Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-12

RANT1C appeals to Save
- Our Stage" are flying in,
along with the onruShing
- torrent of movie wisdom
and information, and giving hope
full evidence that the Theater is
coming back to Washington. True,
our friends, the theatrical press
representatives, who are engineer
ing the movement, perhaps be-
cause the producing managers are
not so hopeful, are naming con-
ditionS. Lovers of the theater, the
agents say, should organize. Also,
they should subscribe in advance
to furnish guarantees against loss.
They should try, as well, to have
faith that hereafter promises will
y be lived up to, and also to feel
! will not fail to arrive when prom
Z ised. After doing all this, they
. may believe as they may, always
hoping that dreams will come
true.
WASHINGTON, it may be con-
l' feSsed, does love the Theater.
There is not the slightest doubt
that it will be in cordial sympathy
with every honest, intelligent and
trustworthy effort that may be
made to save Our Stage!" 1t is
even prepared to help the good
cause along. In this connection
it begs to suggest that In the
endeavor it Is fortified by popu-
lation of half a million people, a
very fair proportion of whom will
be glad to learn that the produc-
ing managers will send them, be-
fore the nap on the scenery has
been worn off by age or overuse,
plays adapted to educated and re-
fined people and performed by
talented and capable players
either with or without "the origin
al New York cast" save only
when that cast is an essential
element of the production and the
play might not be seen at its best
without it.
At present we have only two
theaterS devoted to the legitimate
in drama - the famous old
National Theater, a Washington
landmark, which, let 1t be en-
phasized, despite it's misleading
name, is not in any sense support
ed by taxing the good folks of the
hinterland; and a theater named
for that great Artist, David
Belasco, which for some time has
been redubbed with Shubertian
prefix, although Washington still
persists in calling it "the BelaSco."
These two theaters, it is believed,
If provided with plays of merit,
fittingly staged and performed by
artists, not makeshifts, certainly
and it may be added gladly will
furnish our webbing Stage with a
richly subsidized support for from
30 to 40 weeks in the year.
X X
WASHINGTON, however, may
~ be disposed to say the follow
ing for its own protection: The
Booking Offices, whether in New
York or elsewhere, should be
manned with intelligent and dis
eliminating operating forces, who
will be fair enough to keep faith
with our half million people. A
brief course in Geography may be
necessary to convince them that
the Capital of these United States
VI AllcLlCd, IIOWcNSI III Inlay De
Snubbed, Sighted and even abused
in national oratory now and then,
is nevertheless inhabited by
sensitive and cultured population,
as well as by the National Gov
eminent. 1t is, indeed, the Nations
Capital even as London is the
capital of Great Britain, Paris of
France and Berlin of Germany.
Furthermore, Washington is par
ticularly proud of the fact-So
proud, it may be added, that it
annually contributes thousands of
the hard-earned dollars Of its
citizens to help meet the National
obligations which the organic law