The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-09-07
ONE CRITIC is SKINNED
ARTHUR PINERo, DRAMATIsT,
DEFENDS HIS LATEST PLAY
Sails Into Sir Edward Russell, Who
Pronounced the Play "A CaIlous En-
joyment of Coarse Sin"-Arthur In
cidently Calls Sir Edwards Ideals
Musty-What He Praises Doesn't
Endure.

LONDON, Sept. 6.-The most inter-
esting occurrence of the theatrical
week was Arthur Pinero's angry de-
Tense of his "The Gay Lord Quex' at
the annual meeting of the Institute of
Journalists. Sir Edward Russell, edi-
tor of the Liverpool Daily Post, held
up '"The Gay Lord Quex" as the type
of a play which should be condemned
by the press, describing 1t as a "cal-
lous enjoyment of coarse sin," in
which the hero displayed mo desire
or preference for what was chaste."
Pinero has written to the Times "a
bitter satire on Sir Edward.
1T must be a sac matter" said the
dramatist, "for so earnest and in
dustrious a critic to find in the autumn
of his critical life his gods displaced
and to see the work he loudly ac-
claimed either forgotten or treated
with deliberate neglect. What I ven
ture to complain Of is that Sir Edward,
in chagrin at the mustiness of his
ideals, should allow vexation to
tempt him to unfairness towards a
work to which he brings, almost of
necessity, an imperfect understand
ing"
Pinero challenges Sir Edward to
prove his assertions by extracts from
the play, adding:
ar LAG IN SOtAISNJ oOSo SAOA40
to the school which labels each Of
it's characters wolf or lamb, and that
it seeks to depict men and Women as
they are, not wholly virtuous or wholly
evil, l am prepared to admit. Man
should be judged by the good in him.
By this standard 1 submit hat Lord
,Quex is not an unamiable parsonage.
Lord Quex will not, I am convinced,
be condemned utterly by intelligent
and ihnTo1-T1in6n manila hnnnISn Of
his .lapses, any more than Sir Edward
Russell is to be so condemned on ac-
count of his present variation from
truth, good feelings and good tastes"
Theatrical Season Promising.
The theatrical season begins to look
up. There will be three first perform.
ances and two revivals during the
coming week. Nance O'Neill, whose re-
ception by the London critics has been
a mixture of grudging praise and un-
gracious comparison with Signora
Duse and Nine. Bernhardt, presents
Camille" at the Adelphi next Monday.
The same night Charles Frohman will
open the Prince of Wales theater with
"Three Little Maids" and Kitty Loft
tus, at the Savoy, will create a new
comedy character, Naughty Nancy.
Wyndham's theater opens Sept. 8
with Henry Arthur Jones Chance,
the Idol" while on Sept II Frank Cur
zon will produce Victor Widnell's new
play, Secret and CONFIDENTIAL" Mr..
Jones has also contracted with Arthur
Bourchfer for a new play to be pre-
scented at the Garrick, which. he will
write in the south of France, to which
he will start 10
There vas a successful opening in
Dublin this week of 1.-THE Children of
the King" a revised version of Ros-
mer and Humperdinck's "Die Konig's
Kinder" The company will go to
America after a short provincial tour.
Fred Terry has secured the rights
of "The Kings Wager" a new play
by H. G. Clarke and G. A. Warmer.
The principal female role was espe-
cially designed for Julia Nelson.
Charles Hawtrey sails for America
about Sept. 81, opening at Boston in
"a Message From Mars"