The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-22
ACTORS CHURCH ALLIANCE.


Cleveland Plain Dealer.
A Cleveland chapter of the Actors
Church Alliance will be organized in this
city Thursday afternoon. For that purpose
and others interested in the work of the
alliance will be held in the chapel Of Trim
tty Cathedral at o'clock Tuesday after
noon.
Rev. Walter e. Bentley, secretary and
the founder Of the alliance, is in the city
and yesterday preached three sermons at
Episcopal churches TO tell the church peo-
pie of the objects of the organization.
This is Rev. Bentleys first visit to
Cleveland since 1887, when he appeared
here with a repertoire company in Shak-
Spearean plays. Since then he has been or
dained to the ministry. has been assigned
to a parish and has brought about the or
ganiZation of the alliance, which has for
its object the reuniting of the church and
The alliance was organized in 1899 and
has for its officers Bishop Henry G. Potter,
Of New York, president; f. +. Mackay,
first vice president; Rev. Thomas j. Dull
cey, second vice president; Rev. Bentley,
secretary, and George ID. Mcintyre, treas
urer. Concerning it's obpects Mr.. Bentley
says:
1.-THE Actors Church Alliance of America
is the latest and bids fair to be the great
est movement for the welfare Of the stage
ever ever =, devised, 1t is absolutely honest,
tronage. 1t believes that the time has
arrived for the church to help its OFF,
spring-the theater-fully to attain its mis-
sion as one Of the greatest ethical forces
in society, potent to humanize even while
seeming to amuse, and contributing so
vitality for veal or woe, to the character
and destiny OF the Nation. Man is his
trionic well as religious, and the devo-
tional and the dramatic elements in his
makeup are, In the last analysis, very
ineradicable image in which he was made.
IL the province of the church is to min
lister to man and to his whole nature. she
can no longer be content to provide for
his devotional and physical needs, as in
services, clubs and gynlNasiums, but must
also include the esthetlc and take in his
whole being. The unhappy divorce between
the church and the stage which has existed
for nearly four hundred years, has been
injurious to both The stage has lost the
guidance and direction OF the organized
conscience of the community, while the
church in being too unworldly has lost the
touch of nature which the stage supplies,
and to that extent its grip on daily life"
day afternoon in Trinity Cathedral, Rev.
Bentley delivered the sermon. taking as
his text a portion of the eleventh verse
things that the Father hath are NINE"
and a sentence from the twenty tn
chapter of st. Mathew. "All We are breth-
rem"
At the outset Mr.. Bentley took up briefly
the history of the stage from the Greek
drama to the Roman drama where it died
with the empire, to be revived again In
acle and morality plays given under the
patronage of the church, with the church
as the theater. and priests and clergymen
as the actors. The stage as picture of
life came to portray the immoral it
was and is found. Then to protect its
self the church withdrew its protection
and thus have they drifted apart for the
past four hundred years., said Rev. Rent
ley.
He said that it is not to be wondered
at that the people Of the stage deteriorate.
He thought that no little Of this is due TO
the general misunderstanding which pre-
walls regarding the people Of the pro-
fession. To illustrate this point he re-
cited his own experiences. travelling about
the country, soon firing of the few people
of the company to which he was attached.
not allowed to mingle with the public after
the dropping of the curtain, an object of
curiosity and suspicion in the church or
wherever he might appear.
1t Is to clear away this misunderstanding
ing that the alliance was formed. While
others denounce the theater and the pro-
fession the alliance seeks to support its
members and to educate the public mind
to require better and higher standard OF
performances The effort of the alliance
is not to patronize and missionize the pro-
fession but 1t endeavors to get in sympathy
with the artistic and sensitive temperament
of it's members. Then ii hopes to do away
with the Sunday theater work which is
harder on the actors than any one else,
and finally to improve the tone of the
dramatic profession and to have its aim.
mot for pleasure only"