The San Francisco call., 1909-02-13
PUBLIC IS BLAMED
FOR INDECENT PLAY
Actors Say Immoral Shows Are
Given in Response to
Demand
Theatrical Tendency Discussed
by Stage Celebrities in
This City
Continued From Page 1


character portrayed.
'.Recently | have written plays of the
romantic type l have felt the public
demand for them. l have to keep my
finger on the public pulse. Next year
I might write a different sort of
play"
BLANCHE STODDARD, Leading wom-
nm of the Valencia theater stock COM
pany-I can assure you that from the
standpoint of the actress there Is
very little satisfaction in reading be-
fore an audience lines. which TEEN
with vulgarity. OF course there are
plays which depict the processes of
elemental emotions which can not
Justly be regarded as immoral; on
the other hand we find performances
which have their chief claim for pop
ularity and success in the degree to
which they pander to the sensual
curiosity OF a certain number of the
ater goers. Personally, l always feel
ashamed to speak lines on the stage
that l would not use in private life.
My cuss words in the part of Mary
Tudor? Oh that's different; cuss
words are not immoral.
HOMER b. MASON, leading man in "a
stubborn Cinderelia.' at the Van Ness
Theater-I can only talk of this sub
ject from the standpoint of a come
dian, but l can make myself pretty
plain, l believe, The man who can
not make his audience laugh without
descending to nasty situations and
vulgar dialogue is no comedian-he's
simply rotten. But it's as much the
fault of the public as of the actor
that indecent plays are tolerated, for
it is the public demand that the actor
supplies. II really has been getting
so that people in New York will not
go to see a show unless it's rotten
but that condition does not apply here
In San Francisco. You must remem-
Der that in New York a great many
theaters ere playing to roues-to the
class which takes Is cocktails before
breakfast. Dirt has got to be such an
old thing to them now that a clean
wholesome show is almost unique
and so they'll probably rush to 1t. Ten
or Is years ago it was the indecent
show which was unique.
Watch the young schoolgirls coming
out of some of the theaters today
They can't look each other straight
in the eye as they pass through the
door, but they giggle and simper
and nudge each other That's an
indication. Yes, l believe it is more
the fault of the women than the men
that the immoral plays have grown
in number. There were more women
than men in attendance at the Thaw
trial. But I don't believe this con-
ditfon is necessary. A clean, clever
show, cleanly produced by compe-
tent, clever people, will succeed
where the immoral show will not
Brighten up the plays, make them
clean and they will bring the box
office returns.
HELEN GRANTLEY. lending woman In
'''The Never Never Land at the Or
pheum theater; Simply put me on
record as standing for everything
that is wholesome and makes for the
elevation of the stage. can not give
an opinion on the plays mentioned
In the New York dispatches, for
have seen none of them. nor have I
read the criticisms published yes
terday and today. However, it has
never been my misfortune to play in
any theater that has not maintained
the highest moral standard. / be-
lieve that the most moral dramatist
of today is Israel Zangwill, for l be-
lieve that every play he has written
has moral purpose in view.
MARTIN v. MERLE, author of .sThe
Light Etcrnal"; / am glad they have
finally walked up in New york, and am
glad to be given a chance to express
myself on the subject. In New York
they have not wanted the clean.
moral play. THE Light Eternal
has been a great success on the coast,
on the road and nearly everywhere it
has gone outside the metropolis; yet
when it was playing at the Majestic
theater in New York it drew only fair
audiences for a few weeks. while
few blocks down the street people
were breaking their necks to see
Anna Held in 'eThe Partisan Model"
But good plays can succeed, finan-
cially as well as otherwise. Take
The Man of the Hour" The Lion
and the Mouse" The College Widow
every one of them clean and with
out an immoral suggestion or situa-
tion in the lot. They are successes.
There is no reason in the world why a
good, clean, moral play can not have
the same dramatic value and be as
pleasing to an audience as one of the
vulgar type. And such shows should
be the biggest successes, for after
all, they attract class that will not
go to others. and that is the class
that counts in the long run
EVELYN VAUGHAN, leading woman
of the AIcaznr fheater stock COM
pany: The play which points a
moral needs no excuse, even though
it may deal in immortality. Take
"The Hypocrites." 1t is distinctly
immoral, yet it holds up great
moral, and 1 think it is one of the
greatest of plays. 1t is play which
should be produced. OF course this
claim of moral teaching can not al
ways be made to apply. for it af-
fords too great loophole to excuse
the play that really teaches no les
son at all. One of the plays being
criticised in New York is Eugene
Walters The Easiest Way" vet a
play by Walter which was a great
success and which is absolutely moral
was Paid in Full" However, 1
think an immoral play, well written
and teaching a moral lesson, is all
right. What 1 do object to are the
immoral musical plays. for which
there is no excuse. Dramatic value
should be the criterion. think there
is even something of wholesome art
about Gertrude Hoffman's dances
though they are called immoral and
suggestive. One thing with which I
absolutely do not agree is that
women are more responsible for
men for the growth of an immoral
tendency, but then-remember, they
blamed Eve.
wIIJJAI HOFF SEELY, manager of
the Valencia theater; I am surprised