The record-union., 1896-03-21


opened August 20, 1871. The honor of
opening the new house was given to the
play Extremes" drama in which
Mr.. McVicker had appeared at Rice's
Theater many years before. Mr.. Nc
Wicker then took the part of politician
in the cast. On this night of honor he
took the part of Mark Mayberry. 1t
was sight never before seen by Chi
cago audience. The proprietor of the
city's leading place of amusement, just
transformed into bower of beauty the
successful manager who had reached a
high rank in commercial circles, and the
leader of theatrical progress, went to
the green room ana took his part as
naturally as if he had never left it. The
greeting of the audience showed its ap-
lpreciation.
The following extracts we make from
an essay by Rev. t. p. Hughes, rector
Of the church of the Holy Sepulcher,
New York: Forty years ago the whole
trend of the pulpit was against the
stage, and it is only by very slow al
though very perceptible changes that
the theater has gradually been tolerated
by religious teachers. Now, elergymen
are frequently seen in New York thea
ters, and no apology for their presence
is demanded. The clergy in their
churches preach once or twice a week.
The theater is an influence and an in-
struction, either for good or evil, every
day of the week. To do away with tho
theater is an impossibility. To relegate
IL, as the evangelical preachers would
have done, to the sluns of vulgarity
and vice, is also impossible. People fire.
quent theaters for three special reasons
amusement, entertainment and in
struction. Laughter says Addison,
| while it lasts, slackens and embraces
the mind And this is what men and
women seem most to need in the weary
working world But it is surprising to
any thoughtful mind how crowds of
educated people can be collected to wit
ness the silliest trash that can possibly
be presented-plays that are very badly
conceived in the plot, and very poorly
expressed in, the acting. / have found
an instance of this in a play performed
at the Madison Square Theater entitled
| The Gay Parisians.' There is nothing
Questionable in the play as plays go.
But it seems strange that any sensible
man could offer such a play to first
| class audience, and that a first-class
| audience in a first-ciass theater could
crowd together to witness such tumble
| "a tumble, also, that was silly in the
extreme
| Some of these funny plays are not
only poor in their conception, but i'm
moral in their expression. A remark
able instance of this is play entitled
Too Much Johnson There are some
comic plays which not only make one
laugh, but are admirable in their con-
ception. Among them I am disposed to
class 'Charley's Aunt But the express
sions of profanity which are put into
the mouths Of the college graduates
seem entirely unnecessary On one oc-
casion I attended a very popular the
atrical entertainment accompanied by
| stenographer, and we made careful
notes of the way in which jokes were
received. We found that really good
| innocent joke brought down the house,
while expressions OF vulgarity were
very often allowed to pass in silence
In some cases they were Kissed.
TT is somewhat difficult to under
stand why certain very beautiful comic
| operas have failed to draw for any
| length Oh time. In very many
of the comic operas the costumes of the
women are excessively immodest. An
| instance of the kind is found in The
Wizard of the Nile at the Casino Thea
| ter, in which Frank Daniels takes the
leading part. Mr.. Daniels is a consum-
mate actor and can keep an audience
in continuous roars of laughter, and it
is Mr.. Daniels, and not the semi-nude
tnnn n1sTIc eri1s1c yaC q
| should womanhood be degraded?
often wonder that the educated women
of New York do not see how dishonor-
ing to their sex the exposure of the fe-
male figure becomes. If Christian
women would only view the matter from
the Christian standpoint they would
decline to attend theater where the
female costumes are known to be de-
| cidedly immodest.
Another phase of theatrical repre-
sentation designed for entertainment
is the realistic drama, such as Beau
Brummell,' The Prisoner of Zenda,' and
The Senator Mr.. Mansfield, Mr..
Sothern and Mr.. Crane seem to succeed
admirably in producing that which is
healthy and good, and yet these gentle
men assert that they are not appreci-
ated by New York audience to an ex-
tent to which they certainly have a
claim. The Senator as pro-
duced by Mr.. Crane, combines the three
fold purpose of the stage-amusemen
entertainment. and teaching The play
which seems to be needed is one in
which there shall be real literary power,
with a good sprinkling of ready wit,
and with rapid and vigorous movement
in it's acting
1T has been said that, next to virtue.
the fun in this world is what we can
least spare. And if the public will only
take its teaching of virtue from the
pulpit there can be no objection to it's
taking its fun from the stage. All that
can be demanded is that it shall be pure.
innocent and good fun But the pulpit
has right to demand that. if if taIer-
ates the theater as a field for light
hearted amusement, the stage shall not
present vice as attractive and virtue
as something to be laughed at. I would
not imply that, even from a clergy
mans standpoint" there is not a vast
repertoire of admirable plays against |
winch no objection can be made. The
most critical mind could not possibly
md fault with Christopher. Jr..' as |
performed by John Drew: or with
Nancy and Co., in which Miss Ada
Rehan took the leading part; or that
exceedingly amusing piece, Jane The
very fact that such popular pieces can
be produced, and are sufficiently at
traetive to draw large houses is of if |
self a very potent reason why the CLERGY |
should, in the consideration of theater- !
W. ,7;.-+:.