Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-03-15
.THINGSTHEATRICAL
MINNESOTA LEGISLATURES ATTEMPT TO BAR
OUT TIGHTS.
Manager Henderson Gives a Cheerful Talk n
the Subject-Hs Says the Law Will Pre-
vent Many Of Shakespeare's Plays From
Being Glven-FOOtlight Flashes.

Being Glvsn-FOOtlight Flashes.
CHICAGO, March l4.-Among the the
atrical managers of the country who are
most vitality interested in the bill now
before the Minnesota Legislature, and
which provides that any female who
shall appear upon any stage or platform
in tights or in any other garments expos
ing the neither limbs, shall be liable
TO heavy fine and long term
of Imprisonment, David Henderson,
the director OF the Chicago Opera
House is PROBABLY the most prominent.
He was the pioneer in the introduce
tion into this country Of the brilliant
extravaganzas which for scores of years
have given pleasure TO the amusement
goers of London and the principal
amusement cities of England and the
continent, and his most recent produc-
tions, the Arabian Nights" the "Crys-
tai Slipper" and "Bluebeard Junior,
in each of which scores Of young women
are compelled to expose their neither
limbs, have been seen in about every
town OF any size between the Hub and
the Golden Gate.
Just now arrangements are being
made for tour of THE Crystal Slip
per" through the territory affected by
the pending measure, aud should the
bill go through both Houses and receive
the Governor signature, next months
tour of THE Crystal Slipper" in Mime
sofa will be tho last opportunity that
will be afforded the granger residents
OF that State to mark the graceful
curves and the imposing outlines Of the
neither extremities of the hundred or so
young ladies whom Manager Henderson
has gathered together, not only from
this country, bat from England.
France, Germany and Italy.
In conversation this morning,
Manager Henderson was inclined
10 regard the measure in question as "A
jest, and expressed the opinion that 1T
would be killed before it could reach the
governor. at is most absurd matter
from beginning TO end, he said. If the
Dogberrys of Minnesota wish TO keep
their theaters closed goodly share OF
the time this bill would be an expedi-
tious means OF so doing. They do not
stop TO think in their virtuouS indlgna-
tion that in aiming this against immoral
and vulgar performances, they Danish
the plays of Shakespeare and nearly all
the classic repertoire. There Is scarcely
play of Shakespeare at present holding
the boards in which it is not necessary
that one or more female characters
should appear in tights. Apart from the
herOineS of Shakespeare, 'Rosallnd,
Viola Imogene,' and many Others
there are minor characters. Even IN
Hamlet, there is the is the player queen
who makes her first appearance IN
tights; in Richard III there is the old
er prince played by young woman Q
" But is there not too great freedom
in the display of feminine charms In
many stage performances ?
No doubt there is. Tights, like
everything else, can be abused. But TO
assert that there is anything inherent
or immoral about them is simply ridicu-
louS. One might as well legiSlate TO
determine the cut Of the corsage OF Ia
dies in the boxes OF a theater because
some women in cheap tbeaterS and Will
gar performances were their dresses
low. Every now and then we encounter
such spasms of holy horror on the
part of the ignorant hyp0crites, who 10
more harm to public morality than they
can ever repair. Ii was only a few
weeks ago that the reading Of Longiel-
lows .Buil ling OF the Ship was pro-
hibited by the unco guild Board OF Edn-
cation OF Brooklyn, While the crusades
of Mr.. Con stock's society in New lorh
against sore Of the most beautiful o.
modern paintings has become matter
of ridicule from one end of the country
20 the other. The Minnesota bill is OF
the same order, ana it will be killed
not only becanse OF its foolishneSS, but
by the ridiculo that will be universally
heaped upon it,"
New YORK, March IL The newest
Ibsen play in l. ,ndon is "RosmerShoim.
which was tested at Vaudeville matt
nee not long ago. 1t was translated by
that scholarly and earnest critic, Will
liam Archer, who Is an enthusiastic
Ibsenite, aud it vas very intelligenty
acted. Nevertheless the audience in
general did not comprehend II. II APP
pears that "R0smersholm" stands alone
among Ibsen'S modern dramas in that
its origin can be traced TO definite set
of political circumstances in the cOnSti-
tutiOnal crisis which so eXasperated
party spirit In Norway ten or twelve
years before the play was written. The
fanaticism and bitterness Of spirit
observed by lbsen during chs
visit to Norway Mt the height
of the political battle recorded
itself in "RoSmcrsholm, as the back
ground of a tragic domestic tale. Ros-
mer. a retired parish clergyman, Is its
chief feature. lie is widower, with
housekeeper and companion, the lat
ter mysterious, but high-mnded
youpg woman, who secretly loves the
clergyman. \ visiting rector, pOliti-
cal agitator opposed to ROsmer's views,
seeks 20 work mischief by declaring
that the young woman is not quite all
She should be, and he even fortunes Ros-
mer by inSinuating that his wife com
mitted suicide in order TO leave him
free to return tho younger woman'S love.
In the end tho miserable pair drown
themselves in a mil race, in the belief
that, by so doing, they are ennobling
their souls.
That Away oificious and sometimes
comic parsonage. the EXaminerof Plays,
was not among the audience that sat
through "Rosmersholm," and his enc
mics have been pOking fun at him be-
cause he was caught mapping, they
think. Rosmer and his young woman
have a scene TO themselves, and this is
some Of their dialogue
Rebecca-lt came over me-this wild, /
uncomfortable deslre-oh. ROsmer'
Rosmer-Desre. You, For what?
Rebecca-F0r you.
Rosmer-Whal IS This?
Rebecca-Slt SUIT, dear; there is more |
ID tell.
Rosmcr-And you mean to say that /
YOU love me-in tbal way?