Omaha daily bee., 1906-07-29

S9 sound Of rehearsals il heard in
the land The actors and all are getting
ready for the winter campaign. Every
paper has word Of some one returning from
Europe or the mountains and OF prepara-
lions made for this or that production.
vacation Is over and the real work Of the
show season Is commenced. The hrst new
production for the coming season will be
made on Monday evening, when Hattie
Williams will try out the piece in which
Charles Frohman is going to star her.
This is practically a record in the line
and is made possible by a summer theAter
over on Long Island. But other premieres
VIII follow, and within a fortnight the
season will be under way. The promise
for Omaha Is much more encouraging
than last seasons, but there's a wide gulf
between promise and fulhlment, as has
been demonstrated. II IL quite likelv
though. that locally things will be much
better the coming winter than they were
last season. The public Is showing more
interest and that Is a hopeful indication.
At all events, matters can hardly DO worsa
than they were.
II was Inevitable that the Thaw case
should start the discussion, and the only
refreshing feature OF It up TO date has
been the unanimity with which those who
are connected with the stage have arisen
! In defense OF IT'S morals. "The Call Boy
OF the philadelphia Inquirer has collected
symposium from managers, authors and
actors on the topic. All defend the theater
ana its people with the energy OF In
disnation, but with a Temperance OF ut
terance that Is commendable and in some
instances unexpected. Some Of the express
sions are here offered. Mr. Emil Anker-
miller stage manager for the Dewolf Hop
per company in 'Happyland." says:
In, IN fact theatrical enterprises are con-
quoted moro and more like banking insti-
tuuons-for the purpose of making money
tor those Interested and incidentally Civ
TO pay for 1t. Take the Chorus girls
had with the Hopper company as an aver
sge Of those upon the stage and you will
ma that the majority Of them are straight
honest conscientious, hard working young
women. We had twenty-eight in our or
OF these twenty-eight, twenty-four sent
part OF their money home weekly, and on
the balance maintained themselves in a
respectable, quiet manner; also dressed
themselves oecomingly. not to say re-
OF the other four. one was of the Stan
ford White type TO speak siangly-always
ready to Hell bent for election" and the
other three would now and then go OF on
kantico II they thought the management
would not become aware of It, But after
being tripped up several times and Sc
down and, finding that the atmosphere in
the Hopper company was not congenial to
such carvings on, drifted away, OF the
the majority Of them were students Of
music, ambitious to become somebody, and
their Efforts to please have induced the
Messrs. Shubert to give ten of them re-
sponsible parts In their various organiza-
lions for next season, and they have also
This does not show that depravity is the
natural bent OF the women who make their
living on the stage, and it Is only the roue
on to everything who will cast a slur upon
the women of the sage in general.
Campbell McCunoch who is coming to
the front as an author. says:
As a matter OF fact it is to be doubted
II the stage is quite as bad as some other
callings in which women find ready well
come. My own experience as the press rep
resentatiYe of one OF the largest producing
firms In the United States has been that
more more Charity, more intelligence and more
applications OF the golden rule in the thea
ter and behind the scenes than one Will
There is actually less unpleasantness that
finds an airing in the courts due to the
stage than any profession. While we find
lawyers, physicians, engineers, clergymen,
etc. figuring daily In escapades or every
nature 1t Is but seldom that one hnds an
actor or an actress at the bar accused OF
any crime In the present instance, the
connection OF Mrs Thaw with the stage
was Of such short duration ana Oh So SO r Ih,
be charged to 1t. In fact the record OF
events goes rather to prove that she merely
used the stage as a lever TO pry her way
into a wealthy marriage.
Lillian Shirley. whose experience on the
stage warrants her In speaking authorize
lively, says:
that young women who have by some acct
dent OF nature been blessed with every or
binary physical attainment, ana VINO en-, en-
they have never been taught 70 control
their emotions suddenly lind themselves
To them as can well be imagined, and
which sweeps them on their rect III they
have been we'll brought up, have been prop
OF any society. and have the inclination
to preserve their reputation, they will come
10 no harm. Men tnstinctiVely recognize
at once the good woman and treat her with
the respect due her, l see no difference
IN the stage as q profession from any other
walk and have yet to hear OF the woman
who fell who did not plunge into the depths
with her eyes open; Ihe hysterleai q, eiI HsSs
York TO convince the American men and
women OF 1.-The bitter struggle for moral
rehabilitation" of the woman In this case
is Responsible for more harm to the stage
than anything else
James ]. Corbett, a man of the world In
the broadest sense defends the women Of
the stage with characteristic energy. He
says:
A great deal OF rot has been written
and publish ed-concerning the erect or the
Wonnans stage career upon her life.
think / know as much OF the stage as the
next man, as / am making my own living
from Il year by year, and l am prepared
10 assert here and now that the stage viii
harm no woman who Is not already pre-
destined by inclination to take a share OF
such pitfalls as may be shown her. Those
who damn the stage are not OF the stage
and know nothing OF II. There is no more
temptation due a woman who makes her
living behind tbs footlights than there Is
one who works In a department store, q
cigarette factory or millinery shop II
she wants to tread the broad path she will
DO so Irrespective OF her environment. Re-
viewing the life OF all parties 10 the case,
AZ can only be said that young Mr.. Thaw
might well have looked before he leaped,
or, In other words, It is somewhat late in
the day for him TO rise 20 a question OF
honorable defense. Possibly the late Mr..
White may have been all that Is said OF
him, but have yet to hear that any par
ticuiar Individual was appointed chief ad-
tuster OF moral In ordinary to the nation.
Elsie Helms, one OF the girls In Joe Web
sr's company. who has had but one season
on the stage. Is we'll enough satisfied with
her lot. She says:
During the season that have enjoyed
IN his CWeber's) organization have found
that there Is no room for the Eighty girls
who care more for the cold bottle and a