He became involved in amateur dramatics, starting as a scenery boy for a Chinese pantomime at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House (one of the first settlement houses in the nation) where his brother Harry performed and Florence James directed.
Ijjᾰsh Ashəɣəl wa-n teyatrətᾰn shund tumast ən ere itajjᾰn imatekwayᾰn shund wi-n shinwatᾰn ɣor edagg wa-s itawanna Lenox Hill Neighborhood House iyyᾰn dᾰɣ ihᾰnan wi ᾰzzarnen ᾰsibᾰrraknen dᾰɣ ᾰddᾰwlᾰt edagg dᾰɣ inaẓẓar ᾰ wa-s-itawanna Harry əd Florence James i-təyyart y-awen