The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-04-12
AMERICAN nnRITInISM. y

Inc amount OF hypercI1tcal rot INDUCED In
by self-appointed critics of dramatic presenta-
tons and of actors is appalling to the I'M
schooled and positively disgusting to the
initiated. Numberless 8x10 tyros have liter
ally sweat in their attempts to ''do justice" to
Mr.. Irving and Miss Terry, and have sue
ceeded simply in writing themselves down
asses, and have undoubtedly nauseated the
distinguished English actors, long since
surfeited with the veriest slop that has ever
been poured out of newspaper back doors. 1t
is positively marvellous the amount of drivel
INDUCED in under the delusion that
it is discriminating and an
alytical Mr.. Irving and Miss
Terry, supported by a carefully-selected com
pany, have given the American public an idea
of what excellent acting and most careful at
tention to details can do. They were very
careful and painstaking in all they undertook,
and each is a superior artist All this was
duly appreciated, as attested by crowded
houses and well-timed applause. The general
public is of opinion that it is intelligent
enough to know why Irving evoked applause.
1t doesn't enlighten the masses to tell them
that the acting of Irving bore close resem-
ings of Rembrandt Won Ryn. 1t is loves
labor lost to draw laborious parallel be-
tween things in no wise similar, and
then complacently lean back and congratulate
ones self that nobody but "a superior being
could possibly have detected the subtle like
ness that no ordinary intellect can compre
bend after reading column of such criticism.
The latest genius to tackle and slobber over
our English cousins is "Nym Crinkle, in the
New York World This gifted ass in the field
of letters must certainly be the envy of less
able writers. Here are few of his utter
ances, culled at random from his criticism of
Irving and Terry:
"TerTys charm is not in feature or line.
'Men have tried to run down the special
fascination, and have failed. One Of them
thought it was in her autumn eyes, which
late October on the stubble fields Another
chased it to her mouth, but there it lodged
behind two mobile lips, and was swallowed up
by strong nervous jaw. Still another fol
lowed it around the pensive outlines of her
face-that dreamy face, with an odic light be-
hind it."
For asinine twaddle that is bad enough, but
he goes on:
'In my mind Langtry is always associated
with June The pomp Of incoming summer,
with all its langours is there. Bernhardt re-
minded me of lean and pungent March, and
Terry, | say is somehow wrapped in the mel
low mists of October, through whose golden
glimmer CLINT the coming frosts of winter.
'HThe lambent pathos Of her comedy is what
one cannot understand. AT the most joyous
moments of Beatrice the jewels of speech be-
tray the sadness of tears
Precious secret this, when we understand
it, for it is the secret of evanescence"
o, precious, precious secret, when we, the
critics, understand its evanescent and Elusive
evanescence of illusiveness. The educated
mind of the critic proceeds to wilder idiocy:
''The feeting, wavering character of Miss
Terry's work carries with it its own pathos.
When she came i'll Much Ado About Moth
ing to the speech, Kill Claudio, the audience
was so still you might have heard pin bend
itself on some heaving bosom.
"When it was all over it. was so still you
could have heard snowflake melt
people do not give three cheers when the
full moon rises.
"And it is the peculiar lunar effulgence of
this art that can never be quite disentangled
from nature. We do not want to bawl-only
bask."
There is column more of just such stilted
stupidity, but this is enough to make the
reader pray for relief. 'We do not want to
bawl-only bask." BAIL What the public
wants is good sized bladder with which to
knock little sense into the heads of few
''critics" who evidently know enough to go in
when it rains, and no more.
PRACTICAL REF0RMERS.