THE MI CIGAN DAIL Y
SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 1929
Tublished every morning except Monday
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KENNETH G. PATRICK
Editor...............Nelson J. Smith
City Editor..... .... Stewart Hooker
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oseph E.:Howe
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eit Unarie a. m v
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eporters
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Night Editor-JOSEPH E. HOWELL
SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 1929
ACTIVITIES, FRESHMAN?
Classwcrk for the first .semester'
has ended, and with the second
half but a few weeks away, students
are already making resolves to bet-
ter their grades and work next
semester, in addition to enjoying
themselves more fully.
The Freshman class however,
takes on itself an extra burden of
thought and consideration, for the
opening weeks of the second semes-
ter'will open for the first time the
chances to take part in campus
activities. As before, there will be
different reasons for taking part
in the various activities. Desire to
become B. M. o. C.'s, instilled by
sitting at the knee of famous men
on the Michigan campus, will play
no small part. There, too, will be
those men with serious intent seek-
ing to find out more about various
departments with a view of putting
the information received into prac-
tive when school is behind.
From the ranks of the class of
1932 now battling its first finals
will come the later managing edi-
tors and business managers, the
presidents and student officials,
and managers. Grades play an all
important part in progress in these
lines of activity, and this word to
the wise freshman should be suffi-
cient for him to make the grades
that will enable him to be eligible
for activities next semester.
Campus Opinion
Contributors are asked to be brief,
confining themselves to less than 3.0
words i possible. Anonymous corn-
munications will be disregarded. The
names of communicants will, however,
be regarded as confidential, upon re-
quest. Letters published should nut be
construed as expressing the editorial
opinion of the Daily.
MICHIGAN'S CAMPUS THEATER
Undergraduate dramatics at the
University of Michigan during the
past decade have undergone what,
in terms of future progress, might
be regarded as the interest on the
part of the student body in various
fields of dramatic endeavor has
brought about a consciousness of
the discouraging inadequacy of ex-
isting facilities for the production
of plays and musical comedies.
Th arrival of 1929 finds the
undertakings will be temporarily
slowed down until such jointly-
shared theater makes its bow to!
the campus and Ann Arbor public.
Mimes of the Michigan Union,
the pioneer campus dramatic or-
ganization, has long been justly
famous for its annual musical
comedies, and "Our Handsomestt
Girls Are Men" has become a per- z
manent phrase carrying with it a
yearly substantiation to both the
alumni and the student body of
the University. Since 1906 the an-
nual opera has been conceived, per-I
fected, and produced within the
antiquated walls of Mimes theaterl
-noted among local theatergoers
not for its architectural beauty nor
its seating capacity, but for thee
excellence of the infrequent dra-
matic performances that have beent
seen across the footlights of its
stage.
In addition to the "opera," which
can be relied upon in the future to
maintain its brilliant national rep-
utation, the past few seasons atf
Mimes theater have brought local
audiences such works as "En-t
gaged," "Seventh Heaven," "The
Bad Man," "S. S. Glencairn," and
"The Home Towners." Consensus
of opinion on each of the plays
given to date has embodied unstin-
ted praise for the almost profes-
sional finish with which the dra-
matic undertakings of Mimes haveE
been presented. At the present time
"The Marquise" is in rehearsal,
while "Loyalties" and "Jstice"
have been selected for production7
during the coming season.
Comedy Club, with "You and I,"
"Dulcy," and "Diplomacy" has like-,
wise held high honors in campus,
dramatic circles, and while denied=
the production facilities available1
to similar organizations in other
universities, several hits have been;
scored, and group competition be-.
tween campus societies has stim-
ulated the pursuits for the achieve-
ment of dramatic excellence.
In the third dramatic organiza-
tion on the Michigan campus are
to be found several unique features,
for Play Production, as it is known,
is in reality an amateur theatrical
laboratory sponsored under the
University curriculm. Within this
organization, plays are written, di-
rected, produced, and acted by un-
dergraduates themselves; under
the supervision of a faculty direc-
tor. As a result of both close har-
mony between students and faculty,
and the growing popularity of
amateur dramatics as an under-
graduate activity, six plays are now
in, the process of laboratory pro-
duction. The campus will be af-
forded the opportunity of seeing
three of these plays, which were
judged to be the best out of thirty-
one submitted in a recent competi-
tion, sometime during the coming
semester, when they will be pre-
sented in their completed form.
