Lesbianism and Homosexuality Have No Legitimate Place on Stage, Says Alice Brady--"Censorship" a Plot, She Charges

In the opinion of Alice Brady, star of "Lady Alone", plays dealing with Lesbianism and Homosexuality or similar distasteful subjects have no place on the American Stage. They treat of matters not only unpleasant in themselves, but made considerably more so by the crude manner in which the playwrights who attempt this type of sensationalism handle them. In addition to which, Miss Brady feels that the topics are in most cases new to the audiences and do anything but stimulate their minds in the proper direction.

"Not that they have anywhere else, for that matter, but there is plenty else to give American audiences, without turning in that direction," added Miss Brady, "There are far better things to put before an audience than these subjects, and because of their nature they must be handled ever so delicately, a thing which is not within the reach of most of the dramatists who would attempt such subjects. A play such as "The Captive" is done with the utmost delicacy and as such is really a fine play, but it is easily the exception."

On the topic of the recent censorship campaign, Miss Brady was convinced that the move was made for the sake of Publicity on the one hand, and on the other, to prevent a certain extremely salacious play from reaching New York. "The Virgin Man's one of the plays involved in the censorship, was playing to empty houses, for the very good reason that it was a very poor play. Now the enormous publicity given it, has not only kept it alive but has sent it capacity audiences.

"On the other hand, the producers, realizing the fate in store of them if the extremely questionable play reached the New York stage, brought on or at least abetted the censorship crusade in the hope that the move would stave off the impending place. Had this presentation been produced, there would have followed censorship indeed!"