West Forms 'Dining Hall Drama,' Will Tour Houses with Initial Production Early in April

A new solution to the local theatrical problems of poor staging facilities and lack of student interest was propounded yesterday by William A. West '49 with the formation by him of a new theatre group which will perform in House dining halls beginning next month.

Plans are already set for production of Robert Sherwood's "The Petrified Forest," scheduled to open in the Winthrop House dining hall on April 21. On succeeding nights performances will be held in the other Houses and the Union.

Vets' Theater Subsidiary

Formed as a subsidiary of the Veterans Theater Workshop, of which West is a member, the new project has the backing of the House Committees. The Harvard Dramatic Club has indicated that it "does not consider the group a competitor" and will contribute Theodore P. Allegretti '47 to the first production, in which Workshop President Jerome T. Kilty '50, will also play.

West's plan is "to open a new method of presentation to the College, since there is no adequate theater here." To accomplish his ends. West intends to use the technique of "central staging."

Scenery will be kept to a minimum, although there will be full theater lighting and costuming. "The shows will be equal to any college production." West said, "but the special circumstances will limit us mostly to modern plays."