The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-11-26

The local Junior League is one of 39 Junior Leagues which will take part in the first of three children's theater conferences to be held this winter under the auspices of the As- sociation of the Junior Leagues of America. Junior Leagues in Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia and the Canadian provinces of Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia have been invited to participate in the eastern conference to be held in Montclair, New Jersey, December 5th-9th in- elusive. The Junior League of Mont- clair will act as the hostess league The leagues to take part in the first conference are those situated in what the Junior League designate as Regions I, II, and III.
 With a carefully worked out pro- gram of lectures, technical discus sions and laboratories as well as demonstrations, the theater confer ences have been planned to aid the Junior Leagues conducting chil- dren's theater program.
 Miss Mary Mitchell Wallace and Mrs. John O. White have been ap- pointed delegates from the local Junior League to attend the con- ference. They will leave for Mont clair on Monday, December 5th.
 Mrs. James Stephens of Mont clair is general chairman of the Montclair conference. Miss Agnes Grant, secretary of the children's theater department of the Associa- tion of the Junior Leagues of Amer ica, has planned the conference pro- gram with the cooperation of Miss Gloria Chandler and Miss Virginia Lee Conner, field representatives of this department.
 In a recent statement issued from the association headquarters in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, Miss Grant explained the plan for the regional conferences which this year are taking the place of one large children's theater conference. The rapid growth and develop ment of the children's theater pro- grams since the first presentation in 1912 has been an incentive to the association to strive for better ma terial in the work. Such is the pur- pose of the conferences and much technical information may be gain ed by those in attendance.
 Pointing out that through these conferences the delegates of all the Junior Leagues which have chil- dren's theater programs (135 of the 148 Leagues located in the United States, Canada and Mexico) will get technical advice, Miss Grant added. They will enable those members who specialize in this one field to get help from professionals, on the Associations staff, as well as out side professionals, to make their per- formances finer in every phase of production and better suited to meet the needs of their community life"
 "The fact that Junior Leagues have or may be indicated by the fact that in 1936-37 Junior Leagues play ed to over 250O0O children and last year, 1937-1938, to just under 3OO,- 900 children, exclusive of the au- diences who heard radio broadcasts of children's plays done by 20 Leagues.
 An audience like that makes one pause. It's worth hunting for good dramatizations of old stories or for new original plays, it's worth learn ing all one can to make the produc- tion, even if simple, one which ir direction, acting and technical skill has beauty, unity and distinction. The step between recognizing the value of well produced children's plays, and being able to achieve them in ones own community k something in which we hope these conferences will assist. They are working conferences at which both s full length play and a troupine ODonnell, Mary valukas, Tomm! Kaukas.