A NEW THEATRE

Followers of the theatre will be interested in the latest venture in the dramatic field in Boston,--the Stage Guild. This organization, which is now beginning its third week at the Peabody Play House, plans to produce, for two weeks each a number of plays which would otherwise never be seen outside of New York. Such plays as "Ambush", with which the Guild opened its season, "March Hares", which it is playing with great success at present, "The Deluge", by Henning Berger, and Philip Moeler's "Sophie", which are coming in the next month, would never find their way to any of the larger Boston theatres. Only a limited public is interested in anything besides musical comedy,--a public too small to attract the big-theatre managers who know their business. At the tiny Peabody Play House, however, this small, but discriminating minority can easily supply audiences for the short runs of two weeks. And since the Guild wants only enough to pay expenses, it should be entirely successful.

The spirit of the Stage Guild entitles it to the warm friendship of college men, who presumably want to see the best of things, and like to see them well done. The group of amateurs which has been assembled numbers many of the best in Boston; quite a few have had experience in the '47 Workshop, and judging from their performances so far, all of them are superior to the average stock company players. Since they are primarily students of the theatre and the drama, one may expect more revealing interpretation, more subtlety perhaps, more real art than one finds in the ordinary popular play. And since the Guild is not a stock company, but picks its actors from a large group, it need not overwork a few stars in possibly uncongenial parts, but may by careful selection obtain the best characterization for every role. Its very nature gives it many advantages, all tending to produce finished first-rate performances while its rather Altruistic character engages the attention and interest of everyone who occasionally hungers for an intelligent, significant play.