The herald., 1893-06-04
THE CRITICS AND THE DRAMA
A Clever Address Given by
Stephen Fiske.
A Sharp but Meaty Address ON q
Very Live Topic.
A Severe ArrAigpment of the Daily
Press and It's Critics-Decadence
Of tho Drama-Roalism
DIssected.

WIS LQ0 A0OT6b9 u6HF6IeO hb tuo May
meeting of the Nineteenth Century
clubin New York, by Stephen Fiske, the
noted dramatic critic. While he in
dulges in some general slaps at the
daily press, which are scarcely justified,
the paper as whole is meaty, witty,
and full Of sense. 1t is given below in
FULL
The May meeting OF the Nineteenth
Century club was held at the Perry
mansion, on East Thirty eighth street,
and was very largely and fashionably
attended Marguerite Merington, author
of Captain Lettarblair, presided, and
after delivering an eloquent address
upon the many phases of the Drama,
introduced Professor Stoddard, OF the
University OF New York. to represent
the literature OF the stage; Charles Bar
nsrd, author OF The County Fair, the
dramatists; John Malone, the actors /;
Miss Marbury, the managers, and Ste
phen Fiske, the critics. The scope and
character OF the discussion may be
judged from q condensation OF the
speeches of the critic which opened and
closed the debate. Stephen Fiske said .
miss President, ladies and gentlemen
| thank you for the honor of represent
semblage of beauty and intellect. But /
feel as the historian must have felt when
he wrote his famous chapter upon the
snakes in Ireland. There were no snakes
in Ireland. There are no dramatic crit
les. The st. Patrick who has driven out
thacritice Is the advertising agent. Dra-
masic criticisms have been superseded
by theatrical notices. These notices are
written by the yard-I mean by the
column-and the night editor snips off
as much as he wants of them to fill the
space devoted to the drama. laughter.
"On most papers the simple rule is
now observed that all amusements
which advertise are good, and all which
do not advertise are not worth men
tioning. On some papers the duties of
the critic are further eimplihed by the
order to give 80 many lines of notice for
80 many lines Of advertising. The ad-
vertisements suggests the adjectives.
Thus play with ten-line advertise.
ment is excellent for twenty-five
lines 1t becomes a superb production
and for one hundred lines, across two
columns, in the Sunday Issue, ii raises
to the dignity of 'one of those dramatic
successes unsurpassed in London or
Paris, and equallcd only by the former
achievements of this enterprising and
experienced manager and his splendid
company Laughter and applause
Our brethren abroad are said to feast
upon chicken and champagne at the ex-
pense of grateful managers; but here
the managers hand in the chicken and
champagne money to the advertising
department and the critics gets only the
we'll picked bones and the empty bottles.
"f ddp'i do not complain of this state of
affairs. One must live in his age.
There has been an Age OF Gold and an
Iron Age, and this ia the Age OF Adyer-
Using. TO the advertisers we owe the
fact that our daily papers can give us
all the news OF the world, a colored
]ithocraph, complete novel, round
trip ticket TO the Chicago fair and life
insurance policy for two or three cents.
An easy calculation will prove that the
paper, ink and printing of modern
Journal cost more than we pay for it,
and the advertiser, like the immortal
Jones, pays the freight. But such ad-
vertising has also its disadvantages. 1t
has killed dramatic criticism, and l
wish to call your attention to the fact
that great poetic plays and great acting
have died out simultaneously. APP
plause.
s'Whether the drama was originally
intended only to amuee will not repay
discussion. If it were, the clergy soon
took advantage OF it to instruct the
people, and some OF our greatest philos-
ophers and poets have since used it to
educate and elevate the public. But
now our dramatists sacrifice dignity to
dollars. They write plays to raise an
easy laugh and ensure prompt royalties
The only critic for whom they care If
the critic Of the box Office. Our one great
tragedian lies a-dying, and whereas there
any young actor growing up to aucceed
Edwin Booth2 Our one great comedian
has gone to Louisiana to repair his plan
tation fences, and only acts when hi
Hohokus barns need repainting; anc
where is tho coming comedian to euc
. ceed Joseph Jefferson? Criticism cleareC
away the underbrush of the great For
rest to reveal Edwin Booth, and half
{ brother had to be Burked to make room
! for Joseph Jefferson; but Booth anC
: Jefferson have never been criticised anC
: they will leave no successor. The stimuli
: taneous decline OF playwriting, acting
4 and criticism is o phenomenon worth.
4 OF consideration. [Applause.
"Ibelieve that the duties OF a true dra
matte critic are twotold-frst, to Civ
!. the public 80 accurate and impartial al
account of a performance that they ma.
: Judge whether it pc worth attending
t second, to point out to the managere
r dramatiste snd actors the excel
= lences and the defecte-the excellen
s ciea as we'll IS the defects-of th
. performance.
y "In regard to his first duty, the Oh
. servation is often made that, after al
a the public are the best judges of q pla
. or the player. But how are the public t
Judge il they DO not go to see the pei
q formance? And if they do 20 to see th
u performance, what difference does
y make in the box Office receipts whethe
t the play be good or bad ? If all the pub
- lie would 80 to see every new produ'
>, tion in order to judge it,. then ever
u manager would make his fortune IN
d year, no matter what sort of pieces b
- produced. [Applausel. No; the publ
u must depend upon thereports OF privat
!. friends or OF that public friend, th
~ newspaper. The critic can make his r
70 70 port poetical, descriptive, picturesque
- - plain; but whether he indulges IN plat
~ ins, goffering and LAGOS, or Keeps
- simple reporting, what he says shoul
~ be the impartial opinion of an expert.
~ N Gas TO his second duty, the critic ca
:" be of the utmost benefit and aseistan'
I 1e to all concerned In theater. He CO
y make the actor see himself as others 81
~ n him, and thus improve his excellencl