The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-01-31
Sapho.

"Sapho" was scheduled for pre-
sentation at the Salt Lake theatre.
The play has the reputation of being
rather ''smutty" and dirty" and some
grave doubts We're being previously en-
tertained amongst the leaders of the
| Mormon church, who hold an interest
in the theatre, as to the propriety of
! allowing such a play to be presented
| for fear of offending public sentiment,
or of endangering the morals of the
people which they profess and are sup
posed to safeguard, thus bringing
| odium and criticism upon themselves.
The contracts however, We're signed,
the company insisted upon its rights
and the church authorities found
themselves obliged to tolerate the en-
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS after some compro-
mise had been agreed upon. The local
daily papers gave carte blanche pub
licity to the difficulties and appreheu-
sions of the authorities. adding some
racy comments of their own. The
company could desire no better adver-
Using. What was the result? The
theatre on Saturday night was taxed
to its utmost capacity and far be-
yond-it was uncomfortably crammed.
Every available seat was engaged long
before the date, and taken possession
of long before the hour Never was
there such an array of plumes and
feathers, nor such q display of glitter
ing diamonds and other precious gems
in the boxes and dress circles. The
aisles and passages were packed with
eager standing spectators in veritable
sardine fashion. So great was the
eagerness for admission at the doors
that it was found necessary to detail
a coterie of police to keep order and to
anticipate crush or panic inside and
more than 1000 disappointed and crest
fallen persons were turned away for
lack of room.
Just think of it-those 1000 indi-
viduals who were turned away, and at
least one-fourth of those who succeed
ed in gaining admission came out that
night for the sole ostensible purpose
of feasting and Cutting their eyes
and ears on whatever there might be
of moral slush and smut and dirt.
Does not this speak badly for the
moral cleanliness of our society folks? |
Yet this was not the worst of it, We |
that the Objectionable fea-
lures of the play, if it ever had any, |
were completely stricken out, which |
left the performance a fairly good |
specimen of the modern drama; yet |
the air of dissatisfaction, and even ,
disgust, which pervaded the audience |
as it filed out of the building was am
ole evidence of the motive power that |
actuated them in coming out in such
numbers. and we can we'll |
imagine how severely the drama was
professedly for what it was, |
out in reality for what it was not, and
What it was SO well advertised to be
n plain words, because they were
ooled and foiled. One would imagine
hat the very fear of having to wit
less anything unseemly would have
induced to stay at home our society
people whose sense of modesty is
otherwise so easily shocked 60 But
10! Mothers were there who should
ave given better example to their
hildren; young ladies-comely virgins
were there who should blush at the
mere mention of indecency. They ex-
ected this drama O. Saturday night
o be indecent, to be "smutty," to be
morally bad-it was advertised as
UGH. yet they were there to see and
0 hear it. File, for shame on our
and maidenhood! Alas
nd alack! what a superficial gloss
his American modesty is!