The Denver Jewish news., 1923-11-08
The Theatre and Anne.
rican Civilization
BY MAXWELL NJ. LEVY

thinkers, that what we do with. Onr
leisure moments tells what we are or
what we are striving TO be. Since
most of us spend the greater part Of
our leisure moments in the theatre, ii
is all-important that WE ask ourselves
the pertinent question:: What part
does the theatre play in our modern
civilization?
We must admit that Ii has tremen-
dons possibilities, either for good or
for evil. because of the great increase
in the number of places Of entertain
ment. the accessibility. and the ease
and comfort that the average theatre
and moving picture house offers the
public. Everyone has become n movie
fam" and in some localities the movie
show Is running a very close second to
card playing.
Night after night we sit In n picture
show gaping at .prancing imbeciles.
laughing and crying at idiotic monkey
shines. enjoying the gaudy colors. adj
miring prcpOsterOus heroes and ell
irancing wenches. We sit for hours in
the stufIy. smelly theatres. where the
stencil Of sweat and human Mlors il
Mt times unl,enrable. Why! What is
il that bec,ons us. that invites us, that
lures us to the movie: to the theatre?
Is 1t interest. or curiosity? Is It pas
time. or IL 1t for want of something
better to do?
These are some of the questions that
those Interested in the wcll-hcing and
up-buil,ling of our American civiliza-
tiOn. In the theatre. as elsewhere to-
day. we are surfeited with sweets until
we have lost the ability to digest
wholesome foods. The flippant. mod
ern comedy. and the so-cnlletl drama
The kind that swells the box-Ofiice re-
ceipfs OF the movies and the theatres.
may be responsible for much of our
present-dny misfortune and ignorance.
They may not he immoral. yet they net
as narcotics. They have mOmentar-
lily pleasing effect ON our mental and
physical senses; the nfter-effect is II
mental stagnaIcy. physical bilious
safety. or they lulI us into pleasant
dreams. which leave In MS m unsa-
table craving for unhealthful pleasure.
Yes, what we do with our leisure mo
ments is all-important.
Mr.. \. Edward Ncwton-;hat rare
old gossip--in his bnoi, ..-Tlle Ameni-
ties of Book Collecting =" relates an
Illuminating nnecslotc:
On train one day. in an attempt at
conversation with gentleman sitting
near. he asked him what he did with
his leisure.
oh" replied the strangcd. Il play
cards. used to read a good deal. but
wanted something to occupy my
mind. SO / took to cards.
A rather disconcerting nnswer-but
you will agree that It was quite
typical one.
the drama. What is the modern thea
tire doing In the progress of civiliza-
ti0n? What the theatre stands for is
as important as reading. listening to
good music. or going to church-for
everyone goes to a plny. even those
who never lOOl, into a hook, or go to
church. 1t is. therefore, one of the
greatest powers for good or evil.
Comedies have only nm entertain
ment value. 1t is the tragedy and the
classic drama which form solid
moral foundation upon which charac-
ter is builted. Comedies are distorted
pictures OF life of high or low degree.
They resemble those mirrors that make
us ridiculously large. small, fat or thin,
and like those distorted reflections,
they make us laugh. They make
joke Of life.
But life is nou joke. and he who
tries TO live it ms n joke, frequently
comes to grief. 1t is hard enough to
avoid trouble when we take life seri-
Ously. Comedy and melOdrama now
and then relieve the strain, and inso-
much as they do. they are helpful.
Fed to excess, however. upon n comic
diet. we deteriorate mentally and NOR
ally. just as we would physically upon
n full diet of highly-spiced foods with
ont nutritive value
The ancient and modern tragedies
present for our edification and educa-
tion the problems and conflicts of life.
They arouse within us emotions of
true sympathy. instead of forcing us
to laugh mt the mishaps of our fellow
men. The great plays of the past in
spired us to noble thinking: to desire
for noble doing. They helped us to
thinl, better; to live better.
The theatrical manager gives the