The times., 1899-10-08
THE PASSING SHOW.

One of those natural paradoxes that
to be found in the fact that men generally
write or talk most on the subjects of which
they know least. THE Relation Between
Actor and Critic is the title of a pessi-
mistic and rather bigoted article publish
ed fortnight ago in London dramatic
journal-just which OF the London dra-
matte journals it is impossible to say, for
the reason that, with what may be charae-
teristic egotism, the author, in clipping
his work, forgot to leave even a particle
of anything else by which to locate it.
This author, by the way, signs himself
"Thespian," and, having proceeded to
identify himself with the god in question.
he reviews the Relation" In a manner
anything but favorable TO the writer on
things theatrical. There are no two pro-
fessions that should be more and that are
less in harmony" he remarks And a bit
farther on: This condition is mainly due
to an absurd mutual suspicion; suspi-
cion chiefly notable on the side of the la
borer who has least to suspect-that is,
on the side of the critic" Having deiiy-
ereQ llIlSelI OF WHICH HODle 5SullulSHL LIE
descendant of the original stroller begins
logically TO prove the justice of his OBJ
servation.
Unfortunately for "Thespian" and his
readers, logic has not always the true ring
but can be made 20 sound differently for
different players. There is a standard vol
ume on the study mentioned and in it the
compiler establishes the suggestion that
bread is better than heaven" by adding
that bread is better than nothing and
nothing is better than heaven" And this
is about the nature of the logic exploited
in the contribution described. Despite
its highly impressive name and that of its
composer, The Relation Between Actor
and Critic is neither scholarly nor con-
sistent Some Of its sentences mean one
thing; others mean another; still more
mean nothing at all. Were il not that the
essay affords opportunity for few lines
from the viewpoint of the personages as
sailed it would be absolutely unworthy of
space in these columns.
OF course. the state of affairs in the
United States may be much at variance
with that in England, but here "the sus-
picion' of the newspaper clientele cannot be
said to be without foundation. To the
American entertainer. there are just two
sorts of reviewers-good reviewers and bad
reviewers Invariably the good reviewers
are those who admire his work and the bad
reviewers are those who do not. There
are never eXtenuating circumstances. Like
the little girl in the rhyme, when the afore-
mentioned reviewers are good they are very
good indeed, and when they are bad they
are horrid. The last-named class includes
! all writer's who are able TO find anything
| that might be improved in the actors ef-
| forts. Next TO absolute condemnation moth
| ing hurts the ordinary player more than the
/ suggestion that he is not the triple extract
! of distilled perfection. In his idea people
| who agree with him in this not-unpreju-
/ diced belief are intelligent, capable, and
| discerning. Those who disagree are not
| only stupid and inefficient, but they are dis
! honest, frequently have been brihed by op-
| position managers, and are always moved by
personal grievances of one imaginary kind
| or another. This faith in bribes and per-
sonal grievances is limited neither by the
/ poverty nor by the strangeness of the PEN
man. If all suspected contributions to
| the purses of dramatic editors material
| lied the individuals would soon give up
| toll and take TO building palaces for them
/ selves; the unpraised performer can con-
! jure more reasons for the enmity of his ac-
cuser than could be remembered by the
most yengeful of foes.
| OQu as IL may SScii, tuS a'tTdSes lies
plan has quite as little trust In the critic
! ne knows as in the critic whom he has
| never met. True, he very rarely has the
| impudence to offer money to his aequalnt-
ance-chiefy because he deems the sacri-
| flee unnecessary. The man who cannot be
controlled with coin of the realm may be
purchased with friendship or with promises
| 1t never occurs to the wouldbe buyer that
| one who likes him for his pleasing traits
can see anything TO dislike in his portray
| ais. So he attempts TO make bosom COM
| rades OF the newspaper folk to whom he is
introduced and this according 10 the de-
gree of their importance-he shakes hands
| with the scribe of the one-night-stand
/ slaps On the back the plays seer of the pro-
sinciaI city, and, with Pinchas, loves the