Produced by the Mormon Texts Project,
http://bencrowder.net/books/mtp. Volunteers: Eric Heaps
with a little help from Benjamin Bytheway and Ben Crowder.
The Mormons and the Theatre
OR
The History of Theatricals in Utah
With Reminiscences and Comments
Humorous and Critical
By JOHN S. LINDSAY
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH1905
CHAPTER I.
In rather sharp contrast to other Christian denominations, the Mormonsbelieve in and are fond of dancing and the theatre. So much is thisthe case that Friday evening of each week during the amusement seasonis set apart by them in all the settlements throughout Mormondom fortheir dance night. Their dances are generally under the supervision ofthe presiding bishop and are invariably opened with prayer orinvocation, and closed or dismissed in the same manner, with a briefreturn of thanks to the Almighty for the good time they have enjoyed.
The theatre is so popular among the Mormon people, that in almostevery town and settlement throughout their domains there is an amateurdramatic company.
It is scarcely to be wondered at that Salt Lake has the enviabledistinction of being the best show town of its population in theUnited States, and when we say that, we may as well say in the wholeworld. It is a well established fact that Salt Lake spends more moneyper capita in the theatre than any city in our country.
Such a social condition among a strictly religious people is notlittle peculiar, and is due, largely, to the fact that Brigham Youngwas himself fond of the dance and also of the theatre. He could "shakea leg" with the best of them, and loved to lead the fair matrons andmaidens of his flock forth into its giddy, bewildering mazes. Certainround dances, the waltz and polka, were always barred at dancesBrigham Young attended, and only the old-fashioned quadrilles andcotillions and an occasional reel like Sir Roger de Coverly or theMoney Musk were tolerated by the great Mormon leader.
That Brigham Young was fond of the theatre also, and gave greatencouragement to it, his building of the Salt Lake Theatre was astriking proof. He recognized the natural desire for innocentamusement, and the old axiom "All work and no play makes Jack a dullboy," had its full weight of meaning to him. Keep the people in apleasurable mood, then they will not be apt to brood and ponder overthe weightier concerns of life.
There may have been a stroke of this policy in Brigham Young'samusement scheme; but whether so or not he must be credited with bothwisdom and liberality, for the policy certainly lightened the caresand made glad the hearts of the people.
Although Salt Lake City has been the chief nursery of these twinsources of amusement for the Mormon people, to find the cradle inwhich they were first nursed into life, we will have to go back to atime and place anterior to the settlement of Salt Lake. Back in thedays of Nauvoo, before Brigham Young was chief of the Mormon church,under the rule of its original prophet, Joseph Smith, the Mormonpeople were encouraged in the practice of dancing and going to witnessplays. Indeed, the Mormons have always been a fun-loving people; it isrecorded of their founder and prophet that he was so fond of fun thathe would often indulge in a foot race, or pulling sticks, or even awrestling match. He often amazed and sometimes shocked thesensibilities of the more staid