Evening star., 1947-09-24

at Newark, ana Cne invited guests IT
resentatives Of Middle Atlantic univ
In the District of Columbia, New;
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Vir-
ginia, West Virginia and, naturally,
Delaware.
Somewhat distant among the OBJ
jectives of the conference, although
major in its plans, is the old, old
dream of creating a national the
ater, an American theater to which
all the elements Of the drama will
contribute. The two-day program,
set for October 1919, will tackle
first things first, however. That
means an exchange between repre-
sentatives of the professional and
university theaters looking toward
the immediate Improvement OF
campus production caliber and the
curricula of which the latter Is an
expression.
An idea. Of the practically Of the
programs approach to current prob
lens are the agendas for the first
days Observation-Disclosures demon
stration sessions. These will deal
with such stern realities as play
selection, direction, acting, lighting,
additions, radio and publicity and
promotion. Each of these group
sessions will be directed by outstand-
ing authorities in the field, and the
principal speaker at each will be
nationally prominent in the theater:
DR.. c. Robert Kase, director OF
dramatics at the University Of Della
ware, president of the American
Educational Theater Association,
and a director of ANITA, in calling
the conference, explains:
"Theater people from all levels will
sit down together at this conference
to discuss the major problems OF the
theater. The topics will emphasize
the trend toward uniflcation Of the
theater and the establishment Of a
national theater. The meeting
should afford an excellent oppor-
tunity, not only for ANITA to clarity
its philosophy and plans for the
university and community theater
leaders of the Eastern seabord, 1t
is also an opportunity to get these
leaders to clarity their ideas as to
what they expect and want of ANITA"
Each Of the major university
theater groups in Washington will
be represented at the conference.
Speaking of the university theater,
one of its most prominent partici-
pants locally will deliver one Of the
seven lectures in this years Charles
Carroll Forum program. He is
Walter Kerr, associate professor at
Catholic University, whose subject
for the February Forum session is
1.-THE future of the American stage
and screen"
Mr.. Kerr, brilliant contributor to
the local university's prestige in the
field of the drama, Is best known on
Broadway as author Of the Theater
Guilds production, Sing Out, Sweet
Land"
Richard Hart who scored his first
acting success in the theater at the
National In the Shuberts' produc-
ton, Dark of the Moon," will make
his bow as motion picture star here
when Desire Me-" with Greer Gar
son and Robert Mitchum opens at
the Palace, October 2. Hart, a gradu-
ate Of Brown University, was signed
by Metro - Gcldwyn Mayer shortly
after Ozark Of the Moon" a play
with music, made its appearance on
Broadway.
Washington film council members,
meeting today at the Department of
Agriculture auditorium, saw the film
Round Trip: The U.SA. in World
Trade" produced by the Goth
Century Fund. The film, based upon
the funds research survey, Re
building the World Economy" makes
use of a new technique in dealing
with the question, what does foreign
trade mean to YOU.
March OF Times ''The American
Teacher" also was shown.
That Is a convincing accent of
Suzette Meredith's in Lady Win
dermere's Fan" in which she plays
Lady Agatha whose one line, re-
peated IA times, is Eyes, Mama" !"
It sounds altogether English among
even those more logically altogeth-
or English accents employed by the
cast.
Miss Meredith however. is one of