The record-union., 1892-06-25


nection with newspaper, one o the best
critics II London writes: He the
critic is apt, especially III his early DAYS,
10 take himself too seriously. He thinks
/, IS his mission TO hold aloft the standard
OF dramatic art, to take his stand upon
| certain principles and TO maintain these
| at all hazards, like Athanasius contra
| ntt1sdet7n, forgetting it is really absurd of
q newspaper, which is one form Of COM
/ merelal enterprise, to insist upon the
! ater, which is another form of commercial
| enterprise, being carried on in particu-
/ lar fashion. In realty there is no such
! duty vested in the critic. AS well might
/ the theater presume to say how the news
! paper ought to be conducted. The butcher
might with equal propriety dictate to the
! llnendraper, or the milkman to the publ
| can. A newspaper has exactly the same
/ privilege IN the way of criticism as pri-
! Yate individual. 1t has just as much, and
! no more. There is only this difference
! between the newspaper and the other
! business named, that while the latter are
! self-sacrificing, the qdiS0H d'etTe of the
! former is to concern itself, for the benefit
] of its readers, with all matters of public
! Interest, and that the theater naturally
comes under notice in its columns with
( the latest political move or the current
scandal
! Custom appears to give the newspaper
the right TO put its finger into other peo-
pie pies; but, in point of fact, it has no
! such right. II manufactures opinions,
which are offered for sale as tailor offers
ready made suit of clothes, and, like
the latter commodity, they find accept
ance IN proportion to their suitability to
the needs OF the community. A new play
Is matter Of general interest, because
everybody may want to go and see it.
First-nighters of all kinds may form their
N CFAI1A oh yirh
The great mass Of the public are not, of
| course, SO fortunately situated; but they
like to know as soon as may be whether
the piece is good or bad, and for this in
formation they naturally turn to their
CGde neecun', the newspaper, their conf
dence in the critics judgment being de-
termined by their previous judgment in
him or by the standing of the journal of
which he writes.
BEHIND THE SCENES. - -.
Subscribers to the Paris opera are adj
mltted sehind the scenes and the foyer of
the dance is generally their retreat dur
| ing the entire actes and sometimes during
the acts. 1t is sumptuous apartment,
overpowered by painting, carving and
gliding, but internally garish and mere
tricious. If one enters about IL o'clock
in the evening he will see scores of re-
markably pretty coryphees and about a
dozen duderS and corpulent old men of
wicked mlen chatting to the danseuSes.
a throng Of comparses and dancers who
have not passed their final exams, vulgo
vecatO, rats dopera, are to be seen clas-
tered like so many peris outside the por-
tails of the paradisiacal foyer, into which
they are not privileged to enter unless
their salary exceeds a certain number of
francs month. 1t is not all gold that
glitters, even in this auriferous palace.
The extras look as though they were half
Il IR,..@ IL. q
cents worth OF fried potatoes are their
ordinary menu. But although meager,
sickly, il-favored and often DID, their
dancing and posing is done with wonder
full mechanical skill and aplomb.
THE DANCING SCHOOL.
The Classical French School of Dancing
may be divided into two branches, en-
6dttonne and en- tdcquete. The 6dJLonne had
its most perfect exposition in Taglioni.
1t is ightness combined with grace-the
dance which seems to delight in, and
float on, the air. The tdCqUete in vivacity
and rapidity, it is the little sparkling
steps and measures on the point of the
feet in which Fanny Elssler has never
been equaled. Girls destined to the c03.DS
de b0ttet begin to study dancing at the
early age Of and never later than 10.
There is great deal to learn in the pro-
fesslon and many dangers connected
with it. AT one moment dancer will be
attached to lines of wire, at the next she
Will be seated on paSteboard clouds, or
disappearing through the traps. In the
first act of an old ballet, "La Peri" there
was so dangerous a leap that Carlotta
Grisi risked her life each time she exc
cuted it. The loss of moment in shift
ing trap door and the famous dancer
would have dashed her brains out against
the boarding. The limbs of a dansuese.
if we admit at the age of they be in the
orb Hnnrnn M IL
with much hard work, to attain at the
age Of Is what is termed the Clover quad
rifle" 1t is only then that the form NAV
be said to have gained the roundness and
the flesh and muscles the frmness reoui-
site to the artistic poses which often create
such Juror.
ALBA HEYwoOD'S WIT,
Alba Haywood, who will star next seq
son with the comedy "Edgewood Folks"
writes as follows: 81 have purchased q
suit of Sol Smith RusselPs old clothes
and have had it cleaned and repaired. and
will appear in it season of 1928. He
wore it longer than any suit he ever had,
yet when we took it from the peg upon
which it had hung in Mr.. Russell's closet
for the past six years, and brushed off
the dust 1t had accumulated tit was al
ways great dust accumulation, we found
it of such excellent material that it was
not worn threadbare in a single place
mot even Minneapolis, Mr.. RusselPs
home. have had it refitted to nv
special shape, la the latest fashion
plate, and with its new velvet collar, its
new satin lining, it's bright new buttons,
and its new binding all around it is
as good as new, and we call it New Edge
wood Folks The suspenders, or to be
more explicit, the supporting parts, have
been greatly strengthened, and l shall
venture out in it with modest conf
dence that there will be no embarrassing
mishaps. My old friends and patrons
will have an opportunity of seeing me
dressed up next season.
STAGE NOTES.
John E. Warner, Nat Goodwin's man.