The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1908-05-30

ny llS SiuIuioIAOL
Of evil character and by it's expression
Of sentiment not genuine or sincere, to
corrupt the integrity of human deal
ings." In Rome gross exhibitions
and licentious b%uffoonery became the
common rule of the play" THE
Roman theater," says DR.. Schaff, "be-
came more and more the nursery of
vice and deserved to be abhOrred by
all men of decent feeling and refine
ment." Of England Macaulay writes:
From the time that the theaterS were
opened they became the seminaries Of
vice" And Sir Walter Scott says Of
The theater of his day: 1T was aban-
doned to the vicious. The best por-
lions of the house were set apart for
the abandoned characters"
The Modern Theater.
Is the modern theater any better?
Let US hear the testimony of those
Who know. None of my children"
said Macready, the actor, shall ever
With my consent, on any pretense,
enter a theater or have any visiting
connection with actors or actresses"
Dumas, the play-writer, wrote to a
friend: You do not take your daUgh-
ter to see my play. You are right. Let
me say, once for all, you must not
lake your daughter to the theater. 1t
IS not mainly the work that is i'm
moral; it is the place" Mr.. Sothern,
n a newspaper article over his own
name, says: Il have known some of
our best performers who have found
t necessary to first attend a play be-
fore they would allow their wives and
daughters TO go. Why was this neces-
sary? Why, because they knew
hat there was very little clean
hess in those places, and who
better than they should know?" John
Gilbert, the veteran actor, wrote in
the North American Review: Il be-
Lieve the present condition Of the
drama, both from a moral and artistic
point Of view, to be a subject Of re-
greet" An actor, in passing a theater,
said to a friend of DR.. Cuyler: BE
hind those doors lies Sodom." Edwin
Forrest, hearing Dr.. Brantley de-
nounce the theater as an immoral in
stitution, fingered long enough to as
sure the preacher that he agreed with
him only he would put it stronger.
Purity on Stage Impossible.
Mr.. William Winter, a dramatic
critic, asserts that Christian ethics on
he stage would be inappropriate. Mr..
A. NJ. Palmer, the Nestor of the the
ater managers says in a Review
article: The chief themes of the the.
ater are now, as they ever have been,
the passions of men, ambition and
jealousy, leading to murder; lust, lead
ing to adultery and death; anger,
leading to madness" Mr.. Clement
Scott, a distinguished theatrical critic
Of the London press, was asked to give
his views as to the effect of the stage
upon a pure-minded girl who might
enter the profession to make a live.
lihood and to pursue the dramatic art.
And here are his words: stage life,
according to my e%Xerience, has a tend
ency to disorder the finer feelings, to
crush the inner nature of men and
out and to substitute artificial,
ity and hollowneSs for sincerity and
truth, and, mind you, l speak from an
intimate experience of the stage ex.
ver 81 years. 1t is nearly
impossible for a woman to remain pure
who adopts the stage as a profession.
is against her, and, what
more to be deplored, a woman who
to keep her purity is almost
IF necessity doomed to failure in her
1t is an awful thing to say,
and it is still more terrible that it is
rue, but none who know the life OF
he greenroom will deny it,"
The Passion Play.
The modern stage had it's birth. at
time during the dark ages when men
we're playing at religion in their daily
ives, and they would not, of course,
'efuse to play at it for the entertain
nent of an audience. Lecky is right
When he says that the Mystery Plays"
ed to the degeneration of religion, and
t is equally true that the degenera.
ion of religion led to the Mystery
Playing at marriage and d.
on the stage weakens, if it does
lot destroy, the ~sanctity of marriage
nd keeps the divorce courts busy.
at vice cannot fail. sooner or
ater, to make an actor vicious. 1t is
ne of the discouraging signs Of the
ines to-day that religious plays are
'ecoming popular. 1t proves that
he religious instinct in the theater. |
people is a thing to play with,
nd while faith, prayer and praise are
it is evident that real faith,
and praise are lacking. The
Passion Play" though performed by
imple country. people. with deep rell.
ious feeling, has not IMPROVED the /,
tate of true religion at Oberammer.
and l can think of nothing that
,ould go farther toward breaking |
own real. Christianity than the pre-.
.entation OF this farical crpci1xion OF |
ur Lord in the theaters Of the world
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