The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-10-27
Development, Not Reform.
An Actors Plea for the Stage, and What
Il Needs.

The twenty third annual congress OF the Ma
tional Association for the Promotion of Social
Science was held in Manchester, England, dur
ing the early part of this month. One of the
TOPICS discussed was 'The Stage as Moral
Teacher and Mr.. Hermann Vein, the emi-
nent London actor was present, and took an
active part in the discussion, reading well.
considered, logical, and interesting paper. 1t
is published at length in the English journals
lust received, and the following extract is
made from this manly and spirited plea: "The
Church is the cause of all the persecution to
which actors have been subjected. 1t has re-
fused Christian burial to actors. y preacher
in Scotland once declared the theatre literally
the pit of hell, and that the devil and his imps
held high revelry there; and his congregation
burned the only theatre they could get at,
which act was not only wicked but stupid, for
fire would not have inconvenience the sup
posed occupants of the house. Even in our
own time disastrous accidents in theatres are
pointed at as manifestations Of divine wrath.
A strange connection has been suggested be-
tween the facts of tho centre of London con-
tanning the largest number of theatres and al
so the largest number of haunts Of vice; al
ahough the same district contained also the
largest number of churches. IL is refreshing
to turn to the utterances of the more enliGht-
ened preachers of the present day. One ser
mon by the Rev. Mr.. Haweis was not defense
of the stage-the stage needs no defence-but
scathing indictment against his brethren who
thanked God that they had never been inside
a theatre nor known an actor, and then vilitied
both without a scrupe. What strikes one
most in this prejudice is not its wickedness.
but its utter foolishness. The theatre is neith-
er moral nor immoral A play may be moral or
immoral; but is therefore the dramatic art to
be abolished? Admit such an argument, and
what shall we have left? Some naughty boy
says damn; abolish the art OF speech! A
wicked correspondence is being carried on;
down with the p0st-otfice and telegraph An
artist paints an indecent picture; let no man
paint! To call the theatre immoral is as logi-
cal as to call the telegraph wire immoral 1t
is a means of expression, and the strongest we
have As to the plays of the present day, no
serious charge could be upheld against their
moral tone. No immoral play could be success
full in a moral age. The very publicity OF stage
representation will always prevent the worst
play from being as bad as the worst book, or
the worst anything which can be studied, in
the privacy of ones chamber As to the play
ers it is piece of unpardonabie lmpertlnence
to discuss their private characters. Inc pub
interest
his performance on the stage. Actors are as
GOOD and as bad as other people, But even if
fbey were worse, it would have to be proved
that they were so on account of their calling.
Now no calling ever creates either good or evil
qualities; but every calling may give color
ing to these qualities. If an actors character
were affected by his profession, actors would
be all alike but there are all shades and vari-
cites OF men and women amongst us. We
have educated ladies and gentlemen, and I'M
educated; we have broad free-thinSers, regular
church-goers, high and low; and a few morrow
minded bgots. We are an epitome OF the
world at large. Why, then, this outcry for
dramatic reform? Amongst those who cry ont
for reform are honest, disinterestcd men oil
high culture, who recognize in the theatre
powerful engine of education. With such men
the actor will gladly labor. And it is hoped
that from the actor such men will not disdain
to learn. A child stunted by unwholesome
food, air, and by cruelty, does not want to be
recreatcd: he wants free scope allowed to his
natural development by plenty OF food, air, and
Inv Kindness This is just what we want. Let =
v9ur preachers teach their congregations to re-
Sncct the actors art as the painters or the mu-
sicans; to read the works Of the best dramatic
outLors let them wash out OF their brains the
notion that anything unworthy necessarily at
taches to the theatre. Let them go to the the
atre themselves, and speak of it as they find
it,