Word: eatonized
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Dates: during 1920-1929
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...brief resume of the conditions surrounding a boy with any theatrical tallent in present day institutions of learning, Mr. Eaton gave a graphic description of the experiences of the average youthful dramatic enthusiast in his struggle to gain an education along the line of his chosen profession". Troubles for a young creative dramatist begin in the preparatory school", he declared. "There are two reasons why our secondary institutions offer no attraction for such a student. One is the prevailing tendency of all American preparatory schools to 'cut boys to pattern'. Now it can readily be seen what effect an atmosphere...
Even in the transfer from preparatory school to college there is according to Mr. Eaton, little gained in the way of a fuller recognition of the educational demands of a youth with dramatic instincts. "The colleges have sterilized more artists than they have ever made", he asserted. "There are two things essential to the creative artist experience with the material of his art and practice, and the acquisition of technique. He gets neither at the average university of today. His materials are life, and in college be secures an intimate acquaintance with nothing but books, being completely segregated from life...
While deploring the present status of the drama in the universities, Mr. Eaton still clings to the higher institutions as the back-bone of the theatrical world of today. "In our colleges lies the future hope of the drama", he declared, and went on to dwell at length on the few evidences of a dramatic revival in American hails of learning. Foremost among these latter is the 47 Workshop at the University, given under the direction of Professor G. P. Baker '87. This is the pioneer course in dramatics among American colleges. Its object it not to study the drama...
Turning from a discussion of amateur dramatics to the general topic of the theatrical element in America, Mr. Eaton deplored the present attitude of the public towards the stage. "The theatrical condition of America today is almost pitiful", he said, declaring that the people at large have no more interest in the stage and are feeding on entertainment which is not calculated to test their intelligence in the slightest degree...
...greatest menace to the drama is the motion picture", declared Mr. Eaton, "The country is getting for their entertainment something devoid of any appeal to their intelligence, which develops no serious though but is sated with surface and artificial emotionalism. The moving picture censorship cannot eradicate the underlying immorality of the silver sheet. It is just the 'movies'. Taking a different view-point, statistics show that children who regularly attend the movies invariably show less ability in their classroom work than those who don't make a regular practice of attending. They exhibit less power of concentration and often become...