Identifier: arttheatrediscus00chen (find matches)
Title: The art theatre; a discussion of its ideals
Year: 1917 (1910s)
Authors: Cheney, Sheldon, 1886-1980
Subjects: Detroit Little theater movement
Publisher: New York, A. A. Knopf
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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summary of the situation runslike this: At the present stage of the art theatremovement we are limited, by the small audiencesso far developed for the best forms of drama,and by certain exterior circumstances, to a smallexpenditure each year. If a little theatre paysactors salaries it cannot do justice to the otherdemands of art theatre production. The classof actor it can afford to pay, moreover, is notable to do as good work as the best type of ama-teur. It is unwise to pay a few leading actorsand then fill in with amateurs, because onethereby creates an undemocratic atmosphere anda basis for petty jealousies and disputes. It isbetter, therefore, to use only amateurs, at leastuntil such time as the theatre can afford the verybest professionals. A paid company, moreover,is necessarily small, and one can choose from amuch wider field when using amateurs. The advantages of amateur companies havebeen brought out clearly during Humes seasonat the Arts and Crafts Theatre. In the first116
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SAM HUME AS ABRAHAM ANDFRANCES LOUGHTON AS ISAAC Acting and Actors place they submit more willingly to direction;they have not the professional actors obsessionthat the old method is right, and they conform tothe ensemble method more easily. They arefree, moreover, from those artificialities andtricks which mark the commercial theatre player,and which the art theatre director must cure be-fore starting serious work. They are workingfor love of the theatre, and not for pay; and theiracting is therefore less likely to be perfunctory.They are as a class far better educated and bet-ter bred than the usual actor, and so they moreeasily grasp the essential idea of art theatre pro-duction. It is necessary to add that in most ama-teur companies there is a sprinkling of playerswith more or less professional experience. AtDetroit certain ones had been with travelling andstock companies, others had played bits here andthere, and many, of course, had been leaders inamateur dramatic clubs. In othe

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