New-York tribune., 1909-06-01
DIRTY DRAMAS.
At The Rackett and Elsewhere.

peculiar animation perCcptible in a galvanized
corpse, has been remarkable for the number Of
indecent plays that have been produced ia the
course Of il. and coincIdently. for a comic out
burst Of virtuous protest against them on the part
of various theatrical speculators dissatisfied with
their profits from the degradation of the stage
The season began with a douhe-barreued dis
charge q llippant cynical vulsarity called The
Devil dirty drama. produced, simultaneously
st two theatres by Mr.. II. G. Fiske and Mr.. 'H
W Savage. The reek Of theatrical vice has been
almost continuously difused ever since. Mr.
Charles Frohman. early in the season. dumped
upon the public a diluted mess Of French filth.
called Samson mixture which, in the process
Of denaturinE. had become inspid without ceasing
10 be naUseous. 4 little later the brilliant Mrs
Fiske appeared, in one Of the most crude and Of
fensve p!ays that have been obtruded on public
sttention-a hotch-pOtCh of the slums called sal
walton Nell The appearance Of Mrs. Fiske inevi-
ably commands consideration. for her dramatic
powers exceptional; but the spectacle pre-
sented by her audiences. observing conduct and
listening 20 language Frequently the baldest argot.
WHICH had it been obtEuoed on their attention out
side CT a theatre, would probably have resulted IN
sppeal for police protection, amazing. The
season proceeded through a series OF foul por-
trayals, prominent among them being the loath-
some performances OF The Scilians,' the con-
fenptible Blue Mouse the vulgar queen of the
NouliB Rouge" and the nasty farce OF The Girl
from Rector's'' The eliminating disgrace OF the
stage this season. however, was the presentmeHt
Al the Stuyvesant Theatre by EIr. Belasco. OF Mr.
Eugene Walters vicious play. The Easiest Way
offered. usual in such cases. with the specious,
impertinent plea that il had been brought forth
10 teach "a moral lesson in making which plea
Mr. BeIasco insulted the public intelligence and
stultihed MS own Few plays so distinctly and IN
evitably injurious have anywhere been produced
for it is a literal, gross portrayal OF wee. and
from the beginning large part OF its auditory has
consisted OF young women and half grown girls
Later Miss Carlotta Nillsou favored the COM
-rnitv with q prolix dissertation Hcentious mis-
conduct and Ny Frederic Thompson brought foTth
the vile play designated a Fool There Was
Mr Da.Id Belasco's bad example has speedily
been followed. The Easiest Way is supplemented
hr The Narrow Path Both those avenues lead
TO the dunghill.-the only difference between theih
being that the former, under clever SUPERVISION mas
been more expertly paved II is choice society
sn;o which MI Belasco and his initiative follower !
have thus invited the playgoers Of the time 10 en-
ter. and sweet and rich must be the mental pFoht
that the community derives, or has derived or Is
destined 10 derive. from such sala5Flols assoca-
ion
The conooction Of muck and chatter that was
exposed last night. in the Hackett Theatre under
the name Of The Narrow Path purports TO nave
been made by John Montague The narrow path'
Of course, is the path Of virtue. The heroine OF
-Afr Montague's" fabric OF tainted trash-a finger
nail scraper. named Bertha Clark,-purposes 10
walk therein. and 10 marry writer named Strong !
who has wooed and her She is, however.
yersecuted 0y the amoroUs solicitations of scamp
her professional associates gin named Gladys
Barnett,-and, presently IN a situation at silly
and yulgar.-namely that OF the forced. and un-
der the circumstances Impossible presence Of her
prosecutor, in her bedroom. uight-Miss Clark
becomes temporarily compromised with that black
guard, in the opinion OF AiT. Strong. That ag-
grieFed lover thereupon proceeds TO Panama, where
and elsewheTe,-he absorbs liberal potatlons or
spiritUous Hquor Apparently he also imbibes fury
with his stimulative fluid. and at the same time
ffC 1T
The great canal. When he comes back. with the
intention Of numbering his Bertha, he is by mere
accident. reconciled 10 her That is the substance
OF tie playa dishwater composition. only notable
for it's had subject. bad taste. bad construction
and bad language: and, except for respectable
conventional portrayal, by Nj Frederick FeTry-at
first Of buoyancy then Of jealous suspicion ana
finally Of almost insane despar,-it was oaoly acl-
Miss Ida Conquest is completely out OF piace-l"
such a mess OF rubbish and she Gid nothhs 10
palIate the offence or lessen the ignonlhy OF i'e
participation in it The piece, intrlnsicaly, Is 50
utterly foolish as well vulgar that II does
not deserve moment Of serious corsioeiIioh' anu
IS only noticeable because its presentmeht at d
conspicuous theatre happens 10 revive IHe 49, 49,.
dismal subject Of the dirty drama ana INC ny -
cent pretensions OF moral value mat are l'lue
its behalf. The audience. on TINS occasloii -
its moral lesson" with frequent Iausii'e ~
general ebulltion Of exuberant Joy
Extenuatien OF such exhibitions Is fTeqoen'iS
tempted. not only under the pretence OF ihoia a.
not conducted exclusively for the benefit OF inc
;ounr but must also provide strong meat TOT slIos
men II xvould seem Judging by the apatloIIlal
provision 50 often made. In this respect ma tlat
strong mem desire not only that thelI iHe0' -
be strong" bat Tutrid. Protest against ueei
tion AZ ,Fe Theatre and dehement OF the puplc
mind whether for pacuniary gain OF I"' Ho'''
Is not made in the interest OF YOUTH aoi.'' ~
in that Of Respectable Maturity 40 49, ,1,..
sor desires that the public mind should De oeiuseu
with sl,b and devoted 10 the useless contehIa'loh
social sins and evils that are not III 'iie sile
est degree mitigated by such perform ;. =.
true that the cesspool should be cleiliSeu, OU -
neither necessary noI desiTaple 'iat ~ -
shoud ne c,,nstraned 10 inhale its stench IN oiueI
n v,in ssser, 20 a sanitary precaution PractcaI
soeolazts,s do moi seek he Theatre for discussion
Of disease and sin No theatrical eNh'oltioh oi
these t,siv themes ever benehteu socie'S' oi 81
The Other hand-eger failed iniure IT, in greater
Or less degree by obtruding vicious S.'iSt -
rublie ,,,e,,,o, As 20 sexual problems oi
which so much il said and heard'-i' - 'i'i a.
IN newspaper 90 discuss all or even many u
tails; but anv competent physiologist can CIV -
any tpouirer one reason which-if IL were iIe oi'S
resson-vo,ild furnish sufficient grouhd i"t o"'
ton 10 the discussion Of them in pays
Ire persons who support pornographlo pay a. a.,
not .'strong men; they are. foT i'ie ms -. -
idle and morbdi~ curious youth. Of poth SEX,
The rs.tous mature. the neurotic. the dissatisfied
females. The vulgar proiigates; and the hall de-
geloped creatures who being imperfecty educaleo'
suffer with a sort OF mental dyspepsia Ihe theihe
Of ali such PLAYS from the time OF Lord Rochester
10 that Of David Beasco. IS tho sexual ieia'i"n'
under more ar lees Illicit conditions sometimes
the plays are mere ribaldry: sometimes com
hinstion of spectacle and animal propensity as IN
certain dramas habitusIly produced by Sarah Beri-
nardt: sometimes they disclose analysis OF olse'sS'
functional or organic resulting Ia more or Iess