The morning call., 1894-03-17
RABBIS' THEMES.
The Stage as a Public
Educator.
DIR. Voorsanger UphoIds the Drama
and DIR. Levy Speaks of the
Parent and Child.

"The Stage as a Public Educator" was
the theme of DR.. Voorsanger's address last
evening to the congregation of the Temple
Emanuel. He quoted Shakespeare's we'll
known lines as an introduction and asked !:
What do you think of it? That is the
opinion of Shakespeare. Well, perhaps It
is So" be continued. Perhaps the world
is stage after all, and all depends on how
we play our parts. If the actor is ap-
plauded when he has disappeared it is not
so bad after al"
DR.. Voorsanger declared that he had
been criticized as being too radical II q
common-sense statement about the facts
as they were found was radical then he
would plead guilty TO the Indictment. he
took issue with those who condemned the
stage, because wholesale condemnation
was sign of weakness. 1t was better 10
Judge things from human ideals than from
human caricatures and unrealtles.
The stage represented the school of life.
In the old days the drama meant much as
an educator. The Hindoo poet two centu-
ries ago introduced BTahma and silva. the
preserver and The destroyer, conten ding
for the control of the world. One repre-
sented the principle of good, the other OF
evil, In the end Brahma was made the
victor. Since that earliest parable the
drama had presented nothing else. Then
as now it put good and evil on the stage.
The good always conquered, for 1t was the
ideal man, and no poet dared override the
ideals of humanity.
The drama of the Greeks through the
religious and patriotic stages was graphic
ally described. The mystery drama OF
the middle ages, when religion used the
stage as a means oil reaching the PUBIC,
was alluded to.
''It is only in our day that people speak
of the deleteTious influences OF the stage,
said the speaker. 1T may be that the
stage has to some extent detericrated. Ii
is no longer devoted to the presentation
of religion and patriotism. Ii has become
the EXPRESSION of the ordinary experleD ce
of humanity. The fault lies as much with
the people or more than with the stage.
Even from Punch-and-Judy show there
was a little bit of human experience. hicli
vent for something, thought DIR. VOor-
sanger.
congregation Beth Israel. in the Geary-
street temple, upon The Parent and the
Child" Next Friday evening he viii
speak upon 1.-THE Child aud the Parent,
the two combined forming an interesting
discourse upon ''RosponsibiIlty.
"In the very beginning OF chlld's ex'
istence." said DR.. Levy. we are APT 70
think too much Of its wants ana TOO little
of our authority, and we frequently post
pone until too late an attempt to enforce
parents responsibility.
1t was quite pardonable to take pride In
being we'll descended" the speaker de.
clared, but the glory belonged to the
fathers Riches were desirable, but they
frequently took wings and fed; glory was
a justIfiable ambition, but uns able; beauty
was a prize which one might long tC
obtain, but il was often of little conliDu
ance; health was precious enjoyment
but easily impaired; strength was apt tt
be the prey of disease and age
But virtue is immortal" declared DR.
Levy, land the advance of old age does mol
impair it. 1t is impregnab able against al
the assaults of fortune. Sickness canno
destroy it. Virtue alone grows youthful
with age, and time, which destroys al
other things, gives life and honor TO virtu,
in declining years"
For this reason 1t was the duty o
parents TO inculcate habits of virtue II
their children. Neither money nor tim
could be considered of too great value II
the education Of child.