The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-03-26
In New York
nv PAUL HARRISON

New York = A note on my desk said, "Call MT Rosenblatt of the Nudist Theater Guild" N-u-d-i-s-t; there was no mistaking the writ ing. And the telephone number was not that of THE Theater Guild, which also is not blessed with any Rosenblatts.
 So I called the number, and g. man invited me to attend the first undress rehearsal of the first play to be presented by the new Nudist Theater Guild. I went over. In a small, overheated rehearsal hall were about 8 dozen people, most of them young men clad in shorts, a chubby blonde, wore some sort a fiimsy flesh -colored jumper suit. and over that a waitress apron.
 A prety girl named Lee Molnar also wore a. jumper, but demurely concealed herself behind huge feather fan. She could have spared at least square yard of material and still been a good many stitches ahead of night club chorus girls. In addition to these there were a couple of females of more advanced years dressed ir some outlandish rigs suggesting frowsy states of dishabille.
 Acting Up
 Towed by MT Rosenblatt, the press agent. I came alongside large MT Bud Pollard, "well known stage He is the guiding figure of the Nu- dist Theater Guild, which twas formed to openly espouse the movement of nudism." Assured me with fairly straight face that he and all the members of the com pany are opponents of nudism, and that the enterprise has the approv- al and support of "the established nudist movement"
 l asked MT Pollard whether he ever had visited nudist camp. He said well. no, he hadn't. be- cause he had his reputation as a director to consider. I then asked the members of the cast whether they ever had visited nudist camps. They said no, becaus they had their regulations as actors to consider. Of course, as show peo- the popular Flo Ziegfeld-Earl Car roll-Billy Minsky school of naked- ness.
 Nudist Protests
 Your correspondent did not wait for the rehearsal, if any, but, just for fun, went to chat with the Rev Dr Ilsley Boone, executive secre- tary of the International Nudist Conference, managing editor of The Nudist Magazine, and all- around grand sachem of Americas unclothed.
 The chipper little minister was not as indignant as expected him to be at the news of the pseudo nudist stage activities. He dispos- ed of them in a few well-chosen sentences Said that the organized nudist movement has no know ledge of the enterprise; that no one associated with 1t belongs to a recognized nudist organization, so far as he knows; that 1t has not been and will not be approved; that 1t is manifestly impossible to represent nudism--on stage or anywhere else-by wearin gany clothes at all.
 That last may be little diffi- cult for the uninitiated to under stand. It seems, however, that American nudists believe in com plete nakeedness, attaching a stig- ma of indecency to small vestiges of apparel.
 Likes Play Idea.
 Dr Boone said the Conference. which is a co-ordinating organiza. tion of all the camps and groups, would be delighted to support any sincere company of players who'd tour the nudist camps and give performances in the altogether. He even has suggestions for a nudist repertory: "Shaw's Back to Meth uselah," Gantlilon's Maya" John Erskine's "Adam and Eve" Thomp sons "The Warriors Husband" Schnitzler's '"The Affair of Ana tole." and Behrman's "The Second Man."
 The only play written about modern nudism by a recognized dramatist was Tom Cushing's Barely Proper" short comedy: When Gushing wrote 1t ne labeled 1t "an unplayabie play" put that given several times at summer camps hereabouts.
 asked Dr Boone about the nakedness prospects for the com ing summer. and he said they are fine-just fine. There'll be about twice as many camps this year.. some 25 near New York city, and 75 scattered around the country in Texas, Nebraska, Michigan, Indiana, California and other states. Legal difficulties have been proposed to punish nudism with life Imprisonment.
 Incidentally, pr Boone's secre. tary is named Eve. A .t