History: In May 1928, the Mountain Lakes Dramatic Guild was founded by Arthur Stringer and a small group of local people dedicated to the idea that good amateur theatre holds an important place in the life of a community. The following month the Guild was organized at the home of Mrs. Jennie Robertson in Mountain Lakes with its purposes set forth in a charter and Mr. Stringer (in whose memory your theatre's annual 'Arthurs' are awarded) as its first President. Work was immediately begun to renovate an out-building on Mrs. Robertson's property to be used for their first theatrical production that same year.
On September 28, 1928 the ambitious Mountain Lakes Dramatic Guild, ancestor of today's Barn Theatre, made its debut in the State Theatre in Boonton. The play "Ice-Bound", by Owen Davis, with a specially written prologue by Arthur Stringer that was "charmingly recited" by Jean Houser (as Jean Hooper, she became a familiar figure to future audiences for 45 years as both actress and director even after total loss of her vision.) Other newspaper comments - "Brilliantly presented ... successful..." The elegant program for the evening contained page-after-page of text outlining the Guild's objectives and makeup ... a different idiom, but the message much the same 50 years later. The preface by Arthur Stringer notes that their own Little Theatre was nearly ready to open its doors.
Close your eyes for a moment and travel back in time to December 6, 1928 and join the audience. You are dressed in evening attire, with the ladies wearing short beaded gowns. All are seated on backless benches inside the renovated structure - formerly an estate-sized Chicken Coop! The actors are taking their places on a 20-foot stage added to the building...the 4-act drama "The Narrow Door", by Arthur Stringer, enfolds as the 1st 'Playhouse' production.
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