Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-23
ROBERT DOWNING ENDS PULPIT
CAREER TO RETURN TO STAGE
Famous Actor, Who Preached
for 22 Years, Goes Back
to Theater.
Native of Washington Was at
Height of Success When
He Quit Drama.
BY GRETCHEN S. SMITH.

After 20 years as an evangelist,
preaching from the pulpitS of hundreds
Of churches in every part of the coun-
try, Robert Downing, who 40 years ago
had gained fame as q foremost actor
Of classical drama, has returned to his
flrst and old love-the stage.
Fifty years ago Mr.. Downing. who
was born and reared in Washington,
made his theatrical debut as an extra"
with the old John T. Ford Stock Co.,
which played at the National Theater
From this humble beginning he rose to
foremost place in the theatrical life
of his day, organizing, directing and
playing leading man to his own COM
pany Of dramatic players. For many
years Robert Downing played leading
man to Mary Anderson, one Of the
"toaSts" Of the theatrical world In the
gay 8OS. He also played for two
wears with Joseph Jefferson, one Of
Americas greatest actors, and knew in
timately Edwin Booth, John McCul-
Tough, David Belasco and others whose
names occupy conspicuous places in the
who's who" Of the theatrical world.
Then one day, at the very height OF
his career, Downing threw bombshell
in his world by announcing his inten-
ton to give up the stage to preach the
gospel At the time he was producing
"a Voice in the Wilderness" a drama
Of the life of John the Baptist, and he
says that never had he known the sue
cess which had accompanied this pro-
duction.
Stopped IN Washington.
'TOr six weeks" said Mr.. Downing.
1--WE had played TO full house In
San Francisco. Apparently the audi
ence was held spellbound by the lines
Of the play, because one might have
heard o pin drop during the perform
anceS, which were held In q house
whose seating capacity was about
1000. The play was such o success
that we decided to come East. On
my way to New York I stopped here
in washington to see my mother. Dur
ing that visit I went to hear an evan
geiist who had gained much fame by
his preaching. It may have been that
my part of John the Baptist had i'm
pressed me deeply. At any rate, after
hearing the evangelist preach for two
different nights I came to the con-
clusion that so much good could be
accomplished, and so many people
could be helped by preaching, that I
went to New York, gave up my play
and left the theater entirely.
"In 1917 I returned to the stage for
q short time in order to help the cause
of prohibition. played Ten Nights
in Q Bar Room and gave 625 per-
formances, hoping by the lesson OF the
play to help put across prohibition"
After preaching AZ years, Mr.. Down.
ing states he has returned to the stage,
as he feels that through the lines OF
the great classical dramas he Is able to
deliver as great sermon as he can IN
the pulpit.
1T returned to the stage" he said,
believing that I can preach as great SER
mons from behind the footlights as one
can behind the sacred desk. Many peo-
pie are more influenced by the theater
than by the pulpit. A reason for this
MAJ be due to the manner Of preach
ing. A prominent bishop Of London
once asked Robert Garrick why it was
that people focked to hear the actor on
the stage, while the churches were
empty. To this Garrick replied, Prob