The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-11
STAGE CRITICS PLACE
Mr.. cLAPPrs "REMINISCENCES N
ATLANTIC MONTHLY.
The Necessity Of Absolute Freedom
General News OF the ent
and ef Music.

many. many years dramatic critic for the
Boston Advertiser. begins his "Reminis-
scnces" in the Atlantic Monthly FOR August.
At the start he warns his readers, in a
mild manner. that they need expect no
gossip from him. He writes: 1T has
seemed best 20 me. partly because actors
are a very sensitive and fascinating folk,
to deny myself the pleasure OF their init
mate acquaintance. as "A rule, in the hope
that nv head might neither be quite turned
nor much DETECTED from a true level. Many
Of ny confreres have pursued a contrary
policy with impressive success, I am aware;
and I concede that. as a critic. l have
sometimes lost. as well as sometimes gained.
through my lack OF personal contact with
dramatic artists. Ny readers must enjoy
my "reminiscences, II they enjoy them at all,
as a series Of reconsideration Of the plays
and players Of the past. from the point of
view OF a disinterested citizen or public
rensor."
Mr.. Clapp's first paper gives much de-
nghtfuI discussion OF the children's plays
or 1850. the first performance of Uncle
Toms Cabin" the comedies Of T. w. Rob
srtsou. and the first variety shows. but
Il is impossible to reproduce this valuable
portion of the critics "reminiscences here.
OttaclOHd4I lE AAA rs anAhAN ~ NiNNN 49,
relation between a critic, the public and
the theater. and these paragraphs, being
short and separate. may be reprinted. After
describing his educational equipment for
the task of dramatic criticism. he says: II
brought TO my work an unaffected eager
ness and Intensity of interest that have not
tagged to this day. 1 may add that L had
an exalted idea of the Importance OF my
office and of the awfuIness of my response
bility 10 the theater. TO the theatrical pro-
fession. 10 art spelled with a very large
initial A. TO the readers OF the Advertiser
IN particular. and TO the entire community
in general. There is something comical in
this statement. and perhaps it is, there
fore. well that ] should tack on TO its
retrospective magniloquence the assertion
obviously superhuous. and. In the absence
of challenge. a bit suspicious-that 1 meant
10 be fair and just, to the extent Oh my
ability"
Mr.. Clamp says the Advertiser gave him
entire freedom in his work. 1.-THE value OF
such liberty to a public critic" he says, rs
intellectually great; the lack of it to an hon
est and earnest man in that vocation Is
like the lack of wholesome air TO human
lungs. 1t was years before L fully appre-
ciated my privilege In this kind, or realized
how much happier was my lot than that of
some OF my professional brethren. The
ideally perfect dramatic critic must always
be, even in Paris, London and New York, a
rara avis. The man whose equipment in
cludes n good working familiarity with the
classic and modern languages; an intimate
acquaintance with all English literature,
and with all that is most important IN all
literatures; "A long experience with the the
alter: a high and varied skill in writing;
honesty OF purpose and complete emancipa-
ton from mean personal prejudice; and,
finally, the faculty. Unborn, and, though
highly susceptible of cultivation, never TO
be acquired, of detecting false touches in
acting as the perfect ear detects false tones
in music-even the late brilliant. accom-
plished and unimpeachable Sarcey did not
al the area of that definition.
yet, IL such an Admirable Crichton ex-
listed. he would not be effective on the staff
of a newspaper which in any way or at
any point, for commercial or any reasons,
cabined. cribbed or confined him; limiting
here, coaxing there, anon undertaking TO
give Instructions as to his melting out OF
praise or blame. L have known many crit
les, and OF the entire number have known
but one whom | believed to be capable of
corruption in his high office. They were,
and are. as square a set OF men as ever
lived. But some of them were hampered
and handicapped by their employers, and
came short of rendering the best service to
the public because of the counting room
pressure in favor of literally advertising
theaters. or against theaters whose patron
age was less valuable. Sometimes il has
happened, alsO-though seldom anywhere, |
suppose. and oftener in New York than
Boston-that among the actors there were
friends or foes of editors in chief or of
owners, with the shameful consequence
that the critic was hidden TO be "A respecter
of persons and at the same time instructed
to be crafty not to betray the secret of his
partiality.'
Every person not hopelessly mired in
egotism that writes about the stage feels
at intervals, especially when his enthu-
siasm let's down. that what he writes is of
no consequence. anyway. MIR. Clapp de-
scribes this condition thus cleverly:
The newspapers whose criticism OF the
drama is sordidly biased are soon found out
and lose all or much OF their influence with
declaration in the interest OF reason and
common sense. | nust meekly subject II 10
TESS that a large majority of all the per-
sons who read the daily journals have not
the taintest notion OF comparing or dis
The great body OF patrons Of the theater
are. indeed, alike Indifferent and directly
impervious TO criticism Of any sort; they
swarm into the playhouses with an indis-
terminating eagerness of desire. which
seems as masterful as the blind instinct
that compels the migration OF schools of
fish; they are laws unto themselves and
find out and applaud what they like by the
application OF those laws. some OF which
have roots that run far dow into our COM
mon psychic proto plasm.
The JudtciOuS remainder-abSolutely
large In numbers. though comparatively
few-constitute the body TO which the critic
nj peals, and though which. by processes of
slow filtration. he may hope TO make some
Indirect impression for good upon the vast
mass OF humanity that fills the theaters
night after night, week after week. II
this statement seems cynical the reader of
the Atlantic Is requested 10 consider the
situation In a kindred matter and to note
that three-quarterS OF the general perusal
of contemporary books is utterly uninfiu-
enced by any Kind OF literary criticism.
The huge public which revels in the nov
els. for Instance. OF Albert Ross and Mrs.
Mary ]. Holmes, knows no more about
book notices than IL knows about the Ed
das. AS far as that public is concerned the
critical journals, magazines and reviews
might as well be printed in Russian as In
English. as We'll be published in St. Peters
burg and Moscow as In New York and BOs-
ton"
The average theatergOers will appreciate
this yelled protest OF AR. Clapp's. in which
he speaks for all dramati reporters: Many
OF my readers will be surprised and amused
TO learn that every decent outspoken critic
raises up against himself a body OF hostile
unprofessionals principally OF the more
e~citable sex-strong in numbers. too. If
weak in brain-to whom ne is persona ex-