The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-03-04
Kenoshs Dramatic Association.

henO6na DramaLlc ASSOclatlOn. WHAT - IL
What is its object What has it accomplish
eds And what does it expect to accomplish !?
Some time last fall public notice was
given that meeting would beheld in this
place for the purpose of forming Dramatic |
Association. In pursuance of that notice q
meeting was held and an association organ
lied, which took to itself the name of Ken
Dramatic Association. am not member
nor an honorary member OF the Association,
nor have Iseen its Constitution and Bye-Laws, !
And l cannot speak of what it is. only as l
see, and Judge of it from what it does. And
my. health has been such, if there were no
other cause, that have had but little oppor
tunity to Judge of its doings. have however
been present at part of few of their pub
lie performances. And, as / see and hear, 1t
seems to me very much like the usual per-
formances on the stage of theater. Neither
much more nor less much better nor worse.
Some on the stage speak and act passably
well--some a little better, and some perhaps
not quite so we'll. There is room for all to
make improvement, and more particularly,
in distinctness of utterance. All have not
! tor on the stage, as it is for good o1atory
every place, is to speak always so as to be
understood. Nothing else can make up for
bad speaking indistinct utterance - from
either stage, forum or pulpit. And as there
is much bad speaking from each of these
places, 1t might be well to institute com.
parson as to which place furnishes the best
and the worst speakers or elocutionists.
Judging from the number in attendance and
the apparent satisfaction of the audience the
performances of the Association must be
/ quite successful.
| Personally I em acquainted with but few of
the members of the Associa ton. Some Of
the young men, know to be respectable and
of good ability, and may become successful
in their profession. / have no acquaintance
with the ladies of the association, only as
have seen them on the stage. Notwithstand-
ing the objections Of many to Dramatic act
ing, all should be considered worthy till they
prove themselves otherwise. At present
am not fully able to answer the question as
to what the Kenosha Dramatic Association is
I could say better what, in my opinion, it
should be, or become, if not already. Each
member of the association should stand as
high in the estimation of the public as any
one who processes to instruct or teach in any
}, other profession and the association should
stand as high as any other association. Any
, thing short of this will not come up to my
view of what the members and the associa-
| ton should be.
, OF the object or purpose of the Association
I can speak only as / view it. The first OBJ
ject should be to amuse, instruct, elevate and
make BETTER those who patronize the asso
citation, and through them, all the people.
And in doing this, they should amuse, instruct
elevate and make better themselves. And,
a second object should be to place themselves
by the avails of their labors, In position
, pecuniarily and socially, equal to Others OF
, like ability with themselves.
Of what the Association has accomplished
, / cannot speak definitely. / am OF the opinion
that it has given general good satisfaction to
the audiences, considering the fact that it is
new association, and most of the actors
without previous experience. Whether the
association is satisfied with its own doings,
am rot prepared to say.
What does the Association propose to ac-
compllsh? What do the friends of the
Drama expect it to accomplish? What can
it accomplish? Can the stage be made in
strumental in amusing, instructing, elevatng
and making better the people? These are
important questions, and it beKooves every
one to give them due consideration. That
there is great demand for amusement there
can be no do ubt. And that the people will
have some kind, of amusement there can be
but little question, Then, whatishall it be 4?
Can the demand for amusement be supplied
without corrupting the virtue of thepeople ?
Doubtless itcan be- Can the stage be made in
s:rumental,n not only in amusing, but also in in
structing, elevating and purifying the peo-
. pie =? / have no doubt but that it might be.
4 But will it be? Yes. At some future time, if
not now the stage will accomplish good
. work.
And to accomplish that good work, the de.
mands of the people for amusement must be
e needed, and the means of instructing, elevat-
v ing and purifying, as we'll as amusing, furn-
t ished for them. Even now the people demand
higher order OF amusement than they once
;. did. And the demand Will bring forth a
: purer and better kind of plays for stage ex-
e hibition. And when the right kind of plays
n are supplied, and the right kind of actors
: perform, the stage will become instrumental
. in the accomplishment OF good work
!. kenosha Dramatice Association You oc-
cupy an important position. Many look with
almost fear and trembling upon the Drama,
{ and most lave great distrust Of your calling
i. and Of you 1t behooves you therefore both
+ individually and associatively. to do all you
can to allay that dissrust, be elevating your
" profession so as not only TO amuseSbut also
to ins truct, elevate and purify the people and
yourselves.
HAYS MCKINLEY
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