Evening star., 1936-04-29
BY WARD MOREHOUSE.
pecial Dispatch to The Star.

BY WARD MOREHOUSE.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
TOMBSTONE, Ariz., April 20 (N.A.
NAD.-There's going to be a drama
upheayal in Tombstone in the Fall II
the Bird Cage Theater has its way.
The population of Tombstone isn't
sufficient to keep the Bird Cage go
ing-not even to pay the stagehand
wages. But hasn't it been proved that
people who want to see plays are sell
dom bothered by mileage? Or even by
tube or ferry? There was the case OF
Hoboken. There's the case Of Skow-
hegan, up in the Maine woods. And
of Glitch Gardens. out in Denver.
And Colorado made the headlines with
drama festival in a forgotten place
called Central City.
So why not the famous Bird Cage?
And why not Tombstone?
Dates Back to 1881.
The Bird Cage Theater stands where
it has stood since lS8l-on Allen
street. 1t is now used as coffee shop
and soft-drink stand, but the theater
is ICdOy AL liSSs ANAAo- W. ~''
Ewing is the hostess. She and her
husband hold the lease. It's on Route
80 and it's the first thing you see as
YOU ride into Tombstone from the East.
Many motorists stop and look around.
The Bird Cage had its fling as a
lively variety house in the frontier
days. The cross-America troupes that
got to Arizona played Tombstone.
Drama historians in this section say
that the Bird Cage had many thrilling
nights, with the audience invariably
as much of the entertainment as the
stage fare. Those Bird Cage first
nighters were not playgoers that Gill
bert Miller would pick for one OF his
premieres-miners, cattlemen, buffalo
hunters. gamblers, desperadoes. team
sters, claim jumpers, fortune seekers.
cowboys, plain drunks. A lusty time
In American theaterdom. It's the
legend that famous stars played the
Bird Cage. Mrs Ewing says Eddie Foy
was ore, but she isn't so sure about
Lotta Crabtree.
Tells of Possibilities.
We're going to see," she said. II
we can't make go OF it in the Fail.
There is no drama around here. Peo-
ple would like to see plays. There
are lot of good towns-Tucson, Bis
bee, Douglas. We might even get
people from as far as Albuquerque.
Motor travel is easy down here. The
roads are good. A 1o0-mile drive is
nothing at ALL Tombstone is well
known, and so is the theater, but we'd
have to do lot of advertising. And
we will do that if we can get started.
We've talked to some Hollywood peo-
pie. A professional group would be
better than local group. Possibly we
might interest somebody in New York
in bringing out a company. Anyway,
we hope to restore the theater to the
bird cage in the Fall"
Early Drama Center.
Where's Tombstone and what's it
like? It's on that United States route
that the signboards insist is the Broad
way of America. It's a silver mining
town between the Dragons and the
Huachuca Mountains, in Cochise
County, rs miles. out of Tucson. If
you know your Arizona these facts
are unnecessary. But Tombstone was
a drama center before Eugene ONeill
was born, before William Gillette had
come into Broadway fame and before
Dan Frohman had moved into the
famous Lyceum on Fourth avenue to
start his famous company. Tomb
stone, then, is interesting theatrically.
Aside from its traditions, and its sill
yer it's just village on U. S. 80.
Who are the people of this Arizona
hamlet? John Giacoma sells ice. Mr.
lombard runs the Crystal Palace Bar
Mr.. Crozier is the meat man. Mr..
Hood operates the Owl Restaurant.
Mr. Christini sells pinto beans-$4 80
per sack. Arthur Harmon Is the man
to see about piano tuning. r. A. Sparks
about dirt in your carburetor. Mrs
Dave Baker will rejuvenate your hair
and Editor Cole, over the Tombstone
Epitaph, knows about mining and
politics and the Townsend plan. And,
yes. the Venus Chapter of the Eastern