Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1893-05-03

Be ever confess the lie? Why did moi
he live it out? They denounced the play
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 20 bear upon dramatic
representations n America today.
am told 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 arr thrown into
4 the wastebasket again and again if they
do not tally with the interests of the adj
vertising department.
There are some exceptions to the char
acter of the plays that are produced to-
day that are noteworthy. There are
some which teach the sanctity and purity
of home. There are those who are Civ
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 moral and intel
lectual abomination.
Third-Tne 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. 1t is eff
Gent 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 OF 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 a 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-
matte 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-
BILE newspapers. When John L. Sulli-
van or his triumphant rival finishes his
brutal prize fight, he goes upon the stage.
The success of these people has its in
fiuence not simply in inducing other dis
reputable characters TO crowd the stage,
but it is a moral object lesson whose in
fluence is utterly damning upon the
minds of the young who witness thepe
Torrance.
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. 1t is the best possible
market for exhibition. II is the best pos
sible pedestal for the exploiting of person,
for the formation of criminal intimacies,
s0r dissipation, and it is this fact which
attracts an army of disrepntable 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 a
woman. 1t is the life of dog. The |
hours kept are irregular, the work fever
ish. fitful. The normal conditions of a
sane life are violated and the results and |
the work done practically nothing. Only |
a few succeed in earning a 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 a friend that she tray
eled whole season with this stock COM
pany, played the leading role and re-
ceived salary of $50 week. She said
that ON her return to the city she was in
debt $500. She had paid ont $500 before
starting for dresses alone. She was told |
that if she was not willing to dress the |
part there We're 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 a
century with the stage in America, re-
Gently. said; Il have taken special pains
to talk with eminent actors like Edwin
Forrest, Fanny Kemble Butler, Ristori,
Janauschek, John Gilbert and Mime.
Ponisi, and while 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-
tons upon the subject their conscious
ness of having produced little or nothing
that remained in evidence. One esteemed
waterman said ~ mo that III was baffar. to