Evening star., 1933-02-26
THE theater, which is a r

"HE theater, which Is a relic
of the age of pageantry,
and which since the days
of the Greeks has come to
be synonymous with the spirit OF
good times, will, during the COM
ing week, take on, perhaps, new
Significance in the Capital City:
While inaugural ceremonies Will
be the order of the day, the OLD
will give place to the new, ana
the swelling tides of change Will
be engulfng every living thing,
the theater, which is the express
sion of an emotion in contrast to
another emotion, will be IN evil
dence as a symbol OF the pleasure
there still is in man-even IN
times when the future and the
past seem to have become be-
clouded and confused.
Washington will be a living
theater during the coming week.
further than that, each unit IN
the world of make-believe, each
little part of the giant wheel
which carries the entertainment
world forward, will be doing It's
bit toward welcoming the new,
and speeding along with cheer
and comfort those who are guests
here and who need small hours
of relaxation in the midst OF
something which is far more I'M
portant.
The Roosevelts - father and
sone and mother and daughter
all are more interested IN the
theater and its offshoots than re-
cent occupants of the White
House have been. BY the mere
knowledge that they will spare
few of their hours for relaxation
and recreation of this sort, the
theater takes on new and vital
Importance. President elect
Roosevelt had installed in the
gubernatorial mansion in Albany
a special motion picture machine.
He devoted two nights a week for
viewings of the latest films and
newsreels. 1t is expected that he
will follow these with the same
Joy when he assumes his new
duties here.
So, while there are those who
are crying that the stage is dead,
because they see no connection
between footlightS and camera,
and while there is lament made
through the length and breadth
of the land because the cinema
Is displacing much of the "legiti-
mate drama, it seems logical to
suppose that if the films are good
enough for our new President,
they should be good enough for
U.s..
AN important factor, however,
"A and one which is linked with
inaugural doings, is the Actors
Fund Inauguration Show, which
will take place week from to
night at the Belasco. This is sig
nificant not only as an express
sion of enthusiasm on the part
of actors for this cause, but also
as an expression of their willing
ness to take part in a perform
ance which is also being given in
honor of inaugural week. A spe-
cial trainload of actors will come
down especially from New York to
take part. Even Britain's fore
most contemporary playwright,
Noel Coward (Mr. Shaw being
temporarily sidetracked some
where), who has bewildered
Broadway this season by writing
a play which is brilliant, joyous
and absolutely unprOfound, is
coming down for the occasion,
ladened with a new script and
Miss Beatrice Lille.
These two, who have perhaps
brought more laughs from Britain
than any other two foreign"
ambassadors of cheer, will occupy
the Belasco stage brief1y-the rest
of the entertainment being pro-
vided by other names which are
also high on the roster of fame
Among these may be noted
William FaverSham, Cecilia
LOTUS, Fannie Ward, Jack Pearl,
Herbert Rawlinson, Fannie Hurst
(who will deliver a message OF
best wishes from Broadway +,
Amos m Andy, and others, IN
cluding Hollywood emissaries
who will have come here on the
Warner Brothers train, "The
Forty-Second Street Special"
\ X
THE theater turns another page
- in its history, too, with this
performance, since Daniel Froh-
man, who has devoted much time
and energy to the directing Of