The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-01-01
RECALLS DAYS OF
ARMY DRAMATICS
Play Director Overseas
Tells of Fun She Had
in the A. f.. +.
MANY CLEVER SKITS
Theatricals Particularly Use
ful After Signing OF
ArmistiCe

The 4. w.. 3. was as -u,arnm at
amateur drambtiua as Iu putting the
Hun on tho run
Edna O. Keith play director over
scas during the war ana az present
representative 90 Community Scrv-
Ice, Incorporated. of Sew York. was
The speaker ana 10, umr was sa'ur-
day afternoon Just before the cur
tain rolled uu Tor rehearsal OF
r. somewhere Iu France hy the
overseas girls and mon in the Mu-
nicipai auditorium. when thoy ala
play the boys played az hard ~
they fought The a. H.. J.. shows
were a. clever az many uf those
which scintillate I'm the thcatctB
along Broadway. and sometimes
they were almost as wcll played
An honest to goudncss playwright
would compose the slNt 10 uru'r
real artists ana painters would pre-
p-re the scenery "a tailor from the
ranks of the doughboys would con
cuct charming costumes, men with
stage experience would take stellar
roles and the other boys would fill
their parts In the production with
dash aud merit"
Casts Of the \, T.. +. shows wore
of course entirely male, but amuFiuE
complications often arose from thr
lNhllFIn OF Inv lfilllIllt lIll lll'l NillA-
tluns, Miss Keith said, she laugh q
at remembrance Of one play where
somewhat rlcudcr and fair skinned
soldier represented girl so Of
fectivclv and prcttily that just about
ono-third OF the audience was de-
ccived and officers IN tho desired
seats on the front rows fltrtcd mad
~ with her or rather, him. ON
The eve OF a play In another camp,
Ia. l..N sasl.g ~,
Of the l2 "N" ana Red cross girls
expected for the dance sent regrets
az the last moment. seven young men
east for feminine roles In the play
donned their GORGEOUS evening
Gowns wigs and makeup ana we're
the bellies OF tho ball. outshining
even the uniformed overseas
girls, until tho hoax was discovered.
Helped Make Doughnuts.
For about "A year after tho war
Miss Keith spent three weeks each
in different camps over France Her
work was not all dramatic, FOR
each morning she helped make
doughnuts and sold cigarets and
other things over tho cantecn coun-
ter. In the afternoons she hold re-
hearsals or prepared for informal
stunts In the evening, To select
tho cast. regular tryouts were held
vi lut dtNOIS tnOtfH llpIu HhiAi'i
pants In amateur night. Just before
the show Miss keith would 30 tc
Paris, order the necessary cos
tunes made by the "Y" sewing de.
partment, have wigs coiffed by art
ful French hairdresscrs and shoT
for accessories. III the show WA
good enough. It afterwards played
nearby camps. sometimes from
truck, or was put on the "Y" show
.t~ Ixla tVtn hn .iraul
around Verdun. that OF the leav'
area and n third including ga,
Paree," Among the shows whlcl
Miss Keith produced. and whici
doubtless some of the service men II
Tulsa saw, were rum Chose,
"Quelque Chose and Meme Chose.
After the arinistice was signed ant
there was no war to keep the Yank
occupied, theatricals were useful |,
taking tho boys thoughts OFF nom
and keeping them cheerful in tn
drab little French villages wher
was nothing to do and lots OF tim
TO do II in, In her opinion
Miss keiths duties for Commun
ity Service take her all over tn
country staging plays, pageanN an
entertainments She IL tho autho
OF ~ playlets. She is sent by Com
munlty Service whore there Is re
quest for IA pageant director. Sine
arrival at Sapulpa In october sh
has been the mainspring OF IN
J,000-actors Pageant OF Progress
ON Armigtice day "a play given 10
the community by the orphans HON
and is now In the vanguard OF plan
for community movie party Frlda
evening. January IL, when all Sa
pulpa Is invited to come attired liz
some movie actor and take part /
play which is to be filmed an
produced later in Sapulpa. She wi
he in Sapulpa for her next assigi
ment the middle of January.