The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1906-08-30

- ~ OOt cOs 4COO'
the world receives intellectual enjoy
ment. It is the field for the orator,
musician, and the prima donna as we'll
as the actor. Adelina Patti surely
added something to the sum of human
happiness as she stood in the center of
the stage and the words of that beauti-
full song '"Home, Sweet Home" fell
from her lips, thrilling the audience Of
two generations with the sound of her
glorious voice. The productions of
the stage are not all fiction. Most of
them are taken from life and placed
before us in style both entertaining
and instructive. 1t mirrors the COM
edy and tragedy of human life, show
ing US the effects of good and evil,
moral bravery and cowardice. Scenes
from the temperance drama give us
better realization of the effects of a
social glass and the cause of intemper-
ance than all the tracts and temperance
lectures in the land. Some plays give
us a glimpse of social life and its de-
moralizing effect upon the youth of
our land; others bring more vividly be.
fore us the conditions of the laboring
class in our large cities, especially the
girls in factories and the life they are
compelled to lead, than the press could
ever do
Emerson says: "We owe a debt to
tradition thru reading" but, we are
not all readers, therefore it is thru the
stage that tradition is kept alive for
the benefit of the masses. Shakespeare,
when reproduced by good artists, gives
us an insight into the characteristics
of the people of that generation which
we could never obtain by reading, for,
study them as the actor must dc in
order to impersonate them Alright.
The life and growth of our country,
from the struggles and the hardships
of the early settlers down to the pres
ent, are portrayed upon the stage. It
produces scenes from our wars that
stirs us with a feeling of patriotism
that the reading of history cannot do.
1t recalls to us the hardships endured
by the boys in blue that we might have
liberty, and gives us more profound
respect for our fallen heroes and
Betsy's Battle Flag.
AS variety is the spice of life, so we
have comedy to offset the tragedy. If
you are feeling blue and discouraged,
go into theater when good comedy
is on and the gloom and dependency
soon disappear. You come away
with lighter heart, feeling that life
is worth living after all, and realize
how true is the saying: Laugh and
the world laughs with you, weep and
you weep alone"
Many people prefer comedy for its
jovia!ity, for the sound of sigh does
, not carry we'll, but "the lilt of laugh
rings far" Others derive pleasure
from the more elevating drama. while
yet another class attend the theatel
, just to kill time or because others do
!, They are Indifferent as to the style o1
, play that is on, just so it is some kint
of show. They are somewhat like
q an old German knew in Iowa. HI
, owned a carriage and wagon factory
E and would tell his workmen that putt!
o vas shust 80 good as wood ven it va
+ painted.
;, Many men and women have obtained
q culture and refinement thru thei
training for the stage that the!
s would not have otherwise possessed
1 and not few owe all their educa
tion to this source alone. Th'
8 actors life is busy one. At home o
q on the road his time is spent in. stud.
: and rehearsals. The memorizing O
q lines is the least Of his troubles, TO
8 the cultivation of the memory i
8 among his first steps taken as a be
t ginner; but there are hours and week
b given to character-study so as to pei
q feet the authors idea as near as posi-
|, BILE that the public may be benefited b
j. it. Then come hours Of tedious re
d hearsing and severe criticism that tn
n world knows nothing Of or cares about
h Take peep with me, if you will, be
q hind the scenes of any first-clas
l: theater. You will not be- shocked b
q that Generalization we read and hea
so much about, but on the contrar,