The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-09-30


Mr.. Houghton recently returned
from a tour of Russia, where he
studied the elements of the theater.
The Russian people, the general
public, would much rather go to q
legitimate play than to a movie, "
Mr.. Houghton said. I'm fact, that
movies are about as scarce in Rus
STA as the legitimate theaterS are
here. The Russians don't have any
Shirley Temples to put on their
mantel pieces"
Whereas, several years ago Rus
slams were producing constructive
| tic dramas, they are now growing
toward a surer, more definite real
ism, although they still keep alive
the old plays in the theaters' roper
tory. Some of the dramas are given
over entirely to the expression Of all
emotional feeling by physical move
ment.
Mr.. Houghton graphically illus
trated this phase of constructivism,
which has threatened to revolution
| ize Russian play production, by a
comparison with the way in which
an American producer would do
| certain scene.
A Difference in Technique
In the American play, man
would come home from work, open
the front door, go in, take off his
hat and kiss his wife, telling her
how glad he was to be home" Mr..
Houghton said.
| But if the Russians produced the
same scene, the man would probably
climb up a ladder to high plat
| form, jump off on to a slide, whirl
round and round to the stage be-
/ low, shout 'Whee' and then kiss his
wife" he explained. The slide cpl
sode would have been given to ac-
lively show just how the man felt
as he came in the door of his home.
Mr.. Houghton, a graduate of
ShOrtridge High School in 1927, has
recently completed a book on the
Russian drama which will be pub
! ished soon.
I He said that theater tickets cost
/ practically as much in Russia as
4 they do in America. But factories
and industrial centers in Russia, he
: explained. often buy out an entire
/ theater performance and then sell
the tickets to their employees at half
price.
Art Strictly ITDheld
There is really no commercial
! theater in Russia Mr.. Houghton
said. They don't watch the box
Office like American producers. The
art of the theater is strictly up
held"
The art of presenting plays is
highly developed in Russia. Mr..
HOughton said. One small theater
in Moscow has portable stages. seats
and balcony. If the producer feels
/ it would be more advantageous for
the audience to sit above the stage.
he puts them there. Or he may feel
that the play should be put on a
bridge stretching over the audiences
head. If so, he builds the bridge.
Mr.. Houghton believes that there
IS a great deal more actual freedom
Of expression in the Russian the
alter than in the American dramatic
world
Theater for the Children
For the Russian children. a chill
dren'S theater has been provided.
But no children are allowed to act
in the theater. Adults portray the
parts. The reactions Of the chill
dren are carefully studied and if
they laugh when they were expected
to cry or DO not respond to what
was intended TO be a joke, the play
is promptly changed to fit.
Mr.. Houghton, who will leave In
dianapoliS for New York tomorrow.
spoke encouragingly Of such Ameri-
can designers as Norman Bel
GeddeS, who are attempting. con-
sciously or unconsciously, to COM
blne American perfection Of arts
TIC technique with the poetic mag
ism Of the Russian artist.
That the influence of the Rus
sian drama will be eventually felt
IN America, Mr. Houghton feels is
inevitable. Touches Of it have been