Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-04-01

way 10 subduc vice 20 to withhold
all knowledge Of II. Prof. paula crit
lclsm OF this play ~ q just one. n.
however. the best means ~ n~h'l
vice is to present n In It's real hldeous-
ness and portray iir awful effects. then
no play In years has done better SER
vice than The slgn NJ the Cross"
Now, my article distinctly praised
those parts Of the play IN which the
hideousncss OF vice is portrayed. A
critic surely ought TO read an article
he critlclscs.
Then follows an astounding asper-
sion. My critic says.
Critics of Prof Paurs senslbiiitlcs
must turn with qualification from
plays like The Slgn Of the Cross. La
TOscn, Fedora. Aristocracy and Sowing
the wind. TO productions like Rpmcm-
Der the Maine. The Tornado. The Heart
OF Chicago, Under tho Dome. Alone In
Greater New York. Sidetrackcd. The
stowawny. The Pay Train, and The
Heart OF the Klondlke"
As matter uf fact. have seen none
Of the plays to which my critic libel
ously asserts 1 would turn with
qualification" and from what I have
heard % them would not
them. Not that dispute the
value Of some such scenic or cxtrnvn-
giant or commonplace productions as
those which my critic thus calls to
mind nor am inclined here TO discuss
tho value Of ANNE of the alleged 'uucs-
the first group. know only one 81
these well enough to form any opinion
OF the group, an embodiment Of high
dramatic art. from which I certainly
would not turn with qualification to
anything mediocre. even though I
~
some OF the others as lessons In morals.
Tho displays OF fireworks may be good
amusement Tor children. aud the dime
novel play. with It's much tempted hero
and heroine. flnuity triumphant. may be-
good enough TO split the caus OF the
EroundllnEH" 10 Interest the young pco-
pie from the baokwoods but do not
have the time 10 attend them. For
years my theater-rnlng has been con-
fined mainly 10 Shnkrapearc and the
opera. When. Therefore. my critic con-
oludcs. because I question the moral
value OF the impression likely to be left
on many minds by seeing the sign ~
the Cross. that I must therefore admire
the rubbish which he Tor shcD declares
Nils our stage today deny the
Erotcrquc insult utterly. The critic
says my criticisms apply with equal
force TO three.fourths or all tina, IL
seen on the stage" So much tho worse
for tho stage. N this be- true; and my
own regrets ut not having hnd time FOR
the past few years, to attend more ~
the shows" must have been unnecca-
rary. I have not maintained that the
stage II or should be an adjunct % re-
llgion or an aid to the cause ~ good
morals. nor de- I deny that rood and
bad ARE relative terms. Compared with
those plaza which my critic says MI
thrcc-fourthr 4 the stage today. THE
Slgn ~ the cro,s.' for auFht I. know.
may be "a good play. Compared With
plays ! usually lttcnd II IL not especial
ly good. And Judged by It's own pre-.
tensions OF what II claims 10 do. to por-
tray the lives Of the early Christians Co
Impress the people with tho beauties ~
holiness, to furnish Incentives TO a
Christian lifc.-in these respects tho
play " probably n failure FOR all but
the highly educated and those whuse
faith IL naturally clear and strong.
Yours truly.
]. ~. PAUL.