The sun., 1903-03-01

heavens, what q uioi ana tno IhTroT ho
faces is Q sounding one. 1t is alive. II
is not always hattering. At times 1t cracks
and shivers ominously. And then the
futility, the vanity Of art and life must
creep into the brain cells-not always
tenanted by these ideas-of the public
performer and he must long for solitude.
1t is meet and just then that he should
read and digest Raleigh's cruel statement
Of a psychological fact.
Mr.. A. B. walkeley, the clever London
critic OF the drama, defines 'criticism as
the means by which art became conscious
OF It's existence which Il . pleasing way
Of putting the case. That 10 the abstract
view. Abstract, too, despite its ring OF
subjectivity. 10 the charming assert oa
Of Anstole France that criticism for him
Ia q history Of his souls adventures among
the masterpieces. You hx your eye upon
some distant and delicious Port OF music,
Of poetry, Of drama. and then you go cruis-
ing with your soul for . shallop. and on
returning describe your sensations. Yet 1t
10 not abstract with all its veneer OF as
sertive freedom. Dramatic criticism
usually Is the art Of writing things for
peoples perusal, whether right or wrong,
90 they entertain. And that. as Mr.. Swim
burns might say. is the end Of every mans
desire!
You see, beloved brethren and Kupfsr-
steeher-we mean shining lights OF your
profession that the critic. too, has his
burden, q burden as old as Nineveh. Pity
us. Condole us. Put yourselves in our
place-in the seats Of the mighty. Could
IN han "a haf
you would not indulge In sword, hammer
and stiletto play II you welded the foun-
tain pen, that modern equivalent OF Pan
doras box! II you saw your enemy about
to publish his version Of Hon,iet to large
audience. would you listen without sneer
on lip, OF fingers that would curve into
palms1 What would you write In for next
morning, Out with i'll Tell the truth
and shame Squire Satan! You would he
human. you would poise your javelin and
rake the fires. and presently the smell Of
the slain being roasted for the sacrifice
(for art, be 1t understood) would arise TO the
sky. It In better, oil things being con-
sidered equal, that the great daily news
papers do not engage actors or musicians
to oriticise actors and musicians. We
know little enough about the stage, drama,
acting-we arc 30 told daily by perfect
actors and Rentlemen-but horrible dictu,
suppose We knew more, suppose, like the
actors. we knev il dlUi OTimel o Manners!
What morrels We would provide for the
gods in our essays!
Old orders change, but through the years
the relation OF actor and critic has main
tained its equilibrium. We are necessary
to one another. We are natural-born
friends masquerading as enemies. When
ever you hear an actor raising his voice
and vowing q new slaughter Of the critical
saints be sure that the fellow has been
touched on the spot that needed blood
letting. Many an actor has escaped the
vertiGoes and giddy apopleIies OF vanity
and uncritcal self-admiration-for 1t may
be well to admire oneself discriminntingly
because Of a neat surgical operation
swiftly performed by the sane pen OF the
always accurs,d dramatic critic. Indeed.
80 necessary to the moral system is the
liberation Of humors, splenetic. egotistic
and froward. that to praise an actor is
often to ruin his future. This is paradoxical.
but can be proved.
Alan Dale in the current Ainske's reveals
himself as both thinker and a phleboto-
mist He holds forth on the gentle art of
pleasing actors. and he puts his finger on
the aching spot. In effect he argues that
to lavish q wealth Of joyful ad jectives upon
an actor I've exclude the unfair sex from
this study because actresses are never
vain without cause and. bless their pretty
faces Cthis is sheer frivolity for LentD,
they ussfully mako up the causc!l il q dan
gerous procedure. Like opium eating the
dose Of hattery must be doubled; finally
It ceases to act and that is the dangerous
period OF the actors career Words no
longer stimulate his cortical cells. From
sheer repetition inhibition OF certain cerebral
functions has been set up. The man reads
q column about himself and-yawns. But
behold, the artfui critical doctor resorts
to q new scheme Of attack. He writes.
not Of the actor. but Of his rival; he COM
pares the two men, weighs them slowly
and casts the rival into outer darkness.
where there 10 gnAshing Of teeth and prob
ably red-lattioe blasphemy.
Tho effect on the apathetio patient il
marvellous. His pulse beats faster. firmer,
his eye brightsns. he sits up and partAkes
Of . little gruel-your notice Of his rivals
incapadtyi
This u saying at length what Mr.. DALI
said In . pertinent phrase. He showed
Sarah Bernhardt reading the usual. supple,
tawny. tigerish. tropical Bernhard notice
Of herself and the mute disdain Of her
Struggling shoulders. Then Sarah sses
in type the magic words -Bernhardt w.
Dussil And II Duse u stretched out on a
bed Of critical agony. oh, how the heart OF
the other rsjoioeth and panteth for more
Of the sams waters!
All this is . heightened way Of putting
things. a. Mr.. Colsridge onoe remarked OF
Mr. DE Quincy; yet It fairly outlines the
peculiar, ths salient oonstituents q an &C.
tors mental makeup.
And what Q boon nature confers upon q
man dssirous Of foouisht honors whom abe
makes him look like an actor Apart from
his genuine gifts ~ pianist half u Pads-
rewski's battle with his audience u over
when hs walks out upon the stage. He
looks uks pianist, II 10 ons of the secrets
of his suoosss. Richard MAhsnsld. without
- hs All