The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-10-27
D%OUGHERTY'S LECTURE
rHgsrAago FRoMAls sTANppoINT
Some Of d. Eansu. Dr.matlut. AID 1s.or. Of tAs
Part-rhs Drama In These and Other Tlnts.
The Fail Of Hls,rionic Art-ItalIan Opera.
Some Current Theatrical Notes.

Hon. Daniel Dougherty, the well known
lawyer and orator OF Philadelphia, delivered
his lecture on 1.-THE Stage" at the opers
House LIST night to a delighted audience
which filed the lower portion of the house
and was noticeable for It's makeup. Clergy
men, lawyers and other professional MGR
formed an unusuRlly large proportion Of 1t
and q more refined ~gstheriSg has seldom az
semhled at the Opera House for any purpose
The popular verdict evidently was that The
lecture was q better one than Mr. Dougherty':
sions OF approval were not wanting in fire.
ouency or heartinas. Thespsaker Is O warn
admirer Of the drama and the dramatic art
but considers the stage Of the present lea
worthy Of patronage and praise than that o.
the past. He contIaSted the regard In which
the stage Is now held, and the ettsmation II
which It stood in the days OF Samuel John
son. The virtues, genius and achievement
OF the famous actors Of old We're reviewed
and those modern members OF the profession
who have won distinction in their art, In
society or in letters, were pointed to ssh
s'ances OF what the stage and Its people
ought To be. The inirmities OF genirs, 90 ex
empIified by men noted for their success or
the stage, particularly by Edmund kean,
were made the theme for several amusing
anecdotes, which lightened the discourse II
fact throughout. Some clever limitations o.
the famous actors Of the recent past, from
Keau to Fechter, In their popular roles, wert
also given, and served to relieve the lecture
OF anything like monotony.
The degeneracy Of the stage in this day
when nearly every shakesperesn revival Is 1
failure, while the 'BlAck Crook" ran tol
eighteen months In New York, and made III
proprietor wealthy; when the burlesques anC
| blondes have crowded out the Legitimate
drama; when the old English comedies ar,
played, II played at all, 10 empty benches
and modern sensational plays, m!s-callec
melc.iramas, crowd the theatres, wa
mentioned as a cause for sorrow. The
fashionable rage for Italian opera, Mr.
Dougherty thought was 10 be deploted
Many people %patronizs this form OF entsr
tainment simply because II 10 the fashion
and cry bravo over music which they DC
not appreciate, and laugh at auu'
slons which they do not understand. Ladtt'
affect opera bouae and laugh at situations
and remarks, which u made In E1glist
would make them blush and hurry home
Too many entertainments OF this form and
too many modern dramas, 50 called, pandel
10 the depraved and depraye the innocent
Tho speaker held Is to be tho duty OF al
classes OF society and Of the church TO lend
their influence 10 redeem the stage and re
store the drama 10 Its old standing and estate
The lecture wa listened to Throughout
with the closest attention. Upon the stagt
vera several prominent cltizsns, among them
Colonel George B. Caldwell, Hon. g. Il
Moffett, Mr.. Michael Reilly, Judge.
Snyder, Green and Woots, Mfr. ]. =
Carol, W. C. Handlan, Esq, MI. 3. !. Hi
dreth, Mayor Miller and Colonel Rober|