Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-08-24
Dramatic ond 2ypic.
Tho Theator Ally of the Pupit-Local Amusements-
Notes from at Homo
and Abroad.

That. sntagonlsm Of the religion
people Of the world TO theatrical repre-
ssntations 10 asst fading away IL one Of
the sizps u return to PRACTICAL
healthy conditions IL had its origin
In med pval ideas VI ascetlci'm, au'
oording to which exclusion from the
"wotld" wa. a most desirable oondi.
tlon, a means tor the Attachment Di
spiritual power and moral rKccllsnof'
This view was to some extent retained
aIrths Reformation AMI among the
various Puritan, peitistio and myito
school Of Ia ology II took the form OF
denuciation OF All "woHdly" nmu.e'
menls, including the drama, which
were considered nets ~ which IN.
wary souls were caught aud dragged 60
perdilion. The change In views on
tins matter iudlcatts that a piolism
that requires little more than the
mltai caldniniug Of the ezie'nn
iIe Of human life Is inadequate to ths
demands OF the present. time with
tiawakening in every direction.
There IN evidently no clnCelvabl"
reason why Theatrical perform ncrs ~
Huoh should bb detrimental % thf ih'
tefssts OF the religious bIuies 10 90 Tar
ne these aim ~ keeping mankind In
the pAtbs 4 virtue. Ga the contrary
tue fight kind ~ play should 10 one VI
thu gT R.Cst aids OF the pulpit. n.
where tAn ,iftues be impfesfed 90
d WORLDLY upon the human mind NJ
from tue stage; nowhere ess eau vices
be paintcdsl nideou'. Preachers and
orators are sucOess'ul only Ia the d,.
gree they are able h TACT" Tier
power tU influence audiences Il
msasursd by tue teallsm OF tbtir repre-
sensations. TITS being the casu, u h
clear taat the stage has advantages far
more numuTou, than the ia PIT. ~ II
he desirable, tor Instance, - inculcatu
patriotism, how eau that bo dUuU
with greater effect than by depicting the
noble hero that lives anu perhaps dice
OF his couDity2 Who has not At times,
witnessing u good plRs, felt the ln'
tpirstion TO renewed cillits IN the
cause Of purity, of truth, Of fectilude,
which, II II 10 not identical with the
tginly IL lie near kiuG A nina im.
pressiOlo for good In thu thestef cannot
Do passive In the pew.
But, II may be sskej, Ia that the
Penefsl effect OF the siagr2 On this
point opinions differ. IT, indi,rut.
able thst much Of Ut whiou IL offered
tho public under tho name OF drama
IL absolutely worthless, In fact worse,
perhaps, and more harmful than some
Vt the ofAt0Ty supplied by the pulpit.
Is n that IA not dTums. IL IA disgrace
to the art, That II txas at all IL &C.
ruuuteu for on the ground that II pay,
because II IN In demand, But " this
must be admitted II should not he over
looked that by the position Of great
humber OF religious people toward the
stage, Kind Of Imaginary Hbysr has
ing been established with the u cater
and ali the wicked ones on one
side anu tho so-cAllpd "Churoh"
nd tho good people on tho other.
A long as this absurd idsA was pre-.
s.inug, 10 wonder thst plays Of In.
frfiOr character, aud even absolutely
Immoral ones In their tendency, should
be- written aud offered ~ the class on
the theaiet side OF the line. For the
came reason, people that enter tue pro.
frssion ~ actors And Actresses are often
not Of the met exact character, aud
notwithstanding the demand that tho
morality OF the fraternity be kept sop.
arate from the effects Of the play In
discussion Of its L. iiuenco for good or
evil, II Ia ohsy to SEQ that one OF the
most grsy objections 90 tue theatiT
u tue lex morals Of n number OF ils
a al "A
O. witch, with or without guoI
grounds, the whole profession has been
placed under a clOnd. Tue effect OF
this IL similar to that OF listening 10 n
preacher whose private lie Ia known
TO DO u contradiction OF his public
utterancrs. It true that moral los.
NUna cannot I've given riluctuaiiy by
those vino know uOthing OF the subjects
bya deeppsrsOnalo xptrlrucs,any more
tust llgu, eau be ciestly transmitted
through a smoked glass, OF n clear note
he produced through u broken musical
INSTRUMENT, IL Ia therefore not strange
II the educatlve results Uf the drama
sometimes are lamenIably imperfect.
On the whole, tue dramatic art has
TAT hardly had fair chance among
the educational force. Of tue wUfl /. IL
has hAu battle Tor eXislsnCs, un.
hnOwn 10 ita more fortunate brothers.
That II has not only survived but, not.
Withdrawing the disadvantage
alluded To-, progrsssed, niuung prtJu.
dices anu won over 10 It's side many ui
Tue fespeotauio Ut all classes of people,
Including clergy meu, IL proof OF Ia
power Tor gcuu under favorable cir.
cumHlanoes.
What Ia most needed 10 that TIE Ia.
telligtnt champions Of Tehgl "a more
generally III tue ban that Tests, o. 10
were over the stEle. PlEyWTigiis
an InsaIsr managers nave 40 intpr.
rHt In catering g. n corrupt TASTE, %
those claiming refinement viii patrlu.
ne thcm. AuI II they would ius'st u
oniy that wHiuh Is ~ d, II would be-
forthcoming, Tho suIest WY rpsl IN
th' imIurt - thsl has iuuuu TO- the
stage b. Cause Of tue uugIrut . tht
uAtdisus ( puliio morals 90 alu u a.
lie wO.k TOT gloIi IH 20 ruuuvr that
ABUSE Ui the pays uupT II able. IN,
Stage ucbds tue frstfAIulug puidRngF
o. those very people whp CUmpIa ain OF
itHDd krop away Nugn they Iur
aside lholr prvlu nee, am tnrow their
I uu zoe IA IHyuT Of a puFe drama IhH