The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1894-03-29
THE STAGE A POWER.
DR.. voorsanger on the Drama Les
sons Taught Behind the Foot
i1hts

DR.. Voorsanger on the Drama Les
sons Taught Behind the Foot
lights.
Rabbi Voorsanger, by request, lee
tured on "The Stage as a Public
Educator at Temple Emanuel
last evening. He said that while he
believed the stage had degenerated
during the last few centuries he also
believed the actors calling had be-
come less dignified as the public
taste became less exalted. Theatri-
cal managers, like any other kind Of
business men, had to place saleable
goods on the market il they wished
to be successful. The conclusion
naturally follows that IL the stage is
not as dignified a. il should he the
public is primarily to blame.
All the worlds stage,
And all the men and women merely play
erS.
They have their exits and their entrances.
And one man In his time plays many
parts.
That is the way one Of Shakes
peare's characters in AS You Like
IT, looked at life began the rabbi.
From infancy we pass rapidly on to
old age, and 90 down to the grave
sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans
everything The curtain goes down,
the property man picks up the bag
gage and we say good night.
But II is my purpose this even
ing to consider the stage as a public
educator. I have heard that many
people expect to hear radicslism
from the pulpit, and il radicalism
and sense presentation Of
facts are the same thing will plead
guilty to the charge. Because whole
sale condemnation denotes weakness
Of character / am not going to ad-
vocate dives or other iniquitous
places. ! shall simply follow out
my idea Of right by dealing with
things pertaining to human interest
from human point OF view.
"The stage Is a school OF life in
stead OF school Of scandal. II is a
mirror in which one sees the part
which he or she may be taking in
life. just as the figure on the stage
appears before you are you the actor
ON the stage OF your own life,
mimicking the many who have gone
before you as coming generations
will mimic you"
The rabbi said the stage was no,
without q moral lesson. The con.
test between good aud evil wa.
shown behind the footlights, and
the good always won. He could not
refrain, however, from expressing
the belief that the stage had de
generated a great deal since the
world began. AT one time, he said
religion and the stage were one
The Book OF job had been likened
| to a drama by many able writer's
In those days the stage really stood
for something. Most OF the mer
and women could not read, and
needed the object lessons Of tn,
stage.
ut is only in these days that peo
Pile speak Of the stage a. detri
mental to MORALS" resumed the
rabbi. Perhaps il is because IL is nc
longer religious. l remember a lit
tie incident which seems to throw
light on the subject. ! saw one oil
Hoyt's plays Ut a local theatre one
evening, and the people were taken
40 by storm that Mr.. Hoyt was call
cd upon to make q speech. He step
ped before the curtain and explain
ell the cause OF his success. He said
he had found that the more non,
sensical his plays were the better
the public liked them, aud therefore
he tried to put rs much nonsense IN
his plays rs he could. II the stage
has degenerated, this explains the
fact. Plays are written to suit tn,
people.
ii asked an old actor once why
there was nothing but tragedy and
comedy on the stage. He said !,
was because there were no new OK
periences in human life TO portray
His answer impressed me very fore
IDLY. Go to the theatre aud see how
the actor clings to the principles Of
life. What one sees Is often page
in his own career
"The stage Is something more thar
q platform OF boards. There is ,
great deal OF tinsel and glitter abou,
Il, but there Is mething beyond al
Of this. Go into the dressing rooms
and you SEQ the actors painting thei,
faces to make them look like some
body else whose part in life they
take up for a few minutes. In theil
various roles they often teacl
lessons OF value to the worlds. J.
= II