provisO that the gallery should not
be used when plays of this nature
are staged
All auditoriums. with the excep-
ton Of the Kctcham SchCo., Fif-
teenth and L streets southeast, were
declared safe for purposes of stu
dent and public assembly.
b The recommendation OF the COM
mlssleners was based upon a de-
tailed report of the condition of the
school auditOriums prepared by Mu-
nlcipal Architect Harris and Deputy
Fire Marshal Achstetter. The Dis,
trict men inspected all auditoriums
to determine their structural and
fire safety.
The action automatically throws
all school spring play productions
to Central High School, with an
approximate seating capacity OF
1000.
Indoring the recommendations OF
the Commissioners, the Board of
Education asked immediate steps to
remedy the faults pointed out in
the school auditoriums.
Extra Fire Guards.
For any theatrical performances
that may be given extra fire guards
Will be provided. at the discretion
OF the fire chief. In view of the
limited personnel of the fire depart
ment, the Commissioners recon-
mended that the number of dramatic
entertainments be limited to as low
a number as possible
Old Eastern High School, with a
seating capacity of $50, may be used
only by the school personnel to full
capacity. but for other activities
the audience will be limited to 900.
Miner Normal School with a capac-
ity OF 1875, may be used for all pur-
poses to full capacity, but no
scenery may be used.
Use of scenery and the motion
picture booth is also prohibited for
western High School, but 1t is open
for all other assemblies. Continue
ton OF the present employment of
the auditorium of Armstrong High
School, a gymnasium with the ca
pacfty of 500 and containing no
stage, was indorsed. But Dunbar
High School, with a capacity Of
l,O25 in its auditorium and $50 more
in the gallery. must clean away all
old scenery and infiammable arti-
cles from the stage and organ
chambers before II may be used to
the full extent.
Normal Stage Insdequate.
The stage of Wilson Normal
School is wholly Inadequate for
dramatic performances, the Com
missioners opined. and consequently
all settings must be taken from 1t.
The hall will then be available for
Gil uses to its seating capacity of
500.
Use of Mckinley High School au-
ditorium will be unrestricted. But
the platform was declared small
and unfit for scenery, and all the
school owns for II must be re-
moved. Business High School. seat
ing 653, must remove all setting,
and then II may be used tc ca
io~ANy" O~tHCAy 10 dlSO
for the Columbia Junior High
School. The hall may be used by
the school for its full capacity of
SIS. but outside organizations are
limited to groups OF 300. Shaw
Junior High School is limited by
the same conditions as Eastern.
For some time the Board of Edu-
cation has frowned upon the use
of scenery, and this policy has been
communicated to the schools be-
fore drastic action was taken. Supt.
Frank w. Ballou pointed out.
Gifts to Park View school of two
framed pictures presented by the
Public School Art, League. and ap-
raratus for the playground of the
Thomson School, valued at $3.50,
donated by the omson
Home School Association. were ac-
cepted by the board. The appara-
tus has been in place for some
time.
Greek Cabinet Resigns.