Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-10-25
;OUTsIDE POINT OF VIEW.

Written for tho Times-Republ,can.

Written for tho Times Republican.
The writer sometimes wonders IL the
audiences that now fill our play houses
| ever stop and think what is so often
offered them, these days. in the way
| of entertainment. II the public real
ICES that many of the present plays
actually represent nothing. That the
modern show" is neither flesh, fowl
nor good red herring" There was
time when one went to minstrel
| show and saw what he expected to-
"a niger performance" Again II
comedy was advertised 1t was a com
| edy one witnessed. If tragedy, 1t did
not belle its name. But now the play
| of Josh Spruceby is advertised. The
company of II star performers gives
the play and If any one in the au-
dience can tell whether it was a COM
edy. minstrel performance, vaude-
vile show or hodge podge of all of
them, he knows more than the writer.
The fact is, sometime ago play,
comedy, a real comedy called The Old
Homestead" was written. 1t obtained,
such hold on the New Workers that
several hundred consecutive perform
ances were given in one theater by the
same company OF actors and actresses.
From this, dating from the success OF
1.-THE Old Homestead" came these base
limitations of the Josh Spruceby type.
And we, the public. keep such barn
storming troupes alive by contribute
I ing our half dollars. We are to blame
because we patronize such shows.
The absurdity of such perform
ance would be laughnbale, we could
laugh at them as we do at the Cherry
sisters, If the demoralizing effect on
the audience could be omitted. Ten
years more of such acting(O witnessed
by our young people and good COM
edy cannot be played simply for the
reason the degenerate public will not
appreciate it. 1t is bound to change
the taste, the artistic Judgment of the
audience Indeed 1t is doubtful that
even now, IL the "School for Scandal"
we'll placed and well acted will pay any,
company to give series of entertain-
ments in our towns which have opera
houses fitted for such an old standard
comedy. Why. every one knows that
l"Uncle Toms Cabin" pays, owes its
present paying popularity more to the
limprovements(? than to the original
play founded on the story by Mrs.
Stone. Two Topsy's two Legrees, more
blood hounds and several more jack
asses are now with an "Uncle Toms
Cabin" company. Twenty-Five years
ago 1t was realistic old comedy. To-
| day it's-what?
But to get back to Josh Spruceby.."
Here's the honest old Vermont farmer,
his daughter runs away with the william
of the play. The old man thinks they
have forgotten to get married. and so
heart-broken starts after them. He
feels so bad that before starting he
executes double shuttle clog dance
before the audience. Then he discovers
that the william has also robbed him
of thousand dollars, farmers always
have that exact amount for Williams to
pick up off the kitchen table as they
elope. And again the honest old farm.
er gives vent to his SORROW by singing
"a bowery song with clog dance ac-
lcompaniment between each verse. Sor-.
rowful old farmers always do this
when their daughters and dollars run
away with Williams.
| Then there is smart little girl, who
chases around for the honest old farm
| err. She is supposed to be sixteen or
so, but wears short dresses, which fail
| to disguise the mature form OF forty
year-old woman. Altho the runaway
daughter was great friend of hers,
| she feels so bad about 1t she has to
dance clog dance and sing topical
| -