Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-12
Serving Notice, as It Were.
Washington and the Stage.
Drama atNatiOn's Capital
Press Agents Busy Saving the Stage-Theater
Producers Stirred to Action, Happiness
Yet May Be Our Portion.
By w. H. Landvoist.

enacted by a forgotten Congress
still imposes upon the National
Treasury.
It's sole return for this gener-
Gus, even If enforced, gesture is
the pleasure of entertaining an
nually thousands of visitors drawn
by historic interest or their bust
ness with the National Govern
ment, including Congress during
its sessions. A large percentage
of these people, coming from all
sections of the country, doubtless
know of the Theater and may be
claSSed among its contributing
patrons "a commanding asset
during the regular season, be 1t
80 or 40 weeks in the year. So
that, while the booking agents
may not have the honor of TAX
ing Washington along with "the
road" back to the Theater. they
can and should bring the Theater
at its best back to Washington
simply as a patriotic duty, If they
comprehend what that means.
1888
THE foregoing, strangely enough,
seems to inspire speculation
as to the interest of the Nation
itself in it's National Capital. To
the voteleSs native the theme pre-
SentS itself variouSly, according
to the mood. At times there seems
to come classical resemblance to
the unhappy fate of TantaluS,
ever famiShed but never quite
reaching the life-giving waters;
and at other times to the darkeys
head thrust through carnival
canvass, with the invitation to
hurl three wicked base balls at the
pitilesSly exposed object for a
nickel throw. Perhaps, now the
promoters of the Theater, like the
broad minded but conservative
bucolic intellects that occasionally
find their way to our national
legislature, imagine that, being
nobody'S friend, it really doesn't
matter much what they shoot"
at or about Washington. This
thought possibly may account for
the expectation that Washington
should fall into line with the tank
towns and villages which make up
the mysterious road" that the
press agents are now industriously
endeavoring to bring back to the
Theater."
"HOWEVER, comma" as the
journalistic joker is SO often
wont to calculate, with half a
hundred amateur dramatic clubs,
including many sponsored by our
churches of all creeds; with the
memories of our old-timers re-
calling frequently the Theater
that once was shington's, and
with the flying visits of our gifted
writer's to the great metropolis,
now and then, not to mention the
occasional good plays sent us from
the factories, and never for an
instant forgetting Manager Steve
Cochran'S heroic efforts in stock
exploitation, Washington, never
theleSS, is able to retain its COM
poSure and muster up a sign of
intelligent recognition when the
word "theater" is mentioned and
to preserve, even though imper-
fectly, a legitimate idea of what
that theater may mean to the
people of nation, who, despite
long periods of political perturba-
ton, nevertheless do give
thought now and then to the
higher civic interests.
Washington not only now but
always will be prepared to well
come and glad to hasten the re-
turn of the Theater both to its
own environment and to the be-
nighted regions of this great
country. And perhaps, if the
Theater can really be coaxed to
return, our two existing palaces
of the legitimate may be rein
forced with others by trustful
capital that knows a goca thing
when it sees il.