CHILDREN'S THEATRE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23259, 31 January 1939, Page 3

CHILDREN'S THEATRE

VENTURE IN NEW YORK MEMBER OF FAMOUS FAMILY A pioneer in children's theatre production in New York is Mrs. Clare | Tree Major, who for the past 15 years has been director of the Children's Theatre, of New York, which she founded. Mrs. Major is a grandniece of the famous 19th century English actress Ellen Tree, and gave up a career as an actress herself to experiment an untried field —that of pro during plays for boys and girls. A mother herself, Mrs. Major b;:- j lieved that a good theatre for children was needed. Although theatrical people looked upon her enterprise as a hazardous venture, she organised a group of Broadway actors and actresses and gave Saturday morning matinees for New York children. Although the cast was largely composed of people engaged in other plavs. they found time to rehearse for tiieir Saturday morning appearances. From that first group of actors the Children's Theatre has grown to have six companies visiting 33 States last season. Each unit travelled in a car and a specially designed truck carrying scenery, and each was equipped to play on the stages of metropolitan theatres or on the stages of village auditoriums. Mrs. Major is a graduate of the Roval Academv of Dramatic Art in London, of which Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree was head. When a descendant of the famous stage family of Tree went to him to study he was especially interested in her career and wrote the preface to her first book on the development of voice and personality.