Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-01
MINISTER REVIEWS
THEATER ATTACK
FAMOUS PLAYWRIGHT HEARS
DR.. LOCKE'S SERMON
SAYS GOOD PLAYS CONDEMNED
BY BAD ONES
asome Dramas May Not Be immoral,
but Must Be Stunned Because
Given in Unclean
Places"

Places
Rev. Charles Edward Locke of the
First Methodist church continued his
onslaught on the theater, begun week
ago. in his sermon of last night. George
Broadhurst, one of the foremost Amer
lean playwrights,e the author of more
than twenty successful plays, was pres
ent at the service, at the invitation of
DR.. Locke who promised in letter to
Mr.. Broadhurst to answer the latter
demand for proof. Although Dr. Locke
read and commented upon several let
ters which had been sent him he did
not reach Mr.. Broadhurst's communica-
ton, and the playwright expressed
keen disappointment after the service.
In accepting DR.. Locke's invitation Mr..
Broadhurst invited the clergyman to
attend the opening production of his
latest play, which will be given its pre-
miere in Los Angeles next week DR..
Locke in his sermon refused the 1nvl-
tation. because, he said, Il would be
stumbling block to $4,000 persons in
this city if did such thing"
Ts9 clergyman denounced the theater
vehementIy in it's every aspect. In ad-
hitting that there are. some plays
which are not immoral he declared
that even the best plays are dangerous,
because they are given in unclean
places." While the doctor did not
mention any plays which have been
given in Los Angeles he quoted a man
who had been to the theater as saying
that many of the local productions are
immoral Playwrights, managers and
dramatic critics were included in his
denunciation. He spoke in part as
follows:
I'm presenting to this congregation
reasons why, as it seems to me, Jesus
Christ would not approve of or attend
the modern theater, do not wish TO
be understood as attacking any persons
| of high motives and good character
who may be associated with the thea
ter. No one can deplore more than my
self that the theater is so degraded
that people who wish to keep their
minds undefiled must refrain from this
| form of amusement. l sincerely wish
that the characters of the plays and
of the actors were such that one could
safely commend the theater as he can
the lecture platform. No one would
art than myself. I have no hatred and
no malice against what ought to be a
great institution for education and re-
| Taxation.
"I have been frequently asked since
my arrival here six months ago to
define my attitude toward the theater,
| and | wish to be understood as stand
| ing firmly against anything which
makes it hard for parents to rear their
children properly; which encourages a
| disregard for the sacred obligations of
| the marriage altar; which fills the pub
lie mind with corrupt details OF adul-
| ferrous complications between imagin-
airy characters, and which discredits
virtue and ingratiates vice and pro-
| figacy. And because, from the testi-
mony of the playwrights, dramatic
critics, theatrical managers and lovers
of the theater, these are the certain
and direct results of the modern thea
ter I trust that my congregation and
the citizens of Los Angeles will give
this pulpit credit for simply discharg-
ing its duty toward this community.
The people hate a coward, whether he
be in the army or in the pulpit. l will
not indulge in any ordinations against
actors and actresses. I would esteem
it q privilege to be able to minister to
any of these talented people when
they are i'll or distressed. Actors are
which the theater has helped to de-
velop, and of cruelty avaricious man
ayers, and I am sorry for them.
Mild by Comparison
"If it has been thought that my ut
terances are Incorporate I have in my
possession bitter denunciations by
those who are in sympathy with the
theater, compared with which my re-
marks are mild.
'My statements have been chal-
| lenged but thew are true nevertheless
And here are some more of the same
vein. The other day Rabbi Wise, the
best known Jewish rabbi in New York
city, said: The stage ought to be an
uplifting agency. 1t is far from it. 1t
makes for degradation, for absolute
moral rottenneSS. / wish to God our
skirts were clean and that there were
fewer Jews to blame. The managers
seem to vie with one another in produce
ing the most degrading things, and
they insult us by implying that we
want such stuff, and that you and 1
don't want to see a clean play 1 indict
the theaters as they are today. | don't
care if every manager is Jew-they
are all heathens. I indict those who
are pandering to vice, whether Jew or
Christian. 1t is the debasement of the
nation. And it will remain so until
you say I'VE will not go near your
theaters" Is not our moral life in
suited by what we see on the stage
today?
archbishop Farley of the Roman
Catholic church says that the stage is
worse today than it was in the days of
paganism, and the New York Evening
Post says with reference to a certain
unclean performance: Not only is -,
against which there We're such strong
protests two years ago, being produced
regularly but there are at least four
plays in hitherto reputable theaters so
indecent, or dealing with such disgust
ing themes. that they would not have
been tolerated a few years ago One
is reminded of the words of Telema-
chus, the son of Ulysses, From dread
ing vice I came at length to be
ashamed of virtue
Reginald de Koven, the playwright,
in referring to this same performance
says: "A sewer is certainly necessity
for our every day life, but that does
not create the necessity for us to bend
over it's reeking filth to inhale it's me-
phitic odors. Allowing that distorted
passions are occasional attributes of
our frail humanity it were merciful to
spread over them pail of deepest
silence rather than to fiaunt their I'M
clean and filthy ceremonies in the face
of the world, which can only be de-
graded by the guilty knowledge of their
furtive existence
Carton of DECEASED Mind
"AIas! Alas! what must be the de-
generacy of taste of the theater-going
public when they thus tolerate the
reelking carrion of the polluted and de-
20 rr.l..