Evening star., 1925-11-29

pURSUANT to an annual custom
at this particular point in the
atrica proceedings, brief reference
will be made to The Turkey Show,
a type OF palmy day entertainment
thus described because it was hastily
organized to CLEAN UP the small
change which flows so generously as
the Nation pauScS TO recount its
benefits under the influence OF the
great bird of gratitude. The Il ur-
kew Show is no more: indeed. the
cost Of both fowl and theatcr tickets
has grown so amazingly that many
a family must contemplate foregoing
one if the other is to be enjoyed.
X
The Little Theater interests, and
with them the collegiate and other
selves with drama on literary lines,
indicate strong belief that theatri-
cal interest has arrived al a parting
of the ways; that a choice must be
made as to whether the superficial
diversion of the organized profes-
sionsl theater shall lead the process
sion or whether the spontaneous ex-
preston of independent groups and
communities shall demand, with a
support Of popular acclaim, an unob-
structed right to parade.
X
The independent theater has fire.
quently asserted itself. If brilliantly
successful, II soons falls into rut.
and has even created combination
quite as autocratic in method and as
disregsrdful of ancient proprieties as
the commercial theater Itself. This
was the case when the fight against
the Nsw-Erlanser syndicate result
ed In the establishment of the Shu-
bert rivalry. It is distressing to
! learn from a New York correspond
| ent Of one Of the smaller Midwest
ern cities that the Little Theaters of
Manhattan are often inclined to
!, manifest, even at the box Office, a
hish6Tow and austere demeanor to-
! ward the visitor who seeks courte-
: ,les as a specialist on the drama
Leadership for new era of drama
j, at hand ready to organize even
tually under some auspices as the
Carnegie Institute of Technology OF
Pittsburgh, just now in convention.
matte enterprises. more prominent
in It's early demonstrations by its
publicity industry than by the devel-
opmcnt of new ideas for a strictly
national'stic theater of the American
type.
***
No time could be more fitting than
Turkey Time for a back glimpse of
a stageland, which, aspiring to the
most audacious novelties, still pre-
serves with rigorous exactitude ira
ditions which date back to time i'm
memorial One OF the first things
Noah did after the deluge was TO
dcfv the principles of total absti-
nence. Possibly if there had been A
statute on the subject he would have
violated that as SO many sailors
ashore are prone to do. No doubt
they had little family rejoicing, in
which various rudimentarv artistic
accomplishment were displayed.
And if all the ma akings of an audi
cnce had not been drowned, they
would have organized a Turkey
Show"
Not to go quite so far back as
Noah, in retracing the family
drama, the name Of Pat Rooney
hlazes from the billboards as re-
minder of family groups whose
names are linked i'll permanent recol-
lection with entertainment until this
day. There is a touch Of hereditary
pride in the jaunty confidence with
which attention is called to the
Rooney prowess i'll the bit of the
song and the dance here most mod
crnly interpreted. The original Pat
Mooney hour;shed in green coat and
rhor, PANTS at time when Irish
.omcd. made its sail tor the afec-