The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-10-21
The bldg and lhe Drama.

hS DlblU anu thO Dlum0s
From tho 81 Louis Globe.l
Lives q poetic vengeance wrought b.
the stage on a well meaning class OF IT
enemies, that, while the funeral Of an &C
tor 10 "the Little Church around the cor.
ner" recalled the unChrlstian cruelty
which had sent another dead actor therl
for burial service, a st. Louis thearl
was crowded to the roofWith an audlencI
rap! and delighted by q drama tAkel
wholly from the Bible. We give thu
stagc no credit Tor the departure from or
binary custom, for plays arc played as {
matter Of business, and the playwright
gathers his materials wherever he may
But the selection Of o subject for thu
drama from that Book from which alont
has been drawn oil the opposition to lhC
drama suggests 30 strong contrast thai
It deserves notice; and Il will be worthy
OF deeper notice II 1t shall point the way
too reconciliation between religion and
the theatre, to the humanizing of thai
Hebraic sentiment which denounces, tC
tho elevation and improvement Of thai
source OF pleasure which is denounced
but which outlives dGnunclation.
Wherever the condition Of man has
been easy enough to permit Of his anus
ing himself, In one form or another, he
has found solaCe in the drama. 1t Is 30
easy rest from care 10 sit before the
Btsge and watch the working oil mimic
troubles, and 1t Ia diversion so easily
capable OF being turned 10 exalted sand
GnobliDg purposes, that among the many
Instruments by which It's work Is done,
religion could hardly have found one more
handy thsn the natural love Of the stage.
But the religion OF the present day, the
religion Of the Reformation, which was a
protest against lsxttyin anything, and the
religion Of the Catholics, which has been
put on its guard by an opposition I'm.
known before, have alike maintained an
attitude Of suspicion and defiance, end
very often an attitude Of open hostility, to
the drama and everything connected with
1t, AS the drama has steadily flourished
in spite Of such hostility, as the members
OF the profession have steadily arisen in
social recognition and in the sense OF their
own worth and dignity, would it not be
better on the whole for the churches 10
recognize existing iactst 10 pause and Ask
themselves whether they could not better
guide and use this natural instinct which
they can neither abolish nor suppress?
Why should 1t notP We will take the
play OF Samson, as. 1t is played In italian
by Salvina, as it has been played IN Eng.
ltsh during the past week by Mr.. Charles
Pope, and We deIy'the most censorious
critic 10 find In It q scene, sentiment, a
line, that derogates from that respect due
to the Bible. Even il the story Of Samson
was an essential part oil the Christian be-
liet, instead o! being as apocryphsl as ii
Is, 1t could CLAIM no reverence that has
not been accorded to 1t In the play; and II
It Is an object worthy of effort TO so relit-
crate and impress on,the mind the whole
record which makes up the Scriptures, so
that il shall be 4 part Of each mans daily
knowledge, tho habitual companion OF his
thoughts, and theispfiDg Of his impulses,
what better way OF accomplishing this
than by taking the story as 1t is told, max.
Ing itvlsible tethe, eye, clothing it with
form, endowiDg il with life, and making
1t tell itself with an impressivcness never
TO be lorgottenP That is what Mr. Pope
has done with his play Of Samson, and the
question VIC would ask Of those who de.
nOunCe the theatre is-has this rendition
helped the cause Of religion? II It has
injured the cause, it is hard 10 imagine
wherein 1t has done go.
The point is worth insisting on; be-
cause the play combines his historical &C.
curacy with high degree oil dramatic
excellence. There is nothing in it which
isnOt part Of the Bible story; there is
everything In it which keeps the atten-
tiOn oil the audience engaged, and yet is
the mere ouIcropping o! the mine which
may be worked to inexhausiible depths.
We need hardly attempt to enumerate
the subjects 10 which the Bible presents
an inspiration for dramatic adaptation
What lie is more dramatic than that Of
the first King of 1sraelIs What charaC.
ter more fit 10 fix and keep our interest
than the loving, the erring, the repentant
Davidp And the Judges of Israel not
less than the kings. and the kings not less
than the prophets, present a material so
cOpious, charm so intense, and an inter.
est 80 natural, that from the mere sug-
gestiOn Of their names dramatic posi-
bilities suggest Themselves Cndlessly.
From the time when the first sin was
made hateful by the crime Of Cain, TO the
time when Saviot's birth closed the old
biblical record, We have only to open the
book and take our subjects where we
find them.
For many reasons 1t is desirable that
this should be done. From the point OF
view OF religion, there can surely be no
reason why so healthy an influence
should rest unused; and from the dram
attic, and even from the merely business
point Of view, the introduction OF such
plays would be beneficial. The story 10
be told is so well known that the interest
Is easier TO be fixed; the curiosity excited
Is oil such kind as lends itself to the
conditions OF the play; the incidents are
such as our judgment commends, and the
whole effect we carry away with us Is one
Of rational and worthy entertainment
But 1t Is easier for the play of Samson t
meet with success, and to call forth many
more from the same source, than 1t is t
break down the prejudices which through
generations and centuries have raised
barrier between church and State, and il
etiecting the reconciliation, in removing
the barriers, the chief work must DO dom
by those who have maintained the oppo
Sition; and We ask for the play Of Samson
and for the subject oil the Bible and III
stage, the careful and favorable consider
alton of those friends Of all good men ant
oil all good movements, the clergy.