Life — August 9, 1928 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of "The Theatre" Page from Life Magazine This page is a satirical memo to Mr. Davis (likely a theater producer/manager) criticizing the play "The Ladder." The text argues the play, despite making money, is artistically poor and represents a crisis in American theater. The small cartoon illustrations (monkeys/apes with various objects) appear to be decorative flourishes mocking theatrical pretension, though their specific meaning is unclear without additional context. The author proposes establishing a permanent experimental theater where new plays could be tested before Broadway production—with proper funding, rehearsal time, and scenery. This would improve American drama's quality by filtering out mediocre works before they reach mainstream audiences. The tone is one of frustrated exasperation: even commercially successful theater can be artistically worthless, and systemic change is needed.