Little Theatre Groups

Mr. Belasco, Acting Queen of Love and Beauty, Awards First Prize

Sing, 0 Muse, of the theatre, sing of Belasco, Belasco of many devices, who offered a silver trophy cup for the best performance given by any competing Little Theatre Group of the Metropolitan District! Sing a song of sixpence--a chanty of three $100 prizes awarded for those three groups of players deemed best by the gaffers sitting in judgment! Sing the lists--the trampled stage of the Nora Bayes Theatre--Ashby de la Zouch redivivus! Sing the embattled hosts!

Who was first among the well-greaved theatrical Achaians? Who hotly pressed forward first to commence the ardent one-act struggle for the bays? Who, but the Little Theatre of Bridgeport in The Rut, a drama by Sara Sherman Pryor? From the rising of the curtain upon that production on Monday to the falling of it upon the last scene of The Monkey's Paw, by W. W. Jacobs, produced by the Montclair Players of Montclair on Friday, how the gallant conflict raged!

The Wayside Players of Scarsdale contested there--ah me!--the Riverside Players of Greenwich, the Huguenot Players of New Rochelle! From the polar heights of Great Neck came the Women's Club thereof, aesthetically accoutered to do their devoir. The Circle Players, the Temple Players, the East-West Players, the Players' League, the Stockbridge Stocks--these five arose from Manhattan, and girded their loins with batik and fine linen and came. Brooklyn, fair Brooklyn of the poets, sent forth the Adelphi Dramatic Association, the Brooklyn Institute Players, the Clark Street Players--mighty clans.

The Trenton Players' Guild of Trenton was not absent--nor the Alliance Players of Jersey City--nor yet the Fireside Players of far White Plains. The Garden Players of Forest Hills--the Cranford Dramatic Club of Cranford--the Nyack Club Players of Nyack--all put forth their strength.

Who overcame then? Who found, of a fortunate Saturday, that that night they should repeat their performances for fame and a gleaming prize? One from Manhattan--the East-West Players in The Little Stone House, by George Calderon. They of White Plains who put their trust in The Crow's Nest, by William Manly. And the Garden Players of Forest Hills in Robert Courtney's The Clock. These were the victors three, where all strove with honor.

And of all these the East-West Players were crowned first of all and received the Belasco trophy, given by mighty Belasco himself as acting Queen of Love and Beauty.

Muse, thy song of bright heroes is ended. A stein of ambrosia, Muse!