1324 
•She RURAL NEW-YORKER 
November 17, 1917 
“The Play’s The Thing” 
Farm Life Depicted on the Stage 
A{?rifu]t iiriil collo^os and sfliools, agri- 
oaltural pajjors, farmers’ institute lectur¬ 
ers, have all had their part in the at¬ 
tempt to show the farmer and his family 
something of the benefits to be derived 
from improved methods of farming and 
better living for the farm jx-ople. The 
agricultural extension of the University 
of ^Minnesota has originated an interest¬ 
ing and effective way of presenting sonu! 
of these ti uths, and better faianing meth¬ 
ods are now being taught by means of 
rural plays. 
of the fahe shows usually seen on fair 
grounds. The effect was marked, and the 
demand for the play as a feature of short 
courses and farmers’ club meetings be¬ 
came so great that it was given 50 times 
during the season to an estimated total 
audience of l2.'i,000 people. 
dia'amed of. She meets a social worker 
for the welfare league, Avho induces her 
to go back to her people, and shows her 
how to make an attractive and comfort¬ 
able place out of the old home. 
The next play, called “Partners,” or 
“Ruilding the Community Church,” shows 
class in extension public speaking has 
been made a part of the regular college 
curriculum. The students who elect this 
course are given college credit for 12 
Iterformances in an agricultural extension 
j)lay, such as here described. 
It is impossible to estimate the influ¬ 
ence of these plays on farm life. Where- 
ever they are produced, farmers for miles 
around flock in and thoroughly enjoy see¬ 
ing their own life experiences played by 
the young actor.s. They laugh at the 
mistakes of the Swede hired man, or cry 
in sympathy with the farm mother in her 
From “Back to the Farm” 
Prom “The Booster” 
Ole: “ Aye quit! Aye can’t milk with dry hands 
A Civic Gathering in Park Center 
From “Kindling tlic Hi'arth Fire” 
Mrs. Field : “ Men do get their clothes so filthy in haying time 
Dat cow Buttercup, he ain’t no good on de test 
The first of these, “Back to the Farm,” 
was written by a student in the school 
of agriculture. In a simple and pleasing 
way it presents the story of a country boy 
who becomes discouraged because of con¬ 
ditions on an old, run-down farm, and 
shows his struggles to get an education, 
and his later success in improving the 
old farm. This play was at first used as 
an attraction for county fairs. It was 
played by a group of students from the 
college of agriculture, to take the place 
The second .season “The Booster,” or 
“Waking Up Park Center,” was put on 
the road to show how community life 
might be improved in small towns. Then 
the women began to clamor for a play 
which should represent their life on the 
farm, and as a result, “Kindling the 
Hearth Fire’’ was written. This play 
deals with the problem of the farm girl 
who goes to the city to escape the drudg¬ 
ery of farm life, but who finds that there 
are worse things in city life than she had 
how, in one neighborhood, two rival 
churches followed the suggestion of the 
hero of the play, who, in talking over the 
discouraging situation of two pooi‘, strug¬ 
gling churches in one neighborhood, said : 
“Why can’t we work together as partners 
to make life better worth living every 
day in the week for every man, woman 
and child in the community?” 
The benefits derived from these play.s, 
by the performers as well as the audi¬ 
ence, has been .so marked that a special 
longing for the absent boy or girl, and 
rejoice when the family i.s united in a 
happy, ui)-to-date farm home. And then 
they go away and ask themselves: “How 
can we make our farms and homes more 
attractive for our boys and girls?” 
After the plays have run for a season 
they are published in bulletin form by the 
university, and can be used by organi¬ 
zations that wish to present them with 
home talent. Hundreds of rural com¬ 
munities, notably farmers’ clubs, are now 
making use of these plays. J. M. dbew. 
