Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1922-11-08

II, INV. % A0H6
miss Florence Minis Gives
Views on the Theatre.
Dear Advertiser:
When I was in Boston before, at
school, I used to go every week to the
different performances of the Hen
Try Jewett Players. I would marvel at
|their excellence, never dreaming that
Eone day should myself be studying
with them. I sometimes used to leave
1.-THE theatre feeling that I had been
Eto, church, though you may think it
was a very paradoxical emotion. I
gdid not then try to analyze my
Thoughts as / do now. l only knew
Eghat my meditations on leaving the
building on Saturday evening were
|not greatly unlike those I expert
Fenced on leaving a house Of wor-
tship the next morning. ] think that
Ithis is an explanation. In both places
4 learned a truth or truths. Though
II walked down two different ave-
|nuesy, / arrived at each at right con-
[clusion about many phases of life.
H The pulpit deals in one way, and
fthe actor in another. There are come
people who disapprove Of the thea
Fire.; and they learn only in the
|churches. There are others who new
Ter frequent church and yet who
lhaye many vital principles of right
living and right thinking portrayed
Ton the platform. Now I am not for a
moment thinking that anything does,
FOR ever can take the place of the
Echnrch.. We know, in reality, that ev-
|ery right thing in the whole world
Ecame from the Bible. The best things
lin the drama today, are another way
|of saying the principles of the New
Testament.
& am speaking of the great dramas
|of the world, written by great men
and played by people of culture and
Experience. When good play is
rightly interpreted it shows the evil
|of wickedness and the good of right
[eousness. 1t runs the whole gamut
Eof life in a few hours.
a crime is committed early in the
for instance and sbyt the end you
have learned If yon did 1S q Istio It
unmistakably before that there can
be no wrong without terrible conse-
quences to the wrong doer, and that
sometimes right early. The audience
sees that the murderer or whoever
the criminal may be, gives his peace
of mind, that most cherished of all
possessions.
There is no harm actually done.
The actor did not really commit the
crime. The person whom he has SEEM
ingly injured may be in reality his
best friend. Yet til audience goes
away with a peculiar understanding
of that cross section of life. The au-
dience has not only learned through
the eye but through the ear. A
thought passes much more quickly to
most of our minds if it is aided by
the power of vision. So to me play
is often an impersonal sermon.
The players are the preachers, and
the audience is the congregation.
There is never any offense, for neith-
er of the two groups knows the 9TH
er. The audience sees the actors, but
not the actors the audience. The
players are blinded by the footlights,
for they are not preaching to, but for
that vast unseen multitude. If a bit
of needed advice goes like an, arrow
from the actor to a certain hearer,
no one knows it, and the person is
unembarrassed. For we are so made
that we like to shield ourselves and
our vanities.
The more we can learn pleasantly,
and the oftener we can be rebuked
secretly, the more welcome to our
selfish selves. The hearts of the hear
ers are harps upon which the actors
play and who shall say that the si-
lent music thus brought is not a
hymn in tune with sublimity.
i