Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-31
BRIGHT FUTURE FORECAST
FOR DRAMA IN COLLEGES
Work in Developing Folk Plays" at
North Carolina University Cited
as Example of. Progress.

have been published and these plays
have been presented far and wide by
other school and college groups. Paul
Green, who was awarded the Pulitzer
Prize in 1927 for In AbrahamS Bosom"
comes from this group.
Organized State Association.
Prof. Koch does not confine his work
to original plays, Each year two pro-
auctions of plays of recognized merit
are staged by the Playmakers, one in
doors and one outdoors Besides hav-
ing a handsome little theater on the
campus, which is a gem of architec-
ture and is completely equipped, the
university has the beautiful Forest
Theater adjoining the campus.
In addition to his work with the
Playmakers Prof. Koch has found
time to organize the North Carolina
Dramatic Association, which is COM
posed of high school, college and COM
munity dramatic clubs, and to stage
dramatic festival at the university each
Spring. Some of the activity is doubt
less responsible for statement made
by a leading publisher Of plays for
amateur production who said that IL
years ago he took North Carolina of
his mailing list because he could do no
business there, while today some of his
best customers are in that State.
Market for Plays BrOadened.
without doubt the schools and COLI
leges throughout the country are pro-
viding large market for plays. Pub
fishing houses that 10 years ago wouldn't
think of bringing out collection Of
plays are offering anthologies in series
and books on various phases of play
production for the amateur as. Trell.
Many of the published plays are noS
designed for the use of producing
groups, but are for that part of the gen.
eral public which now reads plays as
readily as novels.
Accurate figures as to the number Of
colleges offering courses in playwriting
and play production are not available.
| It has been variouSly estimated that
either or both of these subjects may
| be studied in from 100 to $50 colleges
and universities in this country. The
| exact figures are not important. 1t Is
/ important to note, however, that these
courses are increasing with each new
survey and, as the colleges train more
teachers, the standard of play produc-
ton in the amateur theater will be
raised.
What better institution than the
amateur theater can be found to serve
as laboratory of life for the school
or college STUDENT. Both the philos-
ophy Of the play used and the very
working with them teach lessons Of
! inestimable value. While inspiring the
creative instinct at every turn it teaches
the prime Importance of cooperation.
With all Of this dramatic activity the
audiences must have had a consider
| able part in making it possible; for a
| play Is not truly play without an
audience. Moreover, in the majority OF
instances the audience was necessary
| for financial reasons. 1t is a striking
| thing that the amateur theater has
developed to it's present state largely
! on the money taken in at the box Office.
OF course, there are other reasons for
this than the general merit of the
| amateur stage. The popular reason
given is the decline of the road show;
| but there is another which / think Is
responsible for this to some, and nope
| to an increasing extent.
Amateur Saves Day.
I refer to that constantly increasing
discriminating public now participating
| in a movement which we call, for want
| of a better name, adult education.
| Regardless of increased cost I believe
| there is a public sufficiently large TO
support professional road shows II they
| had any confidence in the quality or
play or production they were to get.
! line IUdQ lOSGs It's IiOlQ III
/ partly because of the inferior plays
and productions offered The costs in
creased and both manager and star
! thought it better to risk New York
| than the hazards of the road Only
| third-rate plays and third-rate COM
panies remained, and now they have
! practically disappeared except in the
/ largest cities.
Then came the amateur. Community
theaters and groups from the schools
and colleges were the only ones Offering
really good plays. What if they were
not done with the fine polish of profess
sionalism? Many of the plays they
| presented were, fortunately, foolproof,
| and the audience left the theater with
a certain sense of enjoyment at having
seen a good play. They witnessed many
bad performances, but they persevered,
and now many towns and cities have
their own community theaters, produc-
| ing a splendid list of plays each year.
The schools and colleges have their
part in the process, for in many cases
college communities depended entirely
on the educational drama, and school
auditoriums have often served as adj
mirable community theaters, shared
alike by school and town producing
groups.
Cooperative Spirit Developed.
A very heavy advertising appropria-
ton Is necessary to get a play before
the public, and newspaper rates for
amusement advertising are higher than
for any other class of advertising
Rightly or wrongly, virtually every
group now working in the theater Is
squeezing it for every penny it can get,
with little thought for the art of the
theater except pecuniary one. Stage
hands, electricians and draymen have
been the worst offenders, surrounding
themselves with volumes of rules and
regulations which require extra men on
the slightest provocation. The real es-
tate situation is about as bad as it can
be. The theater takes from 40 to so
per cent of the gross receipts, and the
ticket spectators add to the difficulties
! by exacting toll of from 25 to 100 per
cent on tickets to all the best shows.
While 1t is seldom perfect, the spirit
of the amateur is essentially unselflsh
and cooperative. A great deal depends,
of course. upon the director teacher,
but it is this spirit of the amateur that
has saved much of the best in American
drama and will continue to preserve 1t
as long as it remains free of profess
sionaltsm.