With several possible changes in
the organization of these dramatic
societies, a new theater, to be used
jointly by the growing ranks of
undergraduate drama participants
with a more extensive and adequate
means of activity and self-expres-
sion. Although the "Campus The-
Eter" has long been a hoped-for
possibility, it still remains outside
the bounds of realization, for exist-
ing facilities in the production of
undergraduate dramatics have pre-
vented their being conducted on a
paying financial basis. Neverthe-
less, a consolidated theater so con-
structed and large enough to ac-
comodate 2,000 people, if properly
financed, will have payed for it-
self in the course of a few years
time, and will stand as a monument
and a tribute to those whose efforts
have been responsible for making
it a reality.
To attain the distinction as
leader of amateur dramatics in
American universities, Michigan
must have a new undergraduate
theater.
W. R. T., '29.
Announcement of the results of
the second elimination in the origi-
nal one-act play contest brings
nearer to completion what stands
as an innovation in dramatic ac-1
tivities on this campus and has
behind it a motivating idea that
should not be lost to sight. The
primary purpose of the contest was
not to provide a new and very
gratifying way of inflating student
egos. The success with which the
whole program was conducted and
the obvious pleasure brought to an
audience made up of eager friends
should be a source of thorough
gratification to all those connected
with the production, but the whole
affair, as it stands now and as it
will result when the final elimina-
tion is announced at the first pub-
lic performance, is motivated by
the central idea of bringing about
a University theater.
No one can say that such a the-
ater would result in. the overdevel-
opment of extra curricular activi-
ties which would take the student
into the primrose paths of the ex-
panding ego. The theater is in-
evitably the play-ground of the ego
-more so than any other activity
perhaps. But under the organizing
influence of a department like
Play Production, and with the guid-
ing enthusiasm of Director Windt,
exhibitionistic tendencies have been
directed toward a degree of co-
operative efficiency that is only at-
tained, so we have been told, on
the football field. The traditional
view is that team work is only
achieved in competetive sports.
Big Ten stardom not being the lot
of everyone, it would seem not un-
reasonable to look for cooperating
competition in other fields--of
which dramatic activity presents a
most striking example. Consider-
ing that Play Production also func-
tions as a part of the curriculum,
there is an element of incongruous
humor in contrasting the bored de-
termination so evident in chemis-
try or physics laboratories with the
same experimental activities in the
University Hall theater.
An ideal that has been expressed
in regard to the erection of a Uni-
versity theater is to the effect that
the theater should be made the
center of a fine arts group of activ-
ities. An active theater, experi-
menting freely and producing
widely, has use for the whole range
of arts. It would seem a logical
starting point for the correllation
of fine arts. But in its educational
capacity it cannot be guided by the
commercial principles imposed on
an endowed organization. An en-
dowed theater would serve the pur-
pose of objectifying on the stage,
for students, classic examples in
the history of dramatic literature,
it would centralize and give outlet
to experimentation and instruction
in: the fine arts, it would provide
valuable experience for those inter-
ested in the drama from the pro-
fessional point of view, and finally,
in its general production activities,
it would serve the very necessary
purpose of educating an untheatri-
cal student body to the stimulating
influence of the legitimate drama.
Thorough development of such
j a theater would have some inter-
esting effects on the local, extra-
curricular groups like Mimes, with
its Union-subsidized theater, Com-
edy Club, with no theater at all,
and the new Women's League the-
ater which is, potentially at least,
a nucleus for numerous other pro-
ducing organizations.
But whatever these re'sults, a
University theater would place
Michigan among the leaders of the
movement that recognizes the the-
ater as a strong force in the cul-
tural development of national life.
R. Leslie Askren.
A COMMUNICATION
A letter has come to hand via the
personal correspondance of Manag-
ing Editor Patrick. The memory
of Robert B. Henderson lingering
still strongly on this campus, his
good fortune as an alumnus should
be news to his friends:
"You may have known that I
have been working for the estima-
ble W. H. Wright, stock company
impressario par excellence and tied
up with the Butterfield interests.
