National Republican., 1880-11-01
DIR. LAxAnAy AND THE rHEArREs.
Ho Discusses the Stage in the Pulpit-Hls
Wow OF sara Bernhnrdt.

Wow ofSnra Bernhnrdt.
Foundry church was crowded to suiiocation
yesterday morning to hear Rev. John Lana
han In his promised sermon upon "The Thea.
tire is IT Good or Evilp DR.. Lanahan said
that since last Sunday, when he announced q
sermon on the subject. remarks had been
made by number OF individuals, all agreeing
that the sermon would be In condemnation of
the theatres. II was taken for granted that he
would do IL. lIo had said nothing to create
such an impression, and why should such
thought DO entertained, when II Is claimed
that visiting tho theatre was an innocent
pleasure. There had been times when chris.
tian ministers themselves had been perform
ors on the stage, and ministers had also writ
ten plays. But now things were different.
The bible had been taken from the priests
and been given TO tho people, who
discovered that religion was not all pomp and
ceremony. The minister was to teach aud
preach to the people; therefore. it was taken
for granted that ho would look upon the the.
afro as thing 10 be condemned. defense
| of the theatre from the pulpit would surprise
the pay.gong public, as 1t would surprise
christians TO hear an actor preach christian.
| ity from the stage. As teacher of religion
| ho would condemn the playhouse rs immoral,
| aud the people who had takon this for granted
| were right. There was no harm, however,
In the mere writing of a story or q play, as it
was inspired by God. Miltons first idea In
| writing Paradise Lost was to make it a
| drama. There was nothing wrong in mere
| dramatic writing or In number Of people
mcmorizing 1t and repeating It with appropri.
| ate gestures, but the time given TO such q
| thing could be moro prOhtHby employed
| Neither was there anything wrong in people
attending performance Of this kind. None
of this, however. applied to the theatre. The
! establishment of playhouse implied the en-.
| barking of capital in II building scenery
dresses aud a variety Of pieces TO b. played to
| fill the house. He did not know of stock of
| plays extnt which could be shown to be
| virtuOus, for If buflooncry, blasphcmy and
vulgarity were eliminated the pieces would
not draw and the actors would go hungry.
| This would bo the rule rs long rs men played
| to please audiences, A good many respectable
| people go to theatres but it was not this class
| of people from whom theatres derived
their support. Again, If people went to
tho theatre, saw good play and then
went home, there would not be very great
impropriety in it. But this was not the case,
for when they went to the theatre they
| formed associations and met with temptations
| which acted as a stimulus to tho passions.
| The dressing, or rather the want of It, was an
other distinguishing feature Of the plays Of to-
day. For these reasons leaving out tho qucs.
tion Of religion and that there was n God but
| from pure sentiment of morality, lie must
condemn the theatre. Tho theatre in all ages
had been regarded as q resort for the liCen.
tious, but still good many good people so,
some to criticise tho play, and others 10 pass
an idle hour. People might as well think OF
going to pest house to ind health as to go to
tho theatre for morality. Still, all
sweeping accusations against the profession
would generally be found false, and he would
not deny that there were many actors and
actresses fitted to adorn society outside OF
their profession, but even they did not regard
open and avowed pro1igacy with adherence
How could people talk of the theatre as q
school of morality in view Of the event that
occurred in New York but few days ago
Here was woman without a husband. but
with children, aud who had the eifrontery II
parade her bastards before tho public, held up
as a pattern of genius and teacher oil
morals. He merely quoted this woman to
show that the want Of virtue aud innocence
in an actress would not keep her off the stage
Another point against theatres was that gen.
orally their vicinity was perfect hot.bed o
vice, and as the people were corrupted the
theatre increased In popularity. During
the French revolution the people spen
the days In butchery and debauchery
and the nights In the theatres The theatre
also had bad influence, or rather exerted il!
bad influence upon the character OF women
teuauCe anything suspicious ut home, wOulj
go to the theatre aud sustain actors who made
lghteven Of the marriage relation. Theatres
therefore, we're the cause OF many crimes tha
shock fashionable society. In conclusion III
advised his hearers to keep away from the
atres and the influences that surround them
as their tendency was in the form of bad sen
timents aud associations to break down til
barriers between virtue and vice.