--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Babcock, Maud May collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 21 number: 11 published: 1918-09 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Babcock, Maud May, "The Social Hall," *Improvement Era* 21, no. 11 (September 1918): 1012–1016.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera21011unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera21011unse start_page: 1012 end_page: 1016 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1918-09) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera21011unse publication_year: 1918 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1918, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Social Hall The Social Hall By Professor Maud May Babcock, of the University of Utah. The gospel is all truth, and blazes the way toward all good. Latter-day Saints have advocated wholesome amusement in di- rect contrast with, and to the horror of other churches. Some of these consider entertainment to be of the devil, and by ignoring the eternal principle that "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" think they have solved the problem. The Church, on the other hand, has stimulated and pro- vided entertainment even when crushed with such sorrows and faced by such struggles as history only accords to the followers of new revelation. Our people believe that what we do with our leisure shows what we really are, and so we build splendid amusement halls in every ward. It is unfortunate that we are not providing our own amuse- ment in these halls as much as was done in the past, and as should be done. We are too often allowing the deteriorating movie and cheap, vulgar drama to sap the high ideals of our young people. The noted artistic taste of the people has been perverted by commercialized amusements, and the ability to ap- preciate the best is now only found in our small communities far from the larger settlements. The Mutual Improvement Associations, however, are doing THE SOCIAL HALL 1013 much to encourage better plays, and are urging the young peo- ple to direct, and give these plays themselves. These associations are earnestly endeavoring, by every means, to bring back the day when the Saints shall again love the best in drama, music and art. In the days of Nauvoo, instructed by the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Saints provided for themselves the best in drama and music. A local stock company was organized, which supported such visiting stars as Thomas A. Lyne, an actor of wide repute, one who had played with Edwin Forrest, the elder Booth, Char- lotte Cushman and others — the best actors this country has ever produced. Many of the leading brethren and sisters were mem- bers of the stock company, and Brigham Young himself took the part of the High Priest, in Mr. Lyne's production of "Pizarro." When on the dreary march across the desert waste, nightly entertainments were given wherever the Saints camped, in or- der that their long journey might be brightened. Soon af- ter the pioneers came to Salt Lake, the Mu- sical and Dramatic Association was form- ed, and dramatic per- formances were given in the old "Bowery," a place where the Saints held meetings in the summer and which stood in the Temple block, near where the Tabernacle now stands. An amusement hall was built in 1850, near the Warm Springs, mUn v 1014 IMFROVEMfcM EKa matic asso^,'alioufe since, was formed, Brigham Young holding an honc.ary membership. The Social Hall was opened with a dance in the early winter of 1852, but the great event of that season was the dramatic opening which occurred in January, 1853, the play of "Don Caesar de Bazan" being the bill. James Fergu- son was given the leading role, and the success of the com- pany was immediate, the house being kept open for a round of theatrical perform ances; in fact, for ten years, until the Salt Lake Theatre was built, in 1862, the So- cial Hall was the principal place of Maurice Browne amusement for the people of Salt Lake as well as for those who came from various parts of the territory. The opening of the Social Hall marked an epoch in the development of civilization in the Rocky Moun- tains, for even San Francisco, at this time, could not boast of such a fine home for the drama, nor did they have as splendid company of actors, nor as ambitious plays. After the Salt Lake Theater was opened, in 1862, the Social Hall was only used for small local theatricals, dances, dinners and socials. In later years it was utilized as a private school by — Miss Mary E. Cook a teacher who made the school dear to the hearts of the prominent men and women in Utah today. After- wards the Latter-day Saints College occupied the building at various times. In the fall of 1893, the first gymnasium to be fully equipped in the state was opened in this building and was continued for six years until it was turned over to the old Salt Lake stake Mutual Improvement Associations. The splendid Deseret Gym- nasium has now taken its place. The hall has also been used as an art gallery, a cafeteria for the Relief Society and the Young Ladies' Associations of the four city stakes, and many other purposes. THE SOCIAL HALL 1015 Now, after all the changes and alterations to suit such va- ried uses, it is to come at last to its own again. The general authorities of the Church have yielded to pure sentiment, and in these days when the tendency generally is to — hold only money sacred these brethren have put aside the many entreaties to utilize this very valuable ground for commer- cial purposes, and are having the building restored, and pre- served as a monument to the energy, long-sightedness and pro- gressiveness of the pioneers. It is to be a memorial to the world that the Saints hold that wholesome amusements are a neces- sity, and that "the use of a nation's leisure is the test of its civ- ilization;" that, "no more important consideration exists for a busy people than the matter of their leisure." Miller, Woolley and Evans, the architects, sons of pioneers, have enthusiastically devoted their time and talents to restoring the building, and putting it into condition for use. They are replastering the building, painting the exterior yellow and white as it was originally. Steps from the raised dais will lead to the entrance from the north and south, and a bronze plate, set in the front of the platform, will tell, briefly, the history of the building. The inside is being fitted for a beautiful, small, intimate the- ater. The walls will be tinted gray, and two chandeliers pro- vided in the places of those which held the tallow candles in the days when President Brigham Young blessed and dedicated the building. A vestibule will be partitioned at the front door. The auditorium will be seated with two hundred leather upholstered opera chairs, with mahogany arms, while the ends of the rows will be painted gray and silver. The procenium curtain, and the hangings at the colonial windows will be of deep, wine-red color, with silver trimming. Gray carpet will cover the floor. All in all, the architects have provided a simple, harmonious, taste- ful interior, where the entertainment-seeker will find a real amusement-home, and enjoy peace and recreation, after a busy day, where one may meet in close companionship the actors in the joy and uplift of the spoken drama. On the mezzanine floor, which is connected with stage and auditorium, dressing rooms and lockers are to be provided for the actors, while the stage will be fitted with apparatus for in- direct lighting, dimmers, simple scenery, and all mechanical de- vices for the new stage craft. It will be the only theater in Salt Lake where the new lighting and scenic investment may be found. The Church authorities have most generously loaned this building to the University of Utah, to be used as a laboratory for its dramatic courses, and as a little theater. The University will bring the great artists of the drama here from far away, to teach, 1016 IMPROVEMENT ERA act, and direct. In the fall, Maurice Browne, the foremost director in America, and Ellen Van Volkenburg, a most versatile actress, co-directors of the Chicago Little Theater, will reopen the Social Hall the last of September. The Varsity Players, a company chosen because they love the drama, will support the visiting artists, and will prepare a series of entertaining plays, at popular prices. The perform- ances will be given every other week during the season, lasting from September to April. In these strenuous, uncertain days of the great war, the peo- ple left behind must find wholesome entertainment, and those who come back after this awful scourge, must find an amuse- ment-home provided in which they may be rehabilitated. This reopening of the dear Hall, for the uncommercial drama, meets and provides for the needs of the day. So at last the old shall meet the new, and the first theater in Utah shall be the home of the first, new, insurgent theater in the state. French Official Photograph. © Underwood & Underwood N. Y.