GRANVILLE BARKER ADVOCATES SCHOOLS FOR FUTURE ACTORS

That acting should be taught in schools and colleges and should be made a part of general education was the point made by Granville Barker, the English producer, speaking last night in the Living Room of the Union before more than 600 students.

"We are now in another great renaissance of education," he said, "and we should turn to drama and demand that it should do its part. There is a small amount of good acting and a large amount of preposterously bad acting at present. The tradition of acting is broken, the old skill has departed and the art has declined. Drama will never really be able to contribute to the enjoyment of life until this old spirit is revived.

"The younger generation seems absolutely oblivious to the gross crudities which are perpetrated on the stage today, and do not seem to take any artistic pleasure in the skill of the art," continued Mr. Barker, To improve the acting of the present day, Mr. Barker suggested two innovations. One was that there should be regularly established schools, in which connection, he made the statement that acting should be recognized as a part of general education; and the other was that there should be more co-operation among the actors themselves.

"The integration of the acting companies would contribute immensely to the improvement of the stage," he declared. "What we ought to insist upon is co-operation, independent of the production of the play."