San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-04-28
MIR. Irving on TheatrIcals.

MIR. Henry irving attended, on
Monday, before the select committee
q If the House of Commons on the re.
.gulstion of tneaters and places of
.Amusements, having been invited by
the committee to give them them the
benefit of his experience and advice.
He said that he wished to offer firm
protest against any legislation which
would tend to lower dramatic art. To
give to places other than theatres,
which were ordained for the special
purpose, the right to perform stage
plays would be an innovation destruc'
tive to stage art, unless proper the
alter conditions were maintained.
They must not overlook the fact that
the class Cf places whence, emanated
the desire for the extension was that
OF the music hall, which was really a
tavern which had obtained license
for music and dancing. The art OF
acting would, he held, be imperIled
by any change which would neces.
sarily make theatre s into music halls,
as would undoubtedly be done In the
main by allowing stage plays TO be
given whore smoking aud drink
log ~ ere allowed in the auditorium
In fact, time only would be required
10 effect certain degradation OF the
artist thus subjected to debasing con-
ditions Mr.. Irving most earnestly
proteste d against an art which was a
beautiful one which might be noble
one, being used merely as an sttrac-
ton to further the drink traffic. In
music halls the tavern business was
more profitable than the theatre bust
nees-an experience aptIy illustrated
by the management of the A lhambra
which, from being a music hall, tried
to better itself by becoming a theatre
under the jurisdiction of the Lord
Chamberlain, and su hject 70 the more
stringent rules OF propriety which
govern theatres The experiment
was not successful, or, at any rate,
not sufficiently successful 10 meet
the wishes of the shareholders, and
it relapsed again into the tavern
status with dividend of thirty
four per cent. AS to sketches"
in music halls, he for one would not
OBJECT to their being legslized, pro.
Vlded that they should be really only
sketches, limited, say, TO thirty
minutes. He considered that the
Jurisdiction over theaters should re-
main with the Lord Chamberlain or
with some authorized state authority,
aud should not be vested in the
County Council Mr. Irving said that
since he had had the Lyceum, he had
spent more than Ga, 900 upon it out
of his own pocket in structural al.
terations. Questioned by Maj. Isaacs
with regard to the censorship OF
plays, he said it was both wise
and necessary. He instanced
several cases in which 1t had
been exercised. Oae was tn
dramatization Of murder scene
while the murderer was in his cell
awaiting eXecu ton, which, he
thought, the Lord Cham berlain prop
erly refused TO permit; and also in
reference to the performance of the
Oberammergan play and to political
caricatures. With regard to religious
plays, he had short time ago a play
based upon the character of Moham-
med, which he was unable to pei form,
and in regard to which the Lord
ZIMMERMAN gave reasons (which
certainly had never occurred 10 him
why such q play had better not be
performed. He had also a very fine
political play some years ago " hich
ne was politely requested to with
draw; he supposed the Lord Cham
berlain was perfectly correct in his
request, though to himself there
seemed no possible objection to it
Referring again to the question o.
drinking in theatres, Mr.. Irving said
that great deal depended upon the
character of the play as TO what was
drunk. For instance, during the per
Torrance of "The Bells" brandy and
water was principally consumed, bu
Henry VIII might be called a soda.
water play, Laughter
Advice on Town Advertising,