Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-11-19
Recreation of Saints
ny Frederic J. Haxkin

the entertainment business, running play
4 house. and amusement parks, hir,n9
{, chorus girls and handling contracts ioI
, roller coasters and merry-go-rounds a.
least, these things are not ihciuueu III .ne
aXerare prcacher's duties. Which Is re-
"rs,,ab,. because in Salt Lake City the
Normons have demonstrated that church
.li.rs NAV handle such affairs with special
skill, .,:.:
\earlv All Of the rccrcatlon facilities
hcra avn. owned and managed by the
latter Dav Saiats. The Salt Lake Clty
Theetr, Is operatedl by the Mormon
Church which is not at all opposed to
fsrces and musical comedies; most OF the
dance halls Of the city are provided by 1t;
and Slatair the local summer resort To-
Gated on the Great Salt Lake, Is under
Mormon management.
The various dances which have from
time 10 time occupied the scandaiifeu
attention of other religious sects, heve
never created stir in Salt Lake City.
'Thov are taken as matter OF course, and
dancing Is held TO be worthy pursuit
az man. pleasing in the sight of the Loid-
AT least three nights We k dances are
held In connection with the Mormon
houses OF worship and the seal OF churchly
approval bestowed upon them by an open
ing PRAYER. :.
II i greatly 10 the credit Of the SAINTS
tbat thex, haN,, mover been narrow-mlnded
on the subject Of recreation. Bri-hhn
Young ALWAYS held that II WAS rs essentiai
a. human existence n food and air, ana
hence deserved the highest consideration.
The first public buildings to be erected IN
salt Lake CITY bv the Mormon pioneers
were church and a schoolhouse. ne
ncxt was q theatre-a qualnt httle hatl
,,,I mood nnnHf-
zion. Here che Mormon farmers gave their
own theatrical pcrformanc es until their
audiences outgrcw the little hall. Then
brigham Young built the salt Lake Thea
ter. large PLAYHOUSE designed ior pro-
fessinnnl as we'll as amateur performances,
snd rontiS&atrd the little playhouse for a
private school for his numerous children.
Doubtless. they too. III time, outgrcw It's
mcagrr dimension
AZ HISTORIC THEATRE.
The salt Lake theatre, which resembles
an old wartime wood-cut ot Ford
Theatre IN Washington, 4 one OF the most
interesting institutions ~ the city Ii Is
the second-oldest thoater IN America, the
oldest bcinC the Walnut Street Theatre in
Philadclphia. Although 1t receives all the
,ateSi hits from New York, 1t belongs OBJ
NiNlNlA AfN tlA lily lAiAR1 ~ NAN
can dr,ma. You feel. IN wandering abut
itS shabby old galleries. that It must find
the modern drama rather bewIldering
and that lis ancient timlicrs often sigh for
the old davs of Booth ard Barrett.
Down m H. cellar are many relics ot
tins period. for at time when the fashion
able churches of the East were refusing
oven "a bury theatrical folk, the AlormQns
were producinr everything from Shakes
,,care "a popular burlesque. These relics,
which some day are to be gathered to-
ccthcr and housed in an appropriate mu-
reum. are now carcleSsly scattered about
the various underground property rooms,
having dirt floors and ceilings OF wooden
rafters.
Prom such dusty compartment. the
present-day property man, who con-
uucted us about the theatre, drew forth
g wooden cradle OF the American colonial
period.
9TH s." he said, els the cradle In which
Maude Adams made her debut on the
stage. IL was just by chance she got the
mart he continued for AZ the last
minute the property man could not To-
cate the usual rsg-doll, and the play
could not proceed without at least the
suggestion az baby. Someone ran into
the crcen-room and grabbed Maude
from her mothers arms and carried her
on They say she acted admirably,
keeping perfectly quiet while the leading
lady noaned over her and everything"
Inc Salt Lake Theatre seems to have
been Brigham Ioung's pet hobby. Ac
cording % the property man, he used it
somewhat a. a private club, spending
great deal OF his time there. he had a
secret entrance al his own, the use OF
which our guide did not make quito
clear. and even today the old cellar con-
tnins a collection of his furniture, in
81 Iding one 81 his numerous bedsteads,
made with rawhide mails: an old-fash-
toned organ, which was dragged across
che plains with the FIRST band Of pioneer
Norinons: some old horsehair chairs,
and an ancent spinning wheel treasured
because u was the property OF Joseph
smiths mother.
BRIGHAM HELPED DESIGN IT.
The theatre was ventilated in those
DAYS. explained the property man.
through a wooden passage connected
with the street. which was designed by
Brigham Young. The only improvement
made over this today Is in the material
used. which Is tin instead OF wood
The first performance held in the
'LfhIt VIZ Anf iltlt % lUt A1dTkEf.
presented on March 8. 1862 Since then.
Il has been visited by the best talent in
the country from Booth and Barrett down
b. the present crop Of BaryInores. The
older actors are especially fond of the old
PLAYHOUSE, according 10 the property
man When Henry Miller was informed
not long ago that II was likely to be torn
down 20 make room for newer. larger
PLAYHOUSE, ne declared with tears in his
ewes that rather than see this happen
he would contribute one month salary
every wear 10 Us upkeep. But this IS the
property mans story, and IN all fairness
a. our readers IL must be stated that he
was a most imaginative property man.
Brigham Young was not the only high
Official Of the church 70 take a special
interest IN the theatre. For, as all the
bishops of early DAYS had trained as
actors 10 the FIRST small playhouse, they
had conceived great liking for the drama.
lust as the right top stage box was
nearly always occupied by Young, for
whom " was reserved. so the under box
was usually filed with the several church
apostles One Of the bishops, Joseph
Lindsey, loved the theatre so well that
he requested % be buried from IT,
Judged by the standard Of our metro
polItan theatres today, this PLAYHOUSE
seems rather dingy, cramped and small
The Mormon leaders recognize this and
realize that new. larger house is needed
70 accommodate the younger generation.
Il anut ~ y l..