The times., 1899-02-12

much d1SSusted with man OF the WOTlu rs
with the boy who tries to be considered
such parsonage.
The audiences seen last week at the
Columbia were made up as largely of
women as of men, and were among the
most fashionable ever noted in this city.
All the boxes were sold nightly, and gen.
orally filled with members of the gentler
sex, who laughed and applauded thioIgh-
out the performance as though the attrdc-
tion were an everyday one. This could
hardly have been considered improper.
Refusals to permit their feminine re.atives
to attend the production or requests that
they should not do so might have been
rightly considered as masculine insults.
They would have implied lack of faith in
the stamina and intelligence of the said
relatives that might have been thought
something more than discourteous. Ii
women are to be harmed by every ques-
tionable sight they see it were good plan
to cage them behind latticed windows, as
is done in Turkey.
But what sort of people were observed at
1.-The Turtle?" The very best known fam
lilies in town were represented in the audi
ences, as much by their beskirted men,
bers as by the men themselves. Then there
was always an excellent dress circle at
tendance and gallery that began by being
well filed and the receipts from which fell
of nightly, as soon as the denizens OF that
quarter discovered that the exhibition
promised was not likely to shock them
Throughout the house on different even
ings there were scattered social lions. shop
girls, priests. dressmakers' assistants
newspaper men, schoolboys. matinee girls
in abundance, and, in short, every class
that is seen at an ordinary theatrical en-
tertainment
One cannot decide the why of their
coming quite so easily. AS a play The
Turtle is totally without merit and SO the
optimist who would express it as being his
opinion that people packed the Columbia
in the hope of seeing a notable farce is
silenced. Manager Ziegfeld has been paw
ing the way for his road company, not by
declaring that his offering was funny or
clever, but by announcing it as audacious
and sensational. These reports were ac-
countable for the big business done here.
The audiences at the Columbia were look
ing for yulgarity and would have been dis
appointed had they not. at least, found
traces of it.
That this dirtiness did not exist might
have been told in any instant by any rea-
sonable person. No point of public indul-
gence is so closely scrutinized as Is the
theatre, and a moments consideration
should have convinced the amusement
seeking that as filthy a performance as
THE Turtle. was reputed to be would
have been stopped by the police at once.
But this never seemed to occur to anyone.
Had there been reason for believing that
the disrobing scene was all that had been
claimed for it there was no visible excuse
for the big attendance noted. There was
not a man in the crowds which visited the
Columbia who had not seen Just such
sights dozens of times While it is true
that masculinity never seems to tire of
these exhibitions ii must be said that few
might have been expected to sit through
three-hour farce for the sake of seeing
an actress throw her stockings over
screen in the middle of it. Supposing then
that the be-trousered part of the house
came in the capacity of escorts. a cause
must be found for the presence of the wo-
men, who have never before seemed to
care for degrading things from their own
sex. Curiosity must be considered as the
root OF the affair with tinge of desire to
see how the remainder of the audience
might take the episode adding to the flame
The success of reputably dirty shows in
frst-class houses is comparatively recent
When Fra Diavolo' was produced its dis
robing scene was not considered suggestive
any more than had been similar acts ac-
compllShed on slack wires and traDeze
bars in circuses. Manager Doris's ,resen-
tation of Orange Blossoms was prac-
ticaily boycotted when the public learned
that 1t was improper and variety theatres
IN which such turns were permitted have
been frequented only by men, despite the
fact that it may be fifty asked why it is
more disgusting for an individual TO re-
move her garments until she arrives at
her ieshings than for her to enter without
the garments at all. When Sam IT. lack
went TO New York with what he plainly
termed leg show and when Charmion
appeared at Roster & Balls, people began
show a fn
that both entertainments were naughty
and hence to attend them in great num-
bers The movement was traceable to Just
such a desire to seem wicked as actuates
the giided youth OF eighteen. Once started
the condition spread. Efforts that would
have been considered from their artistic
side only year before were regarded
solely for their sensuality. and productions
which had been taken elsewhere without
evoking suspicion that they We're unclean
became highly vulgar to the public and
highly profitable to the managers Had
Camille" been done in New York FOR the
first time last winter the populace would
have called il sensational and gone to see
it because of that announcement The
strength and beauty of THE Conquerors''
were ignored for its less pleasant features
and even now "ZaZa'' is drawing largely
because the Gothamites think 1t unsavory.
Such desire for wickedness is incompre-
nenSlDle.
THE Turtle" has nothing but its sup
posed filth TO commend it. and yet it is a
great success. Perhaps the surroundings
OF the piece, the daintiness with which
the more suggestive things are accom-
plished. and its lack of brutality are re-
sponsiblc for this triumph And yet the
fact that people will go to see a play
solely because it is what it should not be
is disgusting-it is also beyond under
standing. The last of the three questions
that head this column must go unan-
swered,
Most French vehicles are broad. In
some cases the translations are made in
the effort to eliminate as much as possible
of that breadth and in others with the
sole idea of bringing it out. 'Zaza' is an
example of the first condition and THE
Turtle" of the second. The piece is fiat