The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-02
THE Actors cnURcH ALEIAHcR
Its Dssirability Questionable in the Opinion
OF an Episcopal Clergy man.

Its Dssirability Questionable in the Opinion
OF an Episcopal Clergy man.
To THE Eprron OF THE SuN--lSir: am not
SURPRISED to find from this mornings Sun
that the recently organized Actors Church
Alliance" does not command the confidence OF
the theatrical profession: and it certainly can
have but little claim on the confidence OF the
clergy OF the Protestant Episcopal Church.
To start with: There are conflicting ele
ments in the appointment Of Bishop Potter
of the Protestant Episcopal Church a. Presi-
dent. and the Rev. Thomas Slicer. Unta-
rian minister, IA President. At the
public meeting MIR. Steer did not hesitate
to rdlcule the idca that "a Bishop" must
be- President and claimed that he had 10 much
right to ths position an Bishop Potter himself
Tho Church and Stage League In England
IL ore formed entirely Of members OF tho
Church OF England, and has. therefore. def
mite religious aims but this American Actors
Church Alliance has. by its appointment OF
officers. cast aside definite standards OF re-
| ligiOus belief.
II may. however be said that the Actors
| Church Alliance. OF which Mr.. Bentley Is sec-
rotary. has not for its object the conversion
or the religious enlightenment OF the theatri-
| cal profession. but merely the promotion OF
| their social welfare. in which church attend
| ance must he included. II such Ia the case, l
| am afraid that the influence Of the stage on the
Church will DO much moro potent than the In
| nuence OF the Church on the stage. Instead OF
| the clergy exercising decided religious ihfu-
cncs on the motor. 1t would seem that tho skilled
| actor NAV exercise some little worldly in1u-
| cnce on the clergy. This possibility was sug-
gcs,cd in tho interviews of THE Sun reporter
| with some of the actors themselves In fact.
ind the theatrical papers tn roughout the conn-
try treat the alliance as huge JOKE. !ts ior.
| Church Association in tho Interests Of Labor.
! an admirable society which does what 1t can to
settle disputes he,we.n EMPLOYER, ana en- ,bi.
! A"ors' Church Alliance to step forward IN the
name of r.ligion to settle difficulties between
!he theatrical manager and his ballet dancers o.,
M Ma"Kp"y the f ssSo"d fresdest q
ii ing Of theatres on SUNDAY But this could
he done much better without the Alliance 'h IN
| Hishop Potter has said that he has never
1 one. entered New York theatre ne go g9Ioa q
because he thinks i is somewhat Questionable
as q recreation! He did not say 80. hut !. is
mat fs.5 s.: s.S 'fsS s%s
tGratreg"in as absolutely sinful. An alliance
, between tn" Bishop of me Pro'sstan Erisco-
rat hntGh and lesnS an,tsr ria mln u, s
editor OF the Methodist AdrOcdfe. regards the
municatinn Of thcatregoers. On the other hand.
the clergy OF the Episcopal Church have main :
stage may he somewhat immoral there are
manifest exceptions, and that good play with
MrS"x n' Mr. a asssy sa at
lie meeting Of the alliance. the moral condi-
tons OF the stage depend very largely on the
public.
Conscuuentlv. venture to think that, while
this Actors Church Alliance may be something
fknt, lal. lie H..
Episcopal Church which has it's definite
for example for bringing a healthy influence
10 bear on the stage.
in " the liz q" Of ths at I'm Mr AneUstSs DAY.
clergyman Of our Church last winter attended
Mr.. DAYS theatre, in company with his daugh-
ed in light and nipran nj manner the dom JIG
relationships, Of the home He immediately
he could take his daughters To Days Theatre
with coniidenre. and begged that he would re-
This AR DaIy did at once. thus admitting the
right Of Christian clergyman to criticise the
produr,'ons Of the theatre ~ T.,
rem the FORMATION 4 tbs fetors' GhnrcI'
l 1SF and vel in'ermet and are Quite ALE
when they visit either large CITIES or country
towns. to select their places OF worship And
'hinE men, Of expHriepce would say that It IL
not desirable that the clergy should seek In an ,
special way the society OF members o. the
theatrical profession. unless it is with the
avow-l intention OF doing them some religious
good. This is what the actors object to- They
object TO TO mssionlzed They object to he
converted to US" IA popular term. They object
70 l." treated ~ class. Ii you esta hlisf
chsplains for actors In every city there Ia nc
reason In the world why you should not estab
lIsh chaplains Tor saloon keepers. dry gpoit
store keepers and millionaires. In fact. takns
the New Testament as a standard OF religion
there would seem to be some special reasons
for appointing miss ionaries for the conversion
fn tIt,-n "A l, nd "a n a
Of heaven. but not for actors
My ohlrct in writing this letter is to poin
out that The establishment Of this Actors
Church A}lianra is somewhat contrary to the
spirit ri the Protestant Episcopal Church. anC
that if any alliance Ia needed between the
Church and the stage II should be one formet
for the distinct purpose of exercising health
ful. healthy influence on the drama OF the day
A Protestant EPISCOPAL CLERGYMAN.