THE GIRL FROM RECTOR'S."

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 12214, 2 August 1910, Page 5

THE GIRL FROM RECTOR'S."

VIGOROUS DKN UNCIATION. •WHITE HEAT OF RIUHTEOUS INDIGNATION." 3 . (Special to Herald.) i WELLINGTON, this day. i "The Girl from Hector's" is the one absorbing topic of the city. The Wcl- ] iington season opened last night, the theatre being packed to ..the 1 , doors. The production of the comedy has raised .nuch interest, arid a great ,deal of critif ' cism. "The Girl" was the subject oi 1 some outspoken remarks m the churches •of the city. Whether justly or unj justly decried, the show is out for a big ' ooom m Wellington, as, may be gauged ? from the fact that' the houses are fully booked till Friday night. "The Girl 5 from Rector's" is billed for Gisborne at ■ a subsequent date. Dr Gibbs' remarks, J „is a sample of the criticism the piece ' has been subjected to, will be read with ; interest: — . "I denounce this play as Satanic," de- ! clared the rev. gentleman. 'It is a 1 beastly, glittering, but none the less beastly appeal to the basest passions. It holds marriage and love up .to. mockery, i it is pornography rendei'ed tenfold more I deadly by the fascination of wit and < beauty and dress with which the play is , .-said to be invested. It is deplorable, i nay, it is horrible, that men Vnd women i should be permitted to descend to' the ; level of beasts fby such exhibitions. It ; is damnable that our sons and daughters , should be 'exposed to the contamination of witnessing their degradation. Do you i think I am 'exaggerating? ' > "Look how the devil leers through the admiring comments of certain sections of > the press. *. Mix spice and pepper, and . you have got ".'The Girl from Rector's,' so say* the Sporting and Dramatic News; Table' Talk declares that 'the whple thing ■ is an irresistible, bristling frivolity, with a French of frank riskiness which is frequently agreeable.' The Referee • informs us that" 'it is .a- diluted farce of four acts ; the first is a smile, the second a. scream, . the third a chuckle, and the [ fourth a hilarious riot.' In one of the leaflets I have' here, it is described as a | 'spicy salad,' w.ith very lijttlc dressing.' The leaflet goes, on -to advise one fond of laughter to take sound advice, .and go [ on a hilarious , riot -with 'The Girl from Rect*r's.' . . 1 "So vile is the thing that, though I '. speak with the white heat of righteous [ indignation; X dare not sketch the plot. ' Think' of. that!.- There is to be put on | the stage of • the Opera House ya play which- -a man may not describe,! it .detail ! to a mixed audience, but there, is. no | aieed could one have Wn the grave, 1 '^tern article ivhich the livening .Post copies from one of. the Auckland papers, : thereby earning the = gratitude of . every ' lover of decency * m this community. : : "Is there no power-in the hands of the 1 police to put .an end tiu these abomina--1 .tions? * The Attorney-General, who is 1 wholly sympathetic -with all that makes Ifor righteousness, says . there is no such ipower. It is then a clear case for the ' interference of the Legislature. Power 1 should be obtained, and that without de--1 lay, to stem the tide of iniquities. The pplicc will hale before the magistrates a. ■ woman for solicitation m the streets, but > here is a play ; which will do as much harm to the morals of. a large* section of the community as a regiment of courteisans. The situation is monstrous. I {hope that an , agitation will . arise that i will before long free the- stage of this city from. the pollutions of the fnyik ■ riskiness, and piquant agreoablcneps of French lubricity. Join with, me m protesting m the namo of ..decency, m the name of our yoilth, m the name of the God, against this public putridity. i "When speaking- of the modern stage the other <\yen ing; and setting forth its condition as a sign of the times, I did hot tllink that we. should so soon, m our own midst, ' have so "loathsome an illustration of my contention. It would be an anti-climax. after what' l have said to texpress the hope that none, of you, even though you may go occasionally to the theatre, 'will sully your sovilk' by visiting this play. For a member of the Church of Je-sus Christ to attend this exhibition will be a scandal and .a downright denial of Christ. It will, -bo.- a 'scandal and,aj<hame to any man or woman who cares for ddcency "and honor. The people of, this city vvho.. visit the playhouse while this infamous thing- is m evidence wall stand for the pelf-convicted lovers of decadence and lust."