The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-25
CONVERTED ACTOR
CONDEMNS STAGE
DR.. William F. ireland breaches
Three Sermons
FROM STAGE TO PULPIT"
Says influences Thrown About Actors
Force Them to Drink and other
Immoral Habits and Should
not be Encouraged.
FROM STAGE TO PULPIT"

DR.. William Francis Ireland, the con-
verted actor, delivered his sermon on
From the Stage to the Pulpit to three
large audiences congregated yesterday.
The first sermon was delivered at the
Ensley Baptist church yesterday morning
at II o'clock In the Afternoon at $3.50
o'clock the congregation of the Woodlawn
Baptist church was preached TO by DR..
Ireland, and at night he filled the pulpit
of the Bessemer Methodist church.
During the course Of the sermons Dr.
Ireland said:
Now we come to the theatre, what are
we to do with 1t, or what Is 1t to do with
us? | started life as a young boy in a
puritan home in New England, member
of stylish church, that has everything
but Christ high steeple, god organ,
fine orator, and a big church debt. Our
pastor struck upon a unique plan OF can
ceiling this church indebtedness, that OF
having his young people play in amateur
performances twice a week In the city
opera house We succeeded in cancelling
the church Indebtedness, but at the price
of putting five of our young people IN
the theatrical profession and three young
ladies in the slums of the city, terrible
price TO pay for the church.
bcCOnc Popular a. fNtHoeNN'S'
Il played a part with such degree Oh
success that | became very popular as an
amatuer performer. At this time l was
offered by the Davis Stock company, that
wished to tour me as the boy actor, stu
alton which 1 accepted. After that l got
regularly into the profession.
Continuing he said
Let me take you with me behind the
scenes First we come to the stage en-
trance, here we meet generally u ru1-
fan, put there to keep all intruders
from off the stage. Next we will meet
the manager who will stage anything
to make the dollar. We meet then the
stage manager who takes his performer
as an instrument to make money by.
Very little consideration is given to him
unless he occupies a leading part The
scene shfters are generally men of inn
moral term of mind AS we step into
the dressing room, we come across the
actor and actress. generally people en-
Unused with the teachings of free love-
They drink, which becomes necessity
as a stimulant to help them keep up with
the great physical tasks upon their
bodies
"An actor, to play his part successful
ly must be enabled to so far forget his
own personality to believe that he really
exists in the part he plays. Unless he
can do this he will not be great sue
cess in his profession. The character
of the william which. by the way, is
the leading and heaviest part in the
drama, is bound to lower me in character.
1t takes a good actor to bring the hiss
from every lip, and unless he can do 1t
the hero will get but very few applause.
William Has Hardest Work.
1.
ro, the poor one in the place of viii
lain and your play will fall short. Put
a good actor in the place of a villain,
never mind if the heroes place is filed by
poor actors the contrast between the bad
and the good will make your play success
full
How does an actor look at christians
patronzng the theatres. As he looks
over his audience he sees nearly every
christian organization represented before
him, and he wonders as he sees the cler-
gymen, If he knows the story of the
drama, which started In Athens, Greece,
two hundred years before Christ, in de-
fence of the teachings of false gods
against the teachings of Moses. Forty
seven years before Christ the drama came
into Rome where 1t made light OF the
coming advent of the Son of God. After
the qualification of Christ when the
christians were captured, and gored by
the bulls. this took place at the applaud
of the people. After this the Catholic
church attempted to give the theatres
it's support but was compelled to throw
IL aside. as harmful to the organization.
knowing this, the actors wonders how
the preacher could patronize the theatre.
Is it Necessary?
"If Christian people are to patronize
astsl-
ty to their happiness, the actor asks him
self the question If / am necessity TO
their happiness. am I not all right in my
chosen profession with all of its wrongs,
It being necessary to the christians hap
piness.'
..The teacher generally is above the
scholar in knowledge and the actor being
an entertainer considers himself above
the one being entertained. Seeing so
many christian people in my audience
had lost all confidence in my former
teachings and being surrounded py sup
porting people after the play, | was IN
vited TO the clubs, where champagne ran
like water; others invited me to the race
track. where naturally | played the horse
races such influence constantly around
me robbed be of all confidence In chris
tian teachings, made me a rank material
ist had played the part of Paul DeVane
in the Soudan. the character OF the Yil-
lain, which had been applauded by press
and public as a historical drama, show
ing the opening Of the Soudan to civiliza-
lion. This play was considered to be a
moral play, but still two former actors
who played in my part were made drunk
ards by the part they played through its
forced stimulation.
AS TO "Moral Plays"
sro touch on the moral plays, I would
ask which are the moral plays, for
know but a very few. These are Ben
Hur. with it's character Of Judas, who Is
willing to sell his God and religion in
open shame; Quo Wards, with Eunice,
living in shame with her master; the
Christian. with games of chance and
dancing In the church, laid by the pas
tor the plot is for the ruinatlon Of the
character Of a young girl. In Bonnie
Brier Bush, the drunkard is compelled
to make light of the church of God. and
place disgrace upon the preacher. These
cannot be upheld as moral by Christians.
1.-THE greatest harm of all Is that when
Young people patronize theatres they are
Al Mt TO become Fascinated with what they
see. That facination soon turns them into
stage struck individuals with but one
thought and that is to become actor
When they find their fondest ambition
crushed they become outcasts and ruined
for the future. therefore ii becomes our
duty as Christians to sympathize with
the actor. for IL Is his profession that
makes him what he is. and | plead with
you In the name of Chris. and the name
of the actor to stay away from the the
aires and to be an example Of truth and