The Mormons and the Theatre; or, The History of Theatricals in Utah

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
The History of Theatricals in Utah
With Reminiscences and Comments Humorous and Critical
By JOHN S. LINDSAY
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH 1905
In rather sharp contrast to other Christian denominations, the Mormons believe in and are fond of dancing and the theatre. So much is this the case that Friday evening of each week during the amusement season is set apart by them in all the settlements throughout Mormondom for their dance night. Their dances are generally under the supervision of the presiding bishop and are invariably opened with prayer or invocation, and closed or dismissed in the same manner, with a brief return of thanks to the Almighty for the good time they have enjoyed.
The theatre is so popular among the Mormon people, that in almost every town and settlement throughout their domains there is an amateur dramatic company.
It is scarcely to be wondered at that Salt Lake has the enviable distinction of being the best show town of its population in the United States, and when we say that, we may as well say in the whole world. It is a well established fact that Salt Lake spends more money per capita in the theatre than any city in our country.
Such a social condition among a strictly religious people is not little peculiar, and is due, largely, to the fact that Brigham Young was himself fond of the dance and also of the theatre. He could shake a leg with the best of them, and loved to lead the fair matrons and maidens of his flock forth into its giddy, bewildering mazes. Certain round dances, the waltz and polka, were always barred at dances Brigham Young attended, and only the old-fashioned quadrilles and cotillions and an occasional reel like Sir Roger de Coverly or the Money Musk were tolerated by the great Mormon leader.
That Brigham Young was fond of the theatre also, and gave great encouragement to it, his building of the Salt Lake Theatre was a striking proof. He recognized the natural desire for innocent amusement, and the old axiom All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, had its full weight of meaning to him. Keep the people in a pleasurable mood, then they will not be apt to brood and ponder over the weightier concerns of life.