New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-02-27
TIE .PLAYG0ER
/ PLEA iFOR Kissing.
RebuEe the CIaqnes, Banaiity
and BesfiGIifY.

- F 1o,,s- words and Ieehery. So
strange q mixture, had never been seen
inc ming was ridic ulous for its stupidity,
,Tensixe bv its fo1 mess. A seif-fespeet-'
mo audience should have Missed II from
he stage The mil ;ufe was an ahnont
"a The intelligence Of persons WHO are
..anable OF appreciate lg any form or ut
e-atalre'- above the grade OF the "ii'ie
-. >. VS. an Insult TO all clear mind
- ,,bo had gone. TO the theatre for
mo nurnoss OF r-itnes. ing The hrs1 pro
ss,c,ioo nj : new play y. The powerful
- .,,,,i-t., was . sniveling pretences
-. which a theme Of long drawnx
,,,,5i,ess WAS manipulated for threes
l,o,.rs in The public view Inc pray
- almost unanimously condemned ey {
she nress Then the management s'l ippeo
~ is rnocking pretensions. Threw aN'aS
81 l,vpocriticsl claim to any moral u'%
so. q. sn6 On the third day advertised the
..,,. g ..tbe NEST daring play OF the
-, IT would have been tTuer 20
ss,- .-;a,, most indecent and conteiflp'ie,e
,,fsv az The century Bat. at least there
Mas this gain. the hypocrisy had eeeii 'eA-
posed.
on another DAY in the same week ati-
other manager addressed to the papers
,,-,or If remonstrance He pretended no
ec-iae5 a nlav al his theatre IN fasfson
which would lead the public TO suppose the
-l, successive or indecent. And yet
. he Soors Of his theatre there stood at
,,a, moment huge placaTds proclalmias ms
,-la,- - Naughty. hut nice, ana Inc
fastest thing in New York
Nh Wilton Lackaye was reported on
Wednesday morning as Saying III an III
+7-,-ieEv with Milwaukee newspaper
There are commercial managers who
esv after us. the deluge.' There are some
vino really see art on The stage a1sn love
.,efr calling The moving picture SHOWS
.s,-e robbed as Of our galleries, ana me
f,,decert productions, with their lhpoTtec
Ideas. have robbed as Of our raspeota9le
no., attendance Unless people CT high
standing in America get together TO sup
ro,.- good. respectable productions, some
,j-- terrible NAV happen 10 the theatre.
--be nurve1-ors Of stupid habby or HI
decan- r.lsxs may retort that people VINO
an n,t like their entertainments are en-
.5re1,. at liberty 10 stay away from me
theatre without making a fuss Ihat is
"A usual form Of comment upon Inc Cd
sectors. But il does not help TIE matter
in th.. least TO require the intelligent ana
self-respecting public 10 make way 1or
the shallow and the superficial, The lovers
of the morbid and the indecent The
drama suffers: but little do the Offenders
care so long as they may make money
After US. the deluGe-
II American audiences would learn the
Gentle art of Kissing the condition of our
!. stage might he cleaner, and its exhibitions
y more intelligent There is much 10 be
~ said IN favor of the hiss The recipients
~ az tl7e hiss do not enjoy it, but they would
get from il a clearer point Of view than
they now gain by the silent submission Of
audiences 10 any drivel and uncleanness
that managers authors and actors choose
10 thrust before them The hiss, when
practised with discretion. need not always
he 2 rersonal attack. need not necessarily
be a rebule to individuals; but, at any
rste Il can be an expression Of q whole
some dissent But kissing is not practised
7,v audiences having no serious regard for
The drama, no genuine love Of dramatic
AT Il i rot even practised by American
audiences affronted with foulness. Our
first night audiences contain some per-
contage Of persons with discriminating
minds. with q sincere regard for the
theatre as an artistic, civiiiZing infic-
ence, but how large that percentage hap
pens 10 be nobody has any means Of know
ing. because 1t never asserts itself in any
vvsx 1t is patient 10 the verge Of
heard while : clamorous clique made up
Of noisy parsisans Of the management,
IRE authors and The actors shrieks its de-
light over the sheer inanity OF produc-
ton lis blarine vulgarity or its gross in
oecencv. or over all three.
u one spectator has the right to applaud
hanali1y, xulgarity and bawdlness. another
has an equal right 10 express his resent
nlent against the theatres insult 10 his in
teIligence. his taste, MS decency. OF course,
tie persons affronted by the stage spectacle
can leave the house. but the persons re-
sponsible for the brainless, blatant hes
tial exhibition on The stage care little for
that kind OF resentment. since they have
received the spectators money and will not
refund it, There is tradition that the
displeased among our audiences unfold their
oEercoats and silently steal away. But,
whatever may have been the case III former
times. no general experience supports this
tradition nowadays Comparatively few
f,crsoBs withdraw from the house before
the performance is ended Nesrly every
enc secs the hing out with an ali too pa
zieTt endurance. Americans do not like 10
make themselves conspicuous IN crowd
3,y expressing dissent from the opinion o.
the Taa jeriry. OF from The opinion ~ a con-
able minority. They patiently submit
EaG4cDOH winch Z illF@lIl'la4 ilSil-
eyer may impose upon ;heir good nature,
and because they submit with patience
s~nich j. TOO anna bic TO be wholesome the
stage j. continuously disiisuTsd vita pres
.ntatioi,s" which are inepr' when ;hey are
not v.ie. and often ar both scsndaioas and
brsiness
Nobod, viii deny that there il a tasteiess
public ana nothing = gained 10y ignoring
rhe existence OF public Nhica sioats over
Incecency. Hnen these uu.t1uGes roar
with eiee. s-hv Should not the Self-respect-
ne public hiss a vigorous missing mient
bring t. their better senses. = they have
any. The exhibitors of iecheTy and stu
liditE. Tine chances are That COR a while.
~ least tie turgevors Of gryssEess and in
ef'fitUde wOisld CAL ia thz police and de
it.and t.te election Of The dissentients- Bul
a -urGy, seif-respecung public should stand
ron its rights ia the matter, and puryey
as would soon be compelled 10 realize The
,nfcmpl ia which they are held by clean
and fairly intelligent minds. Kissing is
needed ia our theatres. and needed al the
more because We are unaccustomed 10 il.
II Missing affords some protection against
iestialltv and vulgarity the stage ii
also gives some iel2 against drealiness and
lssnaiuy. Bu; kissing implies that the
tisseis have some standard % conduct and