The Washington herald., 1922-11-19

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 movement for democratic
ing the stage and once more bringing
spoken drama hack into popular favor,
through its nationally famous Community
Playhousr-a movement which is spread
ing all over the United States.
1t is a civic enterprise, conducted along
non-profit lines. and exists chiefly for the
purpose Of putting on plays for, of and
by" the people themselves on a non-com-
mrrcial basis. tn" project marks once
more a turning lack to the days of the
amused themselves anG one another. in
stead Of %cpending on paid or professional
en- cl;H nrrS.
.And. as necessity is usually the mother
Of invention. so this Pasadena innovation
@rc' directly out of the need FELT for
SPOKEN drama. during the Great War,
when very few theatrical companies trav-
eIled to the Pacific Coast. Motion pict-
ur"~ wore al right rs far as they went,
but they failed to satisfy many playgoers.
Tho 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 just 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
! L. % kbo,- oY1l
in parts exactly reversed from their sta
tions in real life; and mistresSes have
brought their maids in their motorcars to
plav in thr same piece with them. Society
leaders and school teachers, gardeners and
professional mon. employers and lahOrers
all ha," 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 is just what
its name lnfcrs--a u house of play-wherc
people get together in joyful cooperation,
to do something for the amusement of one
another. As such, it has become a recOg-
niz"d centre from which altruistic influ
enc, radiatcS; and, as such, it stands as a
potent example of the fact that mass and
class are not naturally antagonistic. From
rrhcarSng together several weeks and
then playing anywhere from fourteen to
tw"nty-One performances, they have op-
DOrtunity to get something of each others
yirwpointband they separate with a much
better understanding of their mutual in
terFStS.
Percy MaCkayr was the first one to ad-
vocate citizen drama-that is, plays done
by the people for themselves instead of
by professional players-largely because
IF his dissatisfaction with the theatres as
conducted chiefly to make money. But
tht Pasadena Community Players have
taken no such attitude. They are in no
aiy hostile to the commercial theatre,
:lrI 40 more in competition with it than
Il, public library Is u bustnesa rival OF
he book hop. Community plays whet the
appetite tor spoken drama, and it is the
community players VINO nave kept the
dramatic flame alive in numerous Ameri-
can towns during trying period for the
theatre, when it might otherwise have
gone out entirely.