The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1872-06-07
rHEAfRKs AND THEArER-aoINe.

Il good morals, is to say that it can
lot teach bad morals; is tt
: deny to it the ability to exercise
: any. moral influence whatsoever
. VI nat the theater can be, in any di
: Eecdon, IS really question will
which we have no practical concern
! Il can be, If it tries to be, great
! power for good in the world, and
J eQnally great power for evil; but
, ne have yet to learn either that
} managers and actors are generally
} fendowed with a missionary spirit,
] Or that they have desire TO degrade
aud demoralize their audiences.
There are some professions which
ege endowed with a strong if not a
supreme desire to make men better
! but we do net remember any mama
Iger of a theater who has been call
i ed upon to suffer martyrdom for his
j devotion, TO religion or morality.
sEe will GO still further and say
that re do not believe there is a
nanager in America who tries 10
10 moral Injury to his patrons. AS
e rGies so far as managers and ac-
Z tors are concerned, there are no
moral motives of any sort involved.
The motive OF the manager is to
\ uake money. The motive of the
actor is to make reputation, and
Il win applause and popular favor that
he also may make money. There
is probably one actor in ten who is
a genuine artist, and who endeayors
to win an honorable place in his
profession by the hard and patient
study of his art, by pure associa-
| tlons, and by the nurture and pre-
servatioH of his self-respect. There
are actors and actresses who are as
| true gentlemen and gentlewomen
as are to be found in the world, and
who deserve and receive the affec-
tionate respect of all who know
| them.
An examination of the motives of
actors and audiences will show US
that theaters are not, and are not |
likely to become, SCHOOLS of NOR !
ais" of any sort. No man ever goes |
10 theater for moral instruction. |
He may go for instructions in the |
graces of oratory, or for instruction |
i'll dramatic literature, but never for |
any moral or religious object.
Ninety-nine out of every one hun
dred persons, in every theater-full |
of people, are there to be intellec-
tually interested or amused. On
the stage are the people who wholly
recognize this motive, and who in
Variably address themselves to it
for, by the degree in which they
can crafty the popular desire for
amusement, are they successful in
their profession. In this way, in
evitably, the morals of the stage
become the mirror of the popular
morals. If they are good, it is be-
cause the tone of morality IS high in
the audience; if they are bad, it is
simply because the audience is vul-
gar and low, and sympathetic with
that which is bad. There is only
one way in which the theater will
ever be elevated, and that is by ele-
waiting the community in which it
exists. We do not say that there
can be no other way but so long as
actors live on the goodwill of their
audiences, they will never be either
much above or much below them.
Perhaps there is no institution con-
nected with American life that is
more thoroughly the reflection of
the public morality than the stage.
If profane word, or a ribald jest,
or a doubLe-eatendre is INDUCED in
by an actor, it is INDUCED in because
it pays-because it catches the re-
Spouse of vulgar sympathy from his
patrons. Men who live as actors
live can never afford to be either
too good or too bad for those upon
whose plaudits and pence they rely
for bread.
OF one thing we may be certain
Ao |
cease to exist, until something can
be contrived to take its place. 1t
seems to be based wholly on the
universal love of and demand for
amusement, and the fondness which
nature has implanted in every mind
for the dramatic element in life.
Strip Mr.. Cough of his dramatic
power, and we have only a common
place lecturer left. Denude Mr..
Beecher's sermons of their dramatic
element, and, though still excellent,
they are no longer Mr.. Beecher's
sermons. The man whose writings
or spoken words have great dra-
matte power is always the favorite
of the people. In the pulpit, at the
bar, on the stump, in the salon, the
dramatic man carries everything be-
fore him. So strong is the natural
taste for the dramatic in life, litera-
ture and conversation, that, more
than anything else, it enchains the
popular interest; while the greatest
poems of all iteratures are dra-
matte always in material, and main
ly in form. 1t is to this taste for
the dramatic and the love of amuse-
ment that the theater appeals and |
we can see at once that if the thea
ter is with us, it has come to stay |
1t thrives under opposition, like all
plants that have their roots in hu-
man nature.
The theater is here, then, and will |
remain. What shall we do with it,
and what shall be done about it? |
We do not propose to do anything |
about it, except to endeavor so to |
elevate the popular mind and taste
that the stage, as the reflection OF
that mind and taste, shall grow pur-
er and better all the time. When |
appear as actors, it will be the duty |
recognize them and all there is of
| appear, it will be equally it's duty
| Their artis undoubtedly legitimate,
though it is surrounded by theus-
and more temptations for them
selves than tor those whom they
entertain. Artists of all names and
callings-singers as well as actors
who are dependent upon the popu-
lar applause almost inevitably grow
| mean and childish and Jealous in
their greed for praise, and especial
ly for partially of praise. These
temptations seem to be almost in
separable from their calling; but
there have been noble men and wo-
men enough on the stage to show
that they can be resisted.
The question touching the right
or wrong of attending the theater,
we do not propose to discuss. 1t
certainly is not right for any man
to offend his conscience in anything;
but we do not keep any mans con-
science, and do not permit any man
to keep ours. There is no doubt
that the theater has dangerous as
sociations, which the young should
| shun. There are natures that are
very much fascinated by the stage
! so much so as to make theater-going
: q snare and q temptation to them.
Again. it is q very expensive amuse-
ment, which young men and wo-
men dependent on their own labor
can very rarely afford. A days
, work in real life for an evenings en-
, ioyment of mimic life is very poor
: exchange. Yet there are men and
E women to whom the theater is an
: inspiration, q recreation, and a rest.
: If there were net q great many
: such, the theater could not live a
: month. The life of cities is most