New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-05
',coPOSIS AND THE THEATRE.
LIVELY DISCUSSION AT THE LAST
MEETING OF THE SEASON.
.,,,,rNrs FOR AND AGAINST AN ENDOWED
, PLAYHOUSE AS MEANS OF
MORAL EDUCATION.

,,,, tbe last social meeting for this season,
..sls tprned out in full force yesterday, and the
oSre.anl-gold ballroom at Sherry's witnessed a
~ Hr,.r, assemblage Of women. and resounded to
r more than usually bright sayings. At the
,,sakfast. which was largely attended, a souvenir
,no srsoon" was presented TO SOross by Mrs.
ors ure.. lent Of the Woman's Club of Grand
nnds Mich Preceding the afternoon discussion an
ss,Ient programme was given ard thoroughly en-
- Two violin solos by Miss L. Florence Hene.
hesitation by Mrs L. e. Kidder. song by Miss
w., GLADYS HOrocier. and recitation by Mrs.
~, Wood were heartily received. In response to
"~,husias,lc recall Mrs Wood gave such a real
-, imitation Of THE Baby that the dignity Of
- OCCASION was quite overlooked for the time be-
~, The fact OF vacation" being - near seemed
,smoye in part. the air OF intellectual culture. y
vi, somewhat heavy. and state OF frolicsome
,,vment was quite apparent. The ripples OF
'"-b,er and frequent rustes were unnoticed save
- an occasional faint tap--to save Appearances
- the cavel welded by the president. Mrs He;
muth. ,.,. ..... .,u..o..o, -. MI,
ronbia Curtiss chairman of the Committee on
mama could not endowed theatres be made as
n,Iuable educational factors as libraries or muse
80" In presenting the question, Miss Curtss de-
- that the theatre a great educational
so,or and the fact that theatres were almost as
,srous a churches showed that they were the
choice Of n. people, and that anything TO i'm
-ove or raise the value of these institutions should
receive careful attention
Mrs Ella Dletz Clymer spoke 10 the question in
che Affirmative. She assumed that an endowed the
80 would present only productions of the great
rrss,ers and. not being wholly dependent upon the
,nh,c could present them in an IDEAL manner, thus
s,svating the standard of art 1t error TO
think that art would become wearsome if made in
sructve.
1Our aesthetic enjoyment" she said may be en-
~. +ls Er,v-1atllre iOfpllgpOCe is
,ssiedto Dramatic instinct is inherent and should
M. ~ crushed down unworthy but should be
cultivated as d gift The poet Pope said The prop
ar study of mankind is man. and the drama reveals
the problems Of human life nothing else can
many times accomplishing what all other methods
have failed TO DO
The negative was sustained by Mrs. Margaret
". Ravenhnl. "Soross grows iconoclastic" SHE
said III first destroys the fond illusions OF the
small fry regarding nursery tales by one fell
swoop Of hard. stern, common sense. ana now turns
10 children Of a larger growth, ana says: You are
having too good a time; we propose giving you with
your sweets some good. wholesome spring Inedi-
l. a demnon grind. The fact IS are living
TOO fast and giving too much thought 70 the serious
problems Of life This Is a suprenely intellectual
age and men and women are leading an exhaust
!ng life We need. Ike children out Of school. TO
break away from study and let the sensuouS
part Of natures have some consideration
asked the opinion OF sensible man OF the world
regarding this question, and he said: For Heaven
sake don't give rs problems; LEI US have the rroth
and bubble Of the wine at leasi, 10 HI US out OF
The struggle and anXieties Of life for while. No,
we do not want endowed theatres as an educational
factor: We want rest and foreetfulness from the
hard tasks OF life which we cannot escape.
In the discussion which followed the reading of
the two papers. Mrs. f. f. Kidder spoke in favor
Of endowed theatres. and read letters from Nine.
Moijeska and Mrs. Kendall. also In favor OF them.
Miss Hannah Allen nOt only declared that such
scheme would result in dead failure" but added
that would be only necessary 10 pay salaries
10 the actors, but q compensation 10 the audience
FOR sitting through even three-act educational
drama
Mrs Eliza Orchard Connor believed that dramatic
art would never reach its height until theatre
should be produced that would not be entirely de-
pendent upon the public for support. Mrs. Alma
Calder Johnson and Mrs. Anna Randall Diehl spoke
somewhat guardeiy iu the Affirmative
Many we-knOwn women were present, among
them being Mrs. Bronson Howard. Mrs. Katharine
Remington. Mrs Young Of the New Century club.
Mrs Theodore Sutro. Miss May Reilly Smith, Mrs.
Hester II. Poole. Mrs Frank X. Hahn and Mrs
Paul D. Cravath.