Evening star., 1937-08-22


that the Theatre Guild, regarded
today as the foremost producing
organization in the American
theater, came into being begun by
| group OF dramatic stalwsrts with an
idea and an ideal. The idea was that
"the theater itself is bigger than any
of the workers in 1t, and that it
should be employed for the creation
OF the finest drama Of the time,
drama definitely and honestly reflect
ing the authors vision Of life or sense
OF style and beauty"
And it "just happened that the
guild dropped its idea into fertile soil
in that year of 1918. 1t took root in
an unusual state of unrest that had
begun to take form In the American
theater shortly after the turn Of the
century and which had eliminated
in the forming OF little theater and
community groups whose voices were
crying in the wilderness for theater
| outside the pale of the commercial
enterprises, most Of which reflected
neither life nor beauty"
also had a strong belief that there
existed potential audience for the
plays it hoped to produce, if only
the cooperation OF that possible au-
| dience might somehow be secured
and if somehow the audience might
be taken into partnership in the ex-
pertinent. The result of this belief
was the subscription plan, established
then and continuing to this day, by
which theatergoers pledge their con-
| fldence in the ideals Of the guild by
buying in advance. each season. tickets
to the SIX productions promised, with
out even knowing definitely what the
plays Will be, who will play in them,
or the exact dates of their presenta-
ton
That first year, it is said, there we're
| only 1875 theatergoers who were brave
enough to gamble with the guild, but
the number grew Two years ago
there were $4,000 in New York City
alone, and many thousands Of others
in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia,
Pittsburgh and in the Capital City
who became subscribing members Of
the Theatre Guild and its co-organi-
zation, the American Theatre Society.
The number grows and grows The
subscribing members pay no dues
Quite the contrary, in return for their
| pledge Of support they receive their
| tickets at less than box Office prices.
have preferred locations and other
| privileges.
EEPING thousands of subscribers
happy is not always an easy
task. MANY difficulties arise, but the
| Theatre Guild and the American
Theatre Society somehow prove equal
! to the giant task of seating Mr. X
down front because he is slightly deaf
and assigning Mr.. y on an aisle
because his legs are long" Mrs. A
is infuriated by the play, perhaps. but
Mrs. B loves 1t and wants more like it
next season. 1t is problem no other
producing agency faces but the efforts
to satisfy continue and the sub
scribers become legion for the simple
reason that the Theatre Guild still
holds fast to its ideal, to give fine
production TO fine drama.
The guild in its origin was
/ community theater. and the guilds
acquisition Of a theater building of
its own was made possible by COM
munity support. As Theresa Helburn
said al the laying OF the Guild Theatre
cornerstone in 1924. the guild knows
| that the function Of the thester is to
entertain that its greatest sin is to be
! dull. that its greatest commercial asset
/ is to leave It's audience happy and con-
! tented. But the guild also knows that
! the function of the theater is not
| only to entertain but to stimulate, not
/ only to make you feel but to make
/ YOU think, that its greatest sin is to
be superficial. and that while it may
leave its audiences thrilled by the
intensity Of life. it must never cheat
them by denying its underlying trag-
edy. 1t is plays of this type that con-
stitute the guilds most precious fail
ures. they are its realeSt successes
even though their success is only ap-
parent in the seasons that come after.
for the theater moves rapidly. And
the dynamite of one season is the
building stone Of the next
It was only brief seven years ago
that Washington was added to the
list of guild" cities, and playgoers
in the Capital Of the Nation Joined
hands with drama lovers of other
major centers in sponsoring the sea-
son of six plays offered by the
Theatre Guild in cooperation with the
! American Theatre Sciety. Since that
time the interest and the subscrlp-
ton list has grown consistently until
year ago, when it took a sudden
lump upwards, due In large measure
to a superlatively fine series Of plays
in 1886 Last season the number
Of subscribers reached high peak Of
more than 5000: this seasons indi-
cations are that the number will soar
to 1000 or maybe more, with prospects
for 10000 members in l938-39 and
resulting two weeks engagement here
for guild attractions.
uERE in the Capital of the Nation,
IL leaders in all walks Of life are in
cluded among the season subscribers,
cabinet ministers. Senators and Rep
resentatives in Congress, diplomats and
Judges. civic, professional and social
leaders, educators and drama en-
thusiasts A cross section OF the life
of the Capital city is TO be found In
the subscription lists of the Theatre
Guild in the National Theater, for the
coming season.
During the hot Summer months,
when many people go far afield and
do not stop to think in terms OF VIM
ter and it's plans. the Theatre Guild
office in the National Theater remains
open for the continual flow OF orders
for next season, orders by mail and
in person. Hundreds Of subscribers
| make their reseryat tiOns in early