I am leaving him, however, to play
U..........................
A CULTURAL FORCE
----------- .
Robert Henderson."
"Goodman Theater, Chicago."
* * ,
AN EMBARRASSING SURPLUS
Friday night of last week, after
the tumult and the shouting had
died away from the production of
original one-act plays presented by
Play Production, an event of stag-
gering importance took place. j
In Play Production there is an
advanced course for the instruc- I
tion of directors. By the grace of
God and the extraordinary munifi-
cence of the University this class
receives a subsidy in the form of
hard cold dollars to carry on its
work. The treasurer of this group,
being an ingenious and frugal soul
-as all good treasurers should be
-a surplus was discovered in the
treasury. Conceivably this might
have something to do with the
ever-present Prosperity myth, but
dramatic economists, and there are
such, prefer to consider the un-
precedented state of solvency a di- I
rect result of the aforementioned
frugality.
Friday night, in the reflected
glare of an empty stage that badly
needed the kindly ministrations of
the janitor, 'a hushed group of'
eager enthusiasts gathered, quiet-
ly, respectfully, to witness the pre-
sentation of the surplus. The cere-
mony was strikingly effective.
Simplicity, and fervor suppressed
for the sake of the formalities,
were the dominant notes as the
check, totalling $21, was delivered
to Director Windt for use by Play
Production. The group broke, at a
loss for words, when the Director's
words of thanks were ended.
Play Production is now faced
with the problem of expending this
sum. If the editor of this column
may venture a suggestion it is to
the general effect of rebuilding
University Hall into a laboratory
theater--which would not be so
herculean a task, considering that
Play Production has built a whole
season of pleasant plays on a rela-
tively smaller sum than $21.
R. L. A.
* * *
AROUND AND ABOUT
News comes, via the critical re-
views in "Variety," that Saimmuel
S. Bonnell, '28, and member of
Comedy Club, is playing in "Street
Scene" at Provincetown Playhouse,
New York. "Variety" c(a le(I the hljow
good. ,
Presentation of the remnaining
four original one-act plays to the
public early next semester will de-
termine the general appeal of stu-
dent playwrighting talent. Exploit-
ing original talent might be the
salvation of organizations like
Comedy Club who are pestered,
among other things, by royalty dif-
ficulties,
There seems to be no discover.
able ulterior motive behind Mimes'
announced revival of Galsworthy.
"Justice" and "Loyalties" present
the famous author of "The For-
sythe Saga" at his social-criticism
best.
Relative to casting the three
plays, "The Marquise," "Justice,"
and "Loyalties," Mimes issued an
edict barring students from try-
outs if they were connected with
similar dramatic activities else-
where on the campus. The ultima-
tum recalls a time when it was a
privilege to be invited to try out.
* * *
Local dram-addicts console tienm-
selves over the loss of Pro . 0. J.
Campbell to Harvard by the reflec-
tion that it is only for one semes-
ter. Prof. Campbell's interest in
the drama is as near fanaticism as
a gentleman allows himself I o get
"Fake My Advice'' Comiiedy
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the lead (really, I happen to be
just the type) in the new produe- h
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Boulevard just behind the Art In- 110 S. Main St.
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ORATORICAL ASSOCIATION '..-
Presents
- .
Sephen\
-Leacock -
Noted Humorist
Hill Auditorium
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Editorial Comment
i
OUSTING THE LIBERALS
The Daily Northwestern
In the resignation of Dr. Clarence
Cook Little from the presidency of
the University of Michigan the edu-
cational world has lost one of its
most progressive and liberal lead-
ers. Dr. Little, faced with the op-
position and antagonism of the
board of regents in the formulation
and execution of poicies which hef
believed to be for the good not only,
of the Michigan student body but of
the whole university system, felt
compelled to tender his resignation.
He will, of course, continue in sci-j
that this policy would be carried
through by his successor.
Because he advocated birth-con-
trol and other ideas quite at var-
ance with "conservative Wolverine
I