Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-02
w omen and What
They Are Doing

H in the organization of the
LII Drama League of America,
has proposed that the league es-
tablish a stage censorship. Mrs. Best
didn't rush into print prematurely. Her
plan had been carefully worked out be-
fore she made it public. Its every de-
tail was perfected and when Mrs. Best
submitted the scheme to the members
of the new-formed organization she
was ready and eager to tell the women
all about it.
Mrs. Best doesn't like the existing
moral status of the theater. In fact,
she says the theater isn't moral at all.
She doesn't object to the presentation
of plays dealing with immortality, pro-
vided they teach a good, moral lesson;
but she declares the modern dramatist
is too fond of undertaking merely for
the sake of the muck. The fact that
the theater going public pays literally
for that sort of thing naturally doesn' t
| appeal to Mrs. A. Starr Best, for her
interest in the theater is only that of a
patron.
What's more, Mrs. Best has scant re-
spect for the tribe of dramatic critics.
these dramatic critics. Half the time
they don't know what they're writing
about, and the other half they're not
honest. 1t is just possiblej OF course,
Mrs Best comedies, that there may be
few dramatic critics who are both
competent anG honest, but il 50 they
have escaped the ladys attention,
doubtless occupying obscure positions
on unimportant publications.
IharafnrA nr0DOSe2
publication of a weekly bulletin to be
issued by the league and to be known
as the stage Censor" which shall tell
the truth and nothing but the truth
about new plays, and which shall be
mailed to every club woman in the
country. OF course, this is rather a
large order. 1t will cost lot of money,
and it is just remotely possible, too.
that the editorial opinion expressed
may not always agree with the opinion
of the censor's readers, even though
the reviewer is admittedly competent
and indubitably honest. However, these
are trivial objections and Mrs. A. Starr
Best expects to have little difficulty in
meeting them.
1T is not only fight against the i'm
moral play we propose, she says, Dut
criticism of the weaker among the
legitimate offerings"
That word Legitimate" sounds form
liable. Evidently Mrs. A. Starr Best
regards opera, musical comedy and
vaudeville quite without the pale and
hopelessly degenerate. -
Mrs Priscilla d. Hackstaff of Brook
lyn is laying for Teddy. Upon his re-
turn from Elba, Mrs. Hackstaff pro-
poses to put our strenuous eX-preSident
and mighty hunter on record on the
vital question of Votes for Women.
Mr.. Roosevelt seldom lodges, but never
before has Mrs. Hackstaff been on his
trail, and it is just within the realm
of possibilities that he will not be ex-
actly de-e-lghted to meet her. There
are times, you know, when discretion
really Is the better part of valor as
well as of political eXpediency.
OF course Mrs. Hackstaff Is a suf-
fragette. Her home is in Brooklyn and
she has been made chairman of a suf-
fragette delegation which has an
nounced it's intention to be on the pier
when the colonel lands and which Will
mot leave him until he has given
some sort of an answer to their Ques-
ton.
Mrs. Hackstaff will be the spokes-
woman of the bunch. She Will not
make a speech, though. She will mere
Iy say: Colonel Roosevelt, the women
of America want to know whether or
not you are in favor Of allowing them
a voice in the government; whether
you favor votes for women, or taxa
ton of women without representation? 2"
And the colonel; we'll, the colonel may
compliment Mrs. Hackstaff on her new
hat. he may ask her why she didn't
bring the babies with her, or he may
yes, he may-answer her question.
Nine. Jane Noria of the Metropolitan
iY,ly fo xuh " a
that we in America do not insist upon
having grand opera in English. WHAT'S
more, there are quite number of per-
sons, scattered through quite num-
ber Of states, who agree with the
singer cordially and unreservedly.
Nine. Noria has been thinking of the
matter for some time; for many years,
she says, but she has waited until ar
riVing at a position In the operate
world which would entitle her views on
the subject to a respectful hearing.
That position attained, she is now
ready to begin an active campaign of
proselyting.
Grand OPERA" she says, never can
become popular so long as 1t is a fad,
and it will remain fad just so long
as the operas are sung in a language
unintelligible to the very large major
ity of their hearers" That's common
sense, isn't it? But Nine. Noria doesn't
rest her case there. Not by any means.
Read the brief little further.
Every country in the world has
grand opera in it's own language, and
why should the most intelligent and
enthusiastic, as we'll as the most
wealthy, people on earth have to listen
to the great operas in a foreign
tongue? There is no place in the
world, with the exception of Buenos
Ayres, where the singers are paid such
high salaries as in the United States.
"Opera in English is absolutely nee
essary and will come" she continued.
1.-THE nation is nervous and needs art,
and the art which is nearest the soul
is music"
Most of us will agree with the sing
er's views and without further argu-
ment. Certainly the man who pays
anywhere from 81 to S. to hear Puc-
cini's LA Boheme," for instance, is
entitled to know what it's all about.
When a tenor, robust in voice as in
person, makes up his mind to mock
his overcoat with his uncle just around
the corner so that he may buy medi-
cine for his consumptive lady friend
it is no more than just that his audi
ence be informed of the fact and not
left to imagine that he's going out to
play a sure tip in the third.
A 40 ~