Evening star., 1947-09-07
By Chris Mothisen

College drama will move into a
lnew medium here during the COM
ing school year.
Television-bringing new oppor-
tunities and requiring new tech
nioues-will become a recognized
outlet for the acting and production
talents of students.
Most institutions in the Washing
ton area are making plans to take
advantage of the board experiment
tai field afforded by this new ele-
ment of mass entertainment. Rec
ognizing its particular needs and
potentialities, they are preparing to
give their drama students wide latl-
tude in using it.
Two television stations are in
operation here now-WTTG OF
Allen B. DuMont Laboratories, Inc.,
and WNBW of the National Broad
casting Co.
Two More Coming Up.
- Soon there will be two more, op-
Grated by The Evening Star Broad
casting Co. and the Bamberger
Broadcasting Service, Inc.
The four arrangements have an
nounced their intentions of using
drama extensively in programming
and cooperating with the universi-
ties in its presentation.
Television experts are few. Be-
cause of this, the neophyte can ex-
pect to teach his teacher, if he is
alert and senses new production
twists. It's learn-by doing art. The
college student who. looks to its po-
tentialities with enthusiasm and
Imagination has an excellent chance
to mold for himself a profitable and
interesting career.
The television stations have had
to start from nothing in building
their schedules. Many programs
which have been graced with high
popularity in sound >broadcasting
have little excuse to be televised-
straight music features, for example.
Sports events are limited. Public
affairs periods must be used SPAR
ingly to avoid alternating the audi
ence, most of which wants enter
tainment most of the time. So tele-
vision turns,to drama.
Tie Up With Educators.
With wealth Of young perform
ers, directors and stage designers to
choose from, the visual broadcasting
business is finding it good business
to effect tieups with educational
units in the community.
American University, for example,
has an arrangement with The Eve
ming Star Broadcasting Co. which
the, parties believe will prove of sub
stantial mutual value.
When Station WMAL-TV goes on
the air, cooperative effort will be-
gin. 1t will involve members of the
university faculty and the station
staff. The students will be able to
study and practice the techniques Of
television in a studio being installed
in the transmitter building being
built on the campus. Later, the
young television experimenters will
have the use of large downtown
studios.
The other three television outlets
are developing similar patterns of
drama work in association with the
universities.
Apart from telcvision, the collegi-
ate drama scene hereabouts has
been frightened by several other de-
velopments.
Catholic University is well along
in its full-year festival. Hollywood
and Broadway have joined with the
university in presenting the IL
month program of new plays. The
two centers of showmanship are
represented, respectively, by the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences and the American Nation
al Theater and Academy.
To Offer Seven Plays.
Walter Kerr's playwriting course,
developing new writing talent for
the theater, is the central feature
of the festival idea. A total of seven
plays is to be offered. The first,
"All Gaul Is Divided" by John Nc
Giver, presented in June, has been
bought for professional production.
The contributions of Broadway
and Hollywood are players, direc-
tors and technicians, as requested
by the university through the Rev.
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