The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-04-02
TELLS OF STAGE LIFE.
Mrs. Edith Peake, the Retired
Actress, Now Evangelist,
Is Attracting Large COngrega-
lions at q. p. Church.
Talks to Reporter of the Evils and
Pitfalls in an Actress'Career-Her
Favorite Character Was Lady
Macbeth.

''In Christianity there is no place for
the stage or those who patronize it"
Such is the opinion of Mrs. Edith L.
Peake, for seven years a member of the
dramatic profession and now a travel
ing evangelist.
Mrs. Peake is at present conducting
a series of revival meetings at the Uni
ted Presbyterian church in this city.
The notices advertising her arrival in
this city stated that she was reform
ed'' actress, but this Mrs. Peake OBJ
jects to. 'I don't like the expression
reformed actress because it always
puts me in mind of reformed pugil-
lists" said she. Il am a retired actress,
and don't care to be known as re-
formed actress, although to jump from
the stage to true Christianity one must
needs be reformed"
Mrs. Peake is a large fine appearing
woman, tall in stature and f1eshy. I
PLAYED the part of the heavy woman in
a number of Shakespearean produc-
tions,' she remarked last highland the
appropriateness of the character part
at once suggested itself In speaking
from the rOstrum she never dOffs her
hat, and her hair is worn in WaVy fash
ion on her forehead She has a deep
rolling voice, but whatever dramatic
art she has practiced in the past fails
to show to any extent in her gospel eX-
hortations. She talks just as the ma
jority of revival evangelists talk.
There is but very little interesting
Mrs. Peake to a reporter. I would
much rather talk about my evangelical
work. I was on the stage in Shakes
pearean roles for seven years, and l
left it because I wanted to be a Chris
tian and discovered that it was impOs-
sible to follow the dramatic profession
and be a child of God. That's about all
you can say concerning my stage ca
Teer."
tThen you think it absolutely impos
sible for any person on the stage to be
absolutely impossible" replied the
retired actress. There was never
true Christian on the stage and never
a true Christian that was a thcater
goer. The two conditions are incOm-
patibIe; it is impossible for them to go
hand in hand. have seen some very
good women, as the word goes among
actresses, but never true Christian
woman. Among men on the stage 1
have never seen anyone who approach
ed anything near the Christian stand
ard of manhood. Now there's James
O'Neill. O'NeilI is a Roman Catholic
and a pretty decent sort of a man, but
he drinks and is profane. and by no
manner of means is good Christian
man. I suppose O'NeiH is as good as
any actor on the stage today.
You see," continued Mrs. Peake in
a rather interested sort of a manner,
1.-The stage is purely for entertainment
ness to talk of the elevating power of
the stage. The stage has no elevating
power. 1t panders to the public, and
the public of the nineteenth century is
going down hill at a lively pace. Man
ayers will put on anything that serves
to attract attention, and members of
the profession have to accommodate
themselves to all kinds of conditions.
The associations of the stage are such
that no one can live on it and lead
Christian life Women on the stage are
public property and every man consld-
ers he has the right to insult them
I think there is a greater percentage
of infidelity among members of the
dramatic profession than in any other
class of life. When I was on tho stage
I was an fnf1del; [ am ashamed to say
it. but it is fact If it was not for
long siege of typhoid fever through
which I passed, it is doubtful if /