The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1900-05-15
A Criticism of sapho,

here-the people do not give them q
fair show when they come. Sapho is
an exceptionally strong play, and was
exceptionally we'll presented last
night In fact l have no hesitancy in
saying that, barring Jane Coombs in
BLEAK House" it was the best thing
l have seen in Oklahoma. Yet what
was the result' The majority of the
audience last night seemed to have
gone to the theater in the hope of see
ing something prurient.
The play had been exploited for it's
riskyness in the East, but it is forgot>
ten that the case brought in court
against Miss Nethersole was decided
in her favor, The play is like Camille,
| Zanza, the Clemenceau case and others
that might be named. 1t is, OF course
strong meat, and it may not be the
kind of play to take young misses to
see but it is not what the audience
seemed to think it was last night.
The reception given the play by our
people is a reflection on our culture.
1t was published in the papers that
the mayor would attend the play, and
upon the appearance of anything i'm
| proper would stop the performance
| 40 IL ~ hoO OCCh PI hR hC
prudery that shifts at a play of this
kind is like that of those good people
who used to put panties on their piano
legs.
But this prudishness is not half as
offensive as was the conduct of large
part of the audience last night. They
| came keyed up TO see something nasty
and were intent to catch anything of
this character. When anything was
said or done that could be distorted
into suggestiveness they broke out
into loud outlaws and looked around
to exchange knowing looks with others
of their kind. 1t was the most
offensive display l ever saw in
a theatre, and have seen some pretty
tough ones. Let me say right here
that the suggestiveness last night was
in the audience and not on the stage. l
was surprised TO see some pretty good
people grinning and winking at what
| they thought was salacious, utterly
unconscious Of the give away it was
on them. l am obliged to say that
the exhibition was disgusting. How
any intelligent, highminded person
could sit up and laugh at the play last
night l cannot understand. 1t is pos
sible that imen may associate with
be amused at their sufferings and
struggles, but man would have to be
pretty far gone, in fact, abandoned, to
arrive at such state.
Speaking of Sapho writer in the
May Forum says: THE whole philos-
ophy of success or failure in play can
be summed up in the simple dictum
that the public likes any play that is
we'll written, well constructed, and
well ted,-any play which is good
example of its type. The public
never has countenanced nor would it
today tolerate a play which is i'm
moral simply because it is so. To be
stamped with public approval play
must have in it something which
strikes a note of human experience,
som mething to redeem the equivecal
question with which il deals. A play
based en- such a question is never re
ceived by the public for what
there is wrong in it. but because
of its human strength: nor has there
ever been, in this country at least,
successful play of the type of Camille,
ZRza or Sapho in which the certainty
of retribution for wrong-doipg was
not shown and enforced, The sue
cess of plays like Sapho will be found |
a
strong presentation of certain phases /
CT human life"
1t was noticeable last night that a
number of those who went to see /
something filthy left before the per-
formance was over, They did not see
what they expected to and were evil
IDENTIFY disappointed. People who are
anxious to see something unclean can |
no doubt find it by going to the right |
place. But it is hardly fair that per-
sons who go to play for another pur.
pose should have their pleasure mar
red by the unseemly conduct of these |
people. have seen Mrs, Leslie Car
ter in Zaza and l do not exaggerate |
when l say that l enjoyed the play
last night more than l did Zaza. II |
was a strong, intensely human rem
dering of the story. Mr.. Blunkall's |
Jean Gaussin was restrained but full +
of power, Miss Atwood's interpreta-
tion of the part of Fannie La Grande
was worthy of all praise, rising ct
times to tragic heighth. Generally
speaking the parts were all we'll sus-
tanned, and If this company should
play a return engagement here it is to
be hoped that they will meet with a
more Intelligent reception than they
had last night,
desire to say a word for Manager
Brooks in closing. he is giving the
people n line of attractions that have
never before been shown in the terri
tory, HiS theatre would do credit to
q town ~ $4,000 people, and his efforts
deserve q full and hearty appreciation