The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-28
FLYING CRITICISM.
r.oti,rh,. as they are Viewed through
~" sen spray In MIdsmmmer.

destand."
..,ors in tho country He said II in loud tone.
..,hc wash of water and the stondy whistle OF /
me- wind made whispering iuaudiblc.
Are you nervous"
"Notabn Why"
~ns freshcning docking w at his little pen
anil and changing point She'll get her gait |
: few minutes. That black horizon is tho
amen sea-shall we 20 onY'
ayes: unless your craft or its owner is
shsky."
Ma smiled. II like H." he said. There's
,o,blng like mad dash into open water to blow
,be conccn out OF you. Isn't 1t Emerson who
avs. II man would be alone. let him look at
me stars Wen have em presently. Do you
feel cod|
"Ndabit. Tmthickly clad. Let us get under
the stars. | want to hear you talk ms II you
we're alone. II must be luxury for "A popular
actor to be with the unfiattcring elements Is
that the reason all actors buy yachts ?"
"uisaluxury. I'll tell you why. Tho mo-
,rent no stops acting he begins to think. And
ne never can stop acting until he gets away
from his species. Besides. II true actor is
eosmlc fellow. All his forces are elemental. and
tbe wind aud the waves are mysterious COM
partnership. II you sit on this side you Will not
set wet
But prefer II. I'm cosmic myself"
Hesmied How ridiculous any attempt to
formulate ones deepest feelings is"
True. 1t is required OF us to act naturally
but never to talk naturally. Nature is a good
thing to keep in the cellar OF our lives. like old
vine but We mustn't parade It, for Scar Of being
called incorporate Nobody knows that like
tho man who writes about actors. He cannot
step out Of the sensuality Of fancy into the
physics Of fact without being offensive"
Il don't understand YOU"
Don't your Suppose | said that the voice
oithe prima donna. which polite slang calls som
suous. usty. magnetic. and thrilling. was the
result OF organization: that tones were the
Effects Of healthy muscles and sound lungs.
Don't you know that the prima donna and her
friends would call me brute? Suppose said
that all great acting WAS based upon vitality.
not upon brains-what would YOU sAy2"
should say you were generalzng In n
most reckless manner. I've an idea that man
can no more act without brains than he can
without bones"
There spoke the histrione who never reads
anything but Hazltt and Schlegel and Sainte
Beuve and the weekly papers. but who insists
upon being a cosmic man. nevertheless. He
must keep the elements in him for yachting ex-
cursions. He beves with the rhapsodists. that
he Is divine trivision OF Genius Talent and
Art II he would only read Taine. Lewes
Spencer. and the rest Of 'em. he would find GU,
that he is a mere human being. one part vsceral
one part emotional. one part cerebral"
But excellence in acting. I suppose depends
upon the union and coordination of all three -
Certainly. as the excellence Of architecture
depends upon strength. adaptation. and beauty
but you have got to have foundation flrst-even
70 put mansard on"
Some OF the most powerful players have
been invalids; there is one now playing
called. believe. the greatest genius we have.
BIT she is great only In invalid parts"
Il think she is great In nervous energy
Whether II be morbid or not. do not care. Il
u an energy. and cogent one"
You mean Clara Morris"
"Yes. do"
Well. compare her with Mary Anderson"
why should II"
Because ono is the coming. the other IL th'
going woman"
Isn't that hard comparison 2"
No. not In the cold light OF scientific criti
eism. One is a special phenomenon. the othe
avltal law. One exhausts herself by her owl
intensity. The other moves with an uncon
pcious rhythm. Such greatness as is Clar
Morris's consumes itself in every recurren
focus OF its own efforts. Such mild naturalnes
as Mary Anderson's beams on like that phos
phorescence there. Don't you think the people
would rather have a vital gladiator like McCul
Tough than an intellectual declaimer like Ma
eready2"
u think. II they could express their wan
elearly It would be for such a combination c
physical and intellectual qualities as was see
IA Tslma. Garrick. Siddons. Booth (the elder
Balvini. Rachel. don't think that an actor ha
any right to exhibit his viscera or his brains i
public What we want is the ETHEREAL result q
fine organization subjected TO law. We don
care for anatomy-only energzed effects. III
curse OF intelligent crlticism-and especial
scientific criticism. RS you call it's that 1t NJ
only cuts up the body OF art. but exhibits all 1t
organs in public. This is butchery."
Yes. but II has this advantage over sestheti
criticism that it is definite and leads to some
thing. As art becomes more physiological il
Its exhibition. criticism must become NOR
anatomical There's no help for II. Even tn
theatre is being invaded by positive fact,
When woman parades her unconscious ner
yous centres for hundred nights. will YOU kee
biology out OF the housel'
He laughed. We're going to sea faster tina
suspected" he said Presently we'll x
swamped."
Then wen swim ashore" ! replied. Ii
her have her way. / see light down on tn
left"
It's the South Point beacon. I'm afraid so
are getting wet"
Don't bother. Tell me what you think {
Cushman. You've read Stebbins's book. {
course 2"
l think Cushman was a woman OF indom
liable will. who achieved greatness by force {
sharacter. not by any physical momentum"
And don't you think that indomitable wi
hardened and sharpened her efforts. maxim
them dlsaRreeably imperative and masculine ?
Perhaps. Ihave always noticed that stron
exhibition OF personality in woman does NJ
make people warm 10 her. Think Cushma
mastered the public. She never won then
They got TO understand that she meant 10 /
great and they submitted 10 her. Do YOU l,no
Eho, In my opinion. is more like her than an
actress we have had since2 2"
NO"
Anna Dickinson. The public don't 10,
her. But they have got TO respect her. The
are little bit afraid OF her. The fact Is the
doesn't seem to be any place on our stage (,
the steel and granite OF such strenuous nature
And yet there are some things that Miss Die
In i a.