ABSTRACT
The theatre as it stands to-day, the theatre, be it understood in its inmost sense, is emphatically not one of the forces that makes for righteousness. This statement coming from a man in Mr. Clement Scott’s position will raise an indignant howl, of course; that goes without saying, but it is well perhaps that now and again the truth, however unpalatable, should be spoken. “It is nearly impossible for a woman to remain pure who adopts the stage as a profession. Everything is against her. The freedom of life, of speech, of gesture, which is the rule behind the curtain, renders it almost impossible for a woman to preserve that simplicity of manner which is after all her greatest charm. The whole life is artificial and unnatural to the last degree, and, therefore, an unhealthy life to live. But there are far more serious evils to be encountered than these.
