Connecticut western news., 1893-05-04


 as an utter failure because of its moral motive. That is to say, the men who are doing the dramatic writing for our great papers are incapable of conceiv- ing moral idea.
 The consequence is that there is little influence being brought from the realm of public opinion to bear upon dramatic representations in America today. I am f 1ld by those who know that there are men of brains and capacity in most of our newspaper offices in charge of the dramatic departments, but that their criticism and opinions are thrown into the wastebasket again and again if tley do not tally with the interests of the ad- vertising department.
 There are some exceptions to the char acter of the plays that are produced to- day that are noteworthy. There .,a some which teach the sanctity and ruri. Y of home. There are those who are l.y- ing us sketches of real life in the south and in the west that are in every way worthy of encouragement and support. But taking the theater as a whole, and taking nine theaters out of ten and nine performances out of ten, the character of the plays is simply a moral and intel lectual abomination.
 Third-The reflex of character from the stage is most damaging upon the character and ideals of the audience. Say what we please about the impersonal character of those who act, the power behind words is character, the power be- hind an action is character. It is eff cient for good or evil as that character is good or evil. The character of the peo- pie who today are admitted to the stage as actors and actresses calls for the righteous indignation of all who have the interest of society at heart or who have any pride or interest in the stage itself. Let man or a woman become notori- ously infamous, and the doors of a certain class of theaters today immediately spring wide open with offers of enormous salary.
 Let there be scandal in society with an exposure and divorce, and if the woman in the case is proved guilty and the scandal is of enough dimensions her fortune is made on the stage. The dis reputable woman connected with the tragic life and death of Robert Ray Hamilton was invited to enter the dra- matic profession by those who are called managers, and the attempt was actually made to expose this parsonage for con- sideration to the American people. She was bounded off the stage by the de- termined effort of two or three reputa- ble newspapers. When John L. Sulli- van or his triumphant rival finishes his brutal prize fight, he goes upon thestage. The success of these people has its in- huence not simply in inducing other dis reputable characters to crowd the stage, but it is a moral object lesson whose in- huence is utterly damning upon the minds of the young who witness the per formance.
 THE LIFE OF A DOG.
 The stage as conducted today, broadly speaking, is the easiest road to great power and success open to woman of evil disposition. It is the best possible market for exhibition. 1t is the best pos sible pedestal for the exploiting of person, for the formation of criminal intimacies, for dissipation, and it is this fact which attracts an army of disreputable char acters to the stage. The stage of today as it is conducted is the hardest and sad dest of all fields for honesty to enter and succeed. especially if the aspirant be woman. It is the life of a dog. The hours kept are irregular, the work fever ish, fitful. The normal conditions of sane life are violated and the results and the work done practically nothing. Only few succeed in earning competence. The majority of the women on the stage today get nothing.
 A woman of character and force, who is now playing one of the leading parts in one of the best theaters in New York, said recently to friend that she trav- eled whole season with this stock com pany, played the leading role and re- ceived a salary of $60 week. She said that on her return to the city she was in debt S40O. She had paid out $500 before starting for dresses alone. She was told that if she was not willing to dress the part there were others who would. The salaries paid on the stage today are ut terly inadequate to clothe the women who play the parts. Those who receive salary large enough to do this and more' are exceedingly rare.
 A distinguished dramatic critic, who has had an experience of quarter of century with the stage in America, re- gently said: ''I have taken special pains to talk with eminent actors like Edwin Forrest, Fanny Kemble Butler, Ristori, Janauschek, John Gilbert and Mime. Ponisi, and yhile most of them frankly acknowledged that an arduous and hon. est life of work as actors left an aching void all of them betrayed in their refec- tions upon the subject their conscious ness of having produced little or nothing that remained in evidence. One esteemed veteran said to me that it was better to raise onions than to be an amuser.'"
 The same critic, in the same article, says: "It is the protest of this individu- ality that forces the actor to resort to stimulants. I know three actresses of wide repute who have regularly appeared before the public in the last 10 years in a state of an@sthesia from morphine The condition is so intimately associated with professional service that one of them on leaving the stage nnd getting married gave up the habit without a struggle"
 A DISGRACEFUL PLACE.
 These are some of the facts which be- set the honest endeavor upon the stage of today. do not stop to discuss the question of theaters which are in reality dives. There are places of amusement, so called, in New York that are nothing more than disreputable hellholes. There is place on Twenty-third street which