Evening star., 1932-11-16
FIGHT IS OPENED
ON SCENERY LOFTS
IN HIGH SCHOOLS
City and Fine Arts Officials
Object to Extensive Stage
Equipment.
REICHELDERFER POINTS
TO MATERIAL SAVINGS
'yoins Charles Moore in Advocating
Restriction in New Fort
Reno Building.

A movement is underway to curb
present elaborate expenditures for
Escenery'' lofts in District public high
schools. in which the Commissioners
and the Fine Arts Commission are
allies.
The question of the future of the ex-
kensiyc theatrical equipment In the
senior high school auditoriums IS being
brought up at this afternoons meeting
of the Board of Education in the pres
entation to the board of correspond
ence by DR.. Luther H. Reichelderfer,
president of the Board of Commission.
ers, and Charles Moore, chairman OF
the Fine Arts Commission.
DR.. Reichelderfer's letter is merely q
note to the president Of the School
Board, DR.. Hayden johnson, forwarding
to him DR.. Moore's letter, which carries
the weight of argument against the
scenery lofts.
Substantial Saving Seen.
Both oficials contemplate restricting
stage equipment in the new senior high
school for the Fort Reno section OF
Chevy Chase. Pointing out that the
"esthetic objections given by the Com
mission Of Fine Arts to such construc-
ton Is of extreme weight with the Dis
trict Commissioners" DR.. Reichelderfer
wrote that "the savings possible with
the elimination of these lofts are so
substantial that we would favor the
elimination of such a, loft In the Reno
senior high school, plans for which are
now being drawn, and for any other
senior high school contemplated later. "
DR.. Reichelderfer solicited the views OF
the school board.
In his letter, addressed to DR.. Reichel-
derfer in response to an earlier COM
nunication from the Commissioners,
Or. Moore attacked the scenery lofts as
incompatible with good school-house
architecture and expresses the opinion
that such elaborate equipment Is not
necessary for the amount OF dramatic
work done in the high schools. Eiiml-
nation Of such lofts, DR.. Moore asserts:
would result in an original saving OF
from s25 600 to S35.000 in each case
in addition to a large maintenance
sag-ing.
The commission, according to DR..
Moore's letter, is of the unanimous
opinion that the "high scenery loits on
the Roosevelt School should not pe
duplicated on the Fort Reno Scnool
or any other school"
Regarded as Unnecessary.
''TNese lofts" DR.. Moore's letter con-
tfnued. throw the school group out OF
balance. They are a great detriment
to the appearance of the nelgnpornooo,
and they are not necessary ior tne
amount and character OF the lnstruc-
ton in dramatics proper TO school Work.
AN auditorium with good stage n
all that is necessary. Such is the
opinion of the architectural members OF
the commission, who have had expert
enca in school building IN other cities.
This commission realizes that this Is
a large subject and that there Is mucn
TO be said on the other side. But
they had reached this conclusion quite
independently Of the question OF econ.
ouay. They feel that the good order OF
the city requires the elimination OF
these unsightly lofts, and for some time
they have been studying with the NUM-
cipal architect means Oh mitigating
what had been represented as neces-
sary evil. The results have not been
satisfactory.
Therefore, at the risk Of seeming to
overstep the limits OF their province OF
advice, this commission ventures to sug-
gest to the Board of Commissioners OF
the District of Columbia that they elm
mate from the program OF competition
for school buildings all scenery lofts.
"The result would be an original saw
ing Of from $25 900 to $35, 900 in each
case, and an annual maintenance saving
amounting to g. large sum. The MEM
berS of this commission believe that
the quality Of the dramatic instruction
would be enhanced by developing in the
pupils ingenuity tu constructing simple
stage settings adequate to any drama
they are able to present"