The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-07-12
10 ESTABLISH
GOSPEL THEATRE
Herbert Booth Talks of His
Plans
TO REACH THE MASSES
He Believes the Dramatic Art
Most Potent
TO REACH THE MASSES

London, July u-Herbert Booth. third
son OF General William Booth Of the Sal
| walton Army. is To be the promoter and
/ director OF a gospel theatre in New York.
/ TO be equipped with a permanent stock
! company and elaborate costumes and
! scenery II is not to be founded on the
/ lines of the Passion play as Oberamergau-
/ It is not copied after the Mystery Plays
of the boy bishopsc OF the sixteenth cen
! fury
THE greater part Of my life has been
| spent in connection with work TO reach
/ the masses" said Mr.. Booth. And by the
masses. l do not mean only the poop and
| the miserable people of the earth. but
| that vast army of human beings on all
parts of the globe who are equally in
need of the Gospel
Il have realized for years that the ex-
listing churches are face to face with
problem that is a growing one. Their
| audiences are becoming smaller Sunday
| by Sunday. On the other hand. the the
! aires are crowded every night-even on
the Sabbath. have asked myself: What
potent power fills the theatres and leaves
the churches empty?
ne germ OF my lOed Is l4lS. ne
dramatic art is all powerful. 1t takes
possession of the higher emotions OF
mankind. 1t appeals to the masses in a
way that is irresistible. Why not ap-
ply it TO the teaching of religion and
the spreading of the Gospel?
1t is the dramatic that has filed the
churches of our most popular preachers.
DR.. Talmage, of America. and d. Parker
Of England, owed the greater part Of their
success to their dramatic ability. Booth
held their audiences by their power as
actors.
by appealing to the love of the masses
for the dramatic, by bringing ont the pa
thetic. the real tragedies in life. by de-
picting to the eyes scenes so full of action
that they will appear realistic presenta-
ton, hope to reach millions throughout
the world with biblical, scientific and
historic truths by exactly the same prin-
ciple. only differently expressed, that now
nightly fills the playhouses.
For the eye 1 shall utilize the wonder
full scientific instruments that God has
put in our hands. and the ear l shall
reach by the eloquence of the drama.
= shall begin operations at once" said
Scientific Evangelization Society. The
gist of the whole proposition, as 1 have
already said, is the dramatic idea But in
connecting the theatre with religion is
where the danger lies. To begin with.
we all know that the natural association .
of the stage is away from church influ-
ences. The first point. then. to consider .
is that We must have Christian actors.
Il shall secure a large han in New 4
York, which 1 shall fit up as a theatre.
1t will be called the Hall of Representa- .
ton. There 1 will esta blish my Gospel
players. 1 will get the best Christian ac-
tors and actresses that can be obtained
Some will be paid salaries and others
may volunteer to do the work gratuitous- ,
~. 1 shall have scenery painted by the /
best artists TO illustrate the views true TO .
nature from the best writer's. The play |
ers will carefully irehearse their parts,
and when perfect sto grace and natural
ness Of motion they will perform before
the cameras and theb est moving pictures
that money can buy viii be produced
One who has given the subject no
thought cannot realize the dramatic pow
er that may be presented By a series OF
those moving pictures.
But biblical scenes and biblical dramas
will not be the only ones produced We
shall search all through the realms Of life
and truth for objects. We shall have a
literary and dramatic bureau composed Of
the best writer's established in New York.
whose business is shall be to search in
the Libraries for the stories Of noble men
and women. These stories viii be drama
tized.
Il want 500 600" said Mr.. Booth II
I can get some Of the mHlionaires Of
America TO give that sum 70 the cause
can make it paying institution on BUSH
ness principles. Ny first condition shall
be. however. that the dramas are 70 be
furnished absolutely free TO the people.
without regard TO creed OF church denom-
nations. Here is my plan:
with the $4,000 l viii organize my
permanent theatre in New York. Then
viii form in different cities 100 societies
20 produce the dramas with the pictures
The Y. N C A. societies and church or
CARNATIONS will readily take up the plan
when they understand H. All that would
be necessary for them would be 70 have
some young man with dramatic ability
learn and recite the drama that would be
furnished by the theatre
A lantern outfit can be purchased for
80. Iwouid guarantee 10 furnish the as
sociations with the views for = a set
Of 10 slides and ten motion pictures on
the agreement that they would uss TWEEN
y sets a year = We had Z 90 associa-
tons that would mean an income q fl1a-
- years per cent on an investment
y 3 or 90
But So. 90 IS ali that e needed %
start the movement. and have now N
iertakeu TO raise this amount When tire
project IS once started the annual expense
z conducting x wfll not BE- more TRAN
- 90. and I have Just shown how tbs
vii Be more than net. But do hot BE-
ievs TIRE associations VIII ~ limites -
oo1- ! propose 70 extend 1neua all over
ne world
HORSE ENDS RACE ALONE.