The Washington herald., 1908-05-03
Stage Profanity Again.

In this column last week we spoke of
the vitiauon of public taste as exempllfied
by the enormous and distressing growth
Of vulgarity and the use of profanity on
the stage of the theater. During the week
just past we had a striking demonstration
Of how this pernicious habit has spread.
1t might reasonably be expected that
amateur organizations, especially organi-
cations made IN OF young college men.
might. Of all theatrical companies. be free
from the faults 10 which we have taken
exception, and yet we have just had the
example of three amateur companies.
The Paint and Powder Club of Balti-
more; the Triangle Club, Of Princeton.
and the Mask and Wig Club Of the Uni
versity Of Pennsylvania. and each Of
them, presenting an excellent show, mar
red its work by dragging in profanity.
The frightful lncongruity of this was
further emphasized by the fact that one
of the shows was given for the benefit Of
The Christ Child Society" and vet one
OF the main features Of this entertainment
was song with the refrain. "Ain't IL
hell?' The other two shows both used
profanity 20 some degree, and this is the
more astonishing that the entertainments
in both cases must have been overseen
and approved by some of the faculty Of
The colleges of which the amateur PLAYERS
were members. / suppose the truth is
that We have been so long listening 70 and
tolerating this sort Of thing on the pro-
fessional stage that We have ceased to be
shocked BY It, and this fact alone should
warn us how insidious an evil it is.
Il is only fair TO point out here that
there is one theater In Washington that
viii not tolerate any use of vulgaritv or
profanity on the stage and that is
Chase's Vaudeville Theater. The usual
notice posted up behind the scenes warn
ing the players what they may and what
they may not use. is not dead letter in
this theater for, as Mr. Chase SAYS. his
theater is patronized by numbers OF
young people. and he wants no boy TO use
profanity al home and when asked
where he learned It. to reply, "I heard It
at Chase's;' and yet it is undoubtedly
true that as familiarity breeds con-
tempt. so does the constant hearing of
swear-words at the leading theaters tend
10 vuigarize the speech of those who
hear.
At Chases Theater not even a mild
hammered damn" is allowed, and SO in
sistent is Mr.. P. B. Chase on this that
he has cancelled more than one sup
posed-to-be high-clsss act because it
would not conform to the rules. Sydney
Drew insisted that an act he was putting
on land it was a pretty clever act Of its
kind would be spoiled unless the swear
words We're left in, and unfortunately.
Mr.. Chase being unable to get another
act TO take its place. had to allow 1t to
remain all the week, doing what il
pleased But it will never play Chase's
again. The same was true with Bob"
Hilliard. who thought that he was above
all rules. but found that when a man
ager Of respectable theater knows what
he wants for his patrons he can get IT,
The stand taken in this matter by MIR.
Chase is the more worthy of eommenda-
ton that Il points the way to all the
atricaI managers TO do away with an
abuse which is growing constantly. The
use of vulgarity and profanity on the
stage certainly does not add tn the pat