Show Municipal Theatre I By y Dr Frank Crane I Tills much of a a. socialist a number of or orUl UR Ul uli ar are aie J pet getting tins to be hc that we c e hetteye the community o ought to to pro amusements for the public We Wc c arc are not sd ed sure auto yet Ct that ork work ought l to b be e furnished er e every everyman man b by the thc state al but iut with play It Is differ emit ent Pia Play not nol work Is the tho fundamental necessity ne ne- ll of tho human animal Some man I a ape age e to set get ct alonG alons without ork but people cople who have no play pia are dangerous dan Amusements have more moie to do i the morals of p people ople than thai education I I would i k fa ray ay than religion lon If tr trI I dared For centuries s we have ila had tJi the notion nollan that the only ohly moral element clement In diversions Idl W wa their temptation grief and bi bruises and unremitting fn toll toil men were vere supposed to b Rood good through laughter and song sons II mid and slinking the leg IfS the they were wert I to b become naughty haughty Inheriting this tt wholly hoUr untrue id Idea a It takes us a long I time to get lid ild or of it It Wo me mire making om onie ogres p s. s b bei 1 our nih t-ic t to th the fact that It Is 11 onh In pIH play that thal a R child learns Ins and nd das A public school iia playground teachers teacher Th The modern educator M Iii waking iii up A 4 Ja a thatter ut fact play III Is 10 not only d moral hut hill It it Is 11 the only i wa way ay In which a It aery ery cr laige Jarc portion of oC the I Ic can In get ct Mil any morality The They wont won't go 10 to churCh thc they dont don't go 0 o ol th W cant can't read hooks books Th rh Thon on thing thin the they will and can do Is to topi pi PlaY w. w Simon 1 X N. PI VIl I u y fly By t lm fa li a the thet t weak tak ak h liv liy i pVc c dl disease ta b by removing c ln starvation tar and fear a a lower t type p o of man than was vas 11 possible Jn ITI th the ll hive II voi 01 Ill Id ii In this lower when r religion and morality do not act ct amu amusements amusements amuse amuse- o. o ments and sports are the only effective c motives to elevate men He lie further calls amusement the lower round of or re re rc g-cn g generation cr With our system swarming with the microbes of medievalism and Puritanism this Is a little hard to se see but it 1 is true nono the less Ie The Tue most mOAl significant moral development develop ment in the last five nc years cars has bc been n the spread of the moving picture show sho But the tue only reason On why h the tho masses maSeR throng thronS' th them m and not the the theatres theatres' Is that one costs 5 6 cents and the others a a. dollar and up er E Every American city and town lon qu ought hl to have its Us municipal theatre Its Us own oVon stock company and the thc price should be below below low 10 enough to admit the poorest Not Nol that the plays should be religious nor In many an any way a preachy ch Just decent and wholesome and Interesting enough enouCh to get gel the thA onlooker out of or himself There is much on the stage today that thatIs Is helpful To one who loves his kind his lila pleasure in witnessing such Buch a a. good stimulating performance is spotted b by bythe bythe the knowledge c that the price of a scat seat k keeps awa away the thousands who ho ought lobe to lo tobe tobe be there It If I were a a. billionaire 1 I should bu his buy up such plays plas a as aR Tho rho rh oc Ha and Peter Pan anti and The Littlest Rebel Hebel and such thoroughly modem modern vital human bits of drama and send them through the slums and bedraggled districts of the great cSt city and null into tho thio country countr towns lowns and charge charo 5 Sand and 10 cents cent admission lon Wb Why does docs anything have to be nasty b It In Iii cheap Our churches arc aro free re and arid our libraries wh Why not nol recognize nize tho moral potency of or the drama and anti put the state slat behind it It an and 1 male make It Il so o och ch cheap J that t the tue people ml may attend M Meanwhile we ve might continue to ha hath have havethe havethe th the silly j plays and musical comedies come that thal cater to un unwholesome lewdness s remain high priced Charge 2 a. a seat leal for tor or the tho theIa Ia gay Broadway road ar girls the unrivaled aj aggregation ag Jrp of or home homo brak breakers rs and let the smart set l BO go and enjoy themselves h but I bring l and The nine Blue Bird down to the p people ople where here they belong |