Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-06
Gossip About Plays, Players and Playhouses

slaught But it wouldn't be appropriate.
Pencil and pen have vanished before the
prosaic typewriter. and only in Paris is 20
be found the man whose soul Is so deli
cately attuned that he must needs have
paper Of a pale green hue on which to re-
view a tragedy, OF yellow for comedy
and scarlet for melodrama, with suitable
inks. It's the regulation copy" paper fur
nished by the office, cut TO a size that is
convenient for the typesetung machine, and
a typewriter, also furnished by the office,
for the critic Of the present. He does his
little level best TO keep up with the process
sion, and would be clear out Of the picture
II he undertook TO write his stun by any
Of the archaic methods still popular in fc-
ton. Moreover. the critic today is expected
20 handle them hot OF the bat and isnt
permitted 20 waste much time in cropping
around searching for the exact word to eX-
press his feelings. If he can't think OF
''hantle" when he wants 70, he must slap
down 'mickle" and let It go at that, trust
ing 70 his readers intelligence or haste to
exonerate him from the palpable error In
quantity. And. II the edition would wait
and the mails could be held until the critic
had thought out the precise degree Of APP
probation or reprobation desirable to be
bestowed on the particular performance in
question, he has still another incentive TO
the use OF the typewriter. It's letters are
made plainly, and II he be so fortunate as
to write mantle" he Is not ordinarily eX-
posed to the danger Of seeing It appear in
print ''mickle" But such solecisms do oc-
cur-and when they do that isn't the word
the critic uses in referring TO the occur
renee He never gets quite accustomed to
Il, for the conscience of even hardened
and experienced critic does not be-
come entirely calloused, and he usually
retains a little pride in its own facility Tor
expressing his views. Therefore when the
Merganthalsr takes II into It's iron head
TO substitute white for black, or something
equally annoying. the critic feels a pans
that would delight some Of those who long
to see him suffer. BY the time he gets
around to meet the man who is supposed
TO have some influence over the Mergen-
thaler, he has concluded that It is toe
late 20 catch those who have already read
the paper and maybe he had better say
nothing about It. Philosophy is great
thing, even for a critic. 1t buoys him VI
through many dull performance, enables
him to say many n kind word when he
feels more like saying sharp one, and
eliminates many a caustic remark from a
review. And so he has his little type
writer all nicely oiled and adjusted, with
a fresh ribbon, and is only waiting for
the man In "one" to push the button
and notify the man In the fly gallery tc
hist the rag"
Just a week remains in Omaha before the
beginning of the winter season. The
Krug starts next Sunday night, which Is
about as early as could reasonably bt
looked for. Two weeks from Monday MAY
Irwin will be at the Boyd, but her appear
ance there is not intended to signaliz'
the opening OF the season. She will b.
merely a breather. On Sunday, September
3, Miss Ethel Barrymore will begin the
regular season at the Boyd, presenting FOL
three performances, Sunday" the play II
which she made so much talk in New
York and London last season after laying
aside Cousin Kate" Miss Barrymore will
make a short tour of the west and ther
return to New York, about November !
to present the Barrie play. The date FOL
opening the Orpheum has not yet beer
definitely fixed, but is tentatively set a
either the first or second Sunday in Sep
TENDER. The Burwood will be opened al
soon as possible, but its state OF incom
'pletion prevents fixing the date for a Ger
taipty.