The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-09-18
THIS WEEK AT
THE THEATRES

= Salt Lake Theatre. Tues y
= day and Wednesday evenings y
= and Wednesday matinee, Ralph =
= Stuart in BY Right Of Sword" =
Grand. - Monday, Tuesday \
= and Wednesday evenings and y
Wednesday matinee, york y
State Folks; Thursday, Fri y
day and Saturday evenings and y
Saturday matinee, For Her =
\ Sake =
%\%%%<%%
I t SEEMS to VS. that the Washington
Times t9aes a somewhat exagger-
ated lsiew Of. the situation when it
says:
, "Bdsiness is befng doomed in the the
"a If1cal lire by the announcement of
pbany productions for early and late
IN the coming season, but few, of these
announcements promise any prospect
of "A change i'm the extraordinary de-
pressing conditions that bligLted the
American and English stages during
the nine months that ended last June.
The managers evidently have not yet
learned their lesson.
THE insistent demand of the public
IS for something new, something novel,
something original and something
American. To meet that demand the
managers propose to offer plays OF
technical excellence. but minus ideas.
culled from a series of London fail
ures and only fair continental success.
They promise to import stars without
number. But they announce few Amer
lean plays, although last season II
was strikingly demonstrated that the
Of -
this country were the good American
products.
THE mana gers claim in eXtenuatiOn
that they cannot get American plays
Their claim Is not sound. They do not
give the possible American dramatist
a fair show They do not cultivate
Kim. They do not encourage him. In
this country today there are many
writer's Of the stage with an abund-
snce of novel ideas. but with faulty
techniC- Their ideas are precious pos
sessions. The technic they could learn,
IF there were managers with the gump-
ton 10 back a sure winner. Theatrical
cOwardice never yet paid, and fear of
judging dramatic value for themselves
is at present the curse under which TIE
American dramatic producers are Ia
boring"
Now we do not care any more for
the syndicate than the syndicate's
most uncompromising opponents But
right is right and justice is justice.
The syndicate rs i'm the theatrical bust
ness for the vulgar money il can make
out of it, 1t does produce American
ulays when it can get American plays
that are worth producing. 1t doesn't
stand to reason that the syndicate
would turn down an American play
wrights work simply because il hap
pened to be the work of an American
playwright.
American dramatists are numerous.
They have secured recognition when
they3 deserved il and they will always
sec1re recognition when they deserve
il. It is absurd to expect theatrical
managers to put on a losing play for
sentimental reasons. Those who look
for sentiment in latter day theatricals
will waste a great deal of time There
is no sentiment in the business. 1t is
a money making proposition from be-
ginning to end.
Art for arts sake sounds very well
indeed. but It doesn't pay expenses.
So
Governor La Toilette OF Wisconsin
came out recently with "A statement
in which he condemned the morals of
player fOlk. he says the stage Is ut-
moralizing TO character, especially TO
female character. The governor dOesn't
know what he is talking about. No
body will seriously contend that actors
and actresses are more immoral than
other people. but those i'm a position to
know say they are just as moral.
The New York Dramatic Mirror
demonstrated by statistics not long ago
that there is just as much immortality,
proportiOnately. among clergymen as
there is on the stage. and clergymen
are supposed 10 set an example TO frail
humanity Human nature the Mirror
points out. is human nature in all
professions and all over the world
Those who are weak succumb to temp
tation. those who are strong success
fully resist.
The Salt Lake theatre offers but one
attraction this week. by Right OF
Sword" comes Tuesday for an engage
Inent that includes three performances
Ralph Stuart has the leading part and
the performance is laid to be highly
creditabie one. The Grand will be
open an week. York State Folks" oc-
cupies the first half and For Her
Sake" Will fill the balance of the time
The usual matinees will be played.