Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-12-08

comedy, but in reality gilded indecency is
presented, AS when the legitimatestruggles to
maintain itself. There are, of course, some
exceptions, and fine dramatic performances
do now and then draw audiences, few
members of which are found in the chairs
when such s-wash as Evangeline,"
Later On" and similar extravagant cap
erings are presented.
1t has come to this, that while Booth
and Barrett are now playing to empty
benches in New York, the extravaganza
houses are filled, where scores Of painted,
powdered and padded "stage beauties" "
pose in the minimum of clothing and the
maximum of nudity permissible under the
law.
The standard comedies are shelved, le
gitimate dramas are out of fashion, and
the production of Shakespearean plays is
uniformly spoken of apologetically as
"revival )" the implication being that there
is need for it, and that a departure from
clean standard is the present rule. The
dramatic companies save the mark
that most storm metropolitan and rural
play-houses and make successes" in low
plays, seven times out of ten bill their
chief attractions as pretty girls y
meaning thereby much exposed "girls,"
catchy" zones gorge rises up at the word)
music, topical songs and new business"
of the extravagant and the order Of buff
foonery. This class of amusements"
seldom fails to draw Where does the
blame attach? Jointly to manager and the
public. No matter what the underlying
reasons whether money greed in the one
case and ibidinous taste in the other ;
let the rejecting think upon what must be
the outcome? What kind of manhood
and womanhood may we expect from
youth that theatrically worships at
such shrines? We must expect it to
reap if we SOW thistles. 1t is simply
impossible for modesty not to be shocked /;
for maidenly sensibility not to be blunted :;
for the animal passions not to be infamed /;
for the love of vulgarity and brazen dis
play not to be stimulated by seven out of
ten of the dramatic exhibitions now 'upon
the road"
Excuse the fact as we may; treat it
cavalierly if we will; cali it amusement
and not entertainment, it remains that
when the stage finds its patronage to be
dependent upon its violation of the COM
monest proprieties, and indulgence in the
silliest of antics and most suggestive of
caperings, it is in decline that ought to
be hastened to speedy death in the hope
Of resurrection in legitimacy. The taste
of theater-goers that demands the class OF
amusements referred to, is in bad way
The greed of managers that caters to it for
coin is as much more detestable as the
| procuress is more loathsome than her vic
tim. Our contemporary, the Call, declares
that the quality of a community may be
inferred from its amusements" Even so
Under that rule of judgment where shall
we place the communities Of the day thai
send the legitimate drama to seed, anC
fatten the ribs of vulgar and babbline
nothingness that SO much prevails upor
the stage to-day under the disguise of low
comedy, and before which the American
public seems to bow in groveling idolatry
Unless the stage is cleared of this rubbish
and the whole pack of half-nude femal
buffoons and the idiotic clowns, who pain
off coarse jokes and vulgar gags for wi
and humor, are relegated to the melodeon
where they belong; unless this cancer tina
is feeding upon the vitals of the "legiti
mate" is excised, the drama will be com
PEELED to gather up its skirts and retir
wholly from the effort to address intelli
gence through wit and reason.