The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-18
WHEN CRITICS DISAGREE
THE PUBLIC WILL DECIDE-AS
Ut OUGHT ALWAYS.
"CymbeIlne.'' ''Ptppa Passes" The Great
Divide" and Aha Nazimova as storm
Centres Of opinion The Dramatic
Critic rs Theatre Cash REGISTER.

Centres Of Opinion The Dramatic
Critic rs Theatre Cash ReEister.
The Literary Digest is very much worried
because the dra., ATTIC critics OF the me-
tropolis hold widely divergent opinions OF
he val,ie of certain current productions.
notably Miss Viola Aliens "~Cymbeline.'
Il says: The reader cannot escape the con-
clusion that either the Shakesperian ira
dition is on the decline in our theatre ca
tina the function Of he critics is to blur
the facts" II il a delicate question for a
dramatic reporter to tackle. but there Is
s~saving signpost in that facts.
What are the facts with regard to a new
play or performance? AT a certain theatre
n certain play is produced with such sub
ject and such scenes. and in 1t appear such
and such actors. Three OF the -four re-
portorial ~W's"-where, when. who and
what-can be covered in a single sentence.
The fourth is at best the matter Of a para
graph or two. Something can be recorded
aIso as TO the reception given to IL all by
the audience--though as the theatre 10 sure
TO be packed with friends more or less adept
at Stimulating genuine applause there are
pitfalls here for the warieet. when IL
comes to the quality Of the play and the
L1lS IL VIM tuC bucnbtCSoihS
public wants to know about-the question
IL not Of fact, but Of opinion. Th report
OF the facts blends and is one with the inn
preston produced on the individual re-
porter. @One rs apt to be reminded" the
Dicsst continues. "of the old saying that no
two spectators Of the same scene see the
same thing But the digest is not apt at
realizing that for this very reason critics
are at liberty TO disagree.
The nature and extent OF their disagree
inent, in point Of fact, is one of the best
indexes to their ability and honesty. Being
Of necessity q record of personal impress
sion. criticism is inevitably a matter OF self
axpression-a creative art, though a minor
one. And when any body of creators,
from potters to poet, SEQ their material with
but a single eye. convention reigns and art
is dead. If the Shakespeariln tradition
ts a thing that puts in the hands Of all men
the same yardstick. then the quicker its
decline the better. and the speedier IL is
run into the ground. No fact speaks more
aloquentlv Of the CT Ideness of current CON-
ceptions OF the drama than that there Is
occasion 10 insist on so obvious a truism.
Though a minor creative art. moreover,
criticism is one Of the most difficult. The
TTOuDle Il Ih9L lHrINiy lid w hdlidkctb VA
pect the press 70 work in cahoots with them.
Henry Miller produces that jaded palfrey
Of the playhouse Camille" with a Mar
oVsrite Govtier who is negatively good.
and new stage business that is positively
bad; and when he is severely dealt with he
mrunts his stage to pronounce a philipoic
against the poor reporter, and for a spell
sulks like Achilles in his tent. By and by
IT, T-..S n.-sI,1 '. I'D .uhAn
the plav and his performance are acclaimed
he writes an article to say; Great are the
critics When his "Pippa Passes is charac-
terized as undramatic, no doubt the critics
are again black hearted, and when half
the critics pronounce the HeddG GdbIer OF
Nine. Ala NaIimova an acme e nent Of
the highest art, while the other half call il
a dreary and affected mis- conception. they
are as streaked with black and white as
Jacobs calv es. This is no hardship-only
a J art of the hr pan coined.
The real difficulty is that the ~playgoer
expects one to be a sort Of human cash
register to ring up the precise amount Of
value received, an animated weigher and
gauger 10 tell him explicitly whether the
new piece is worth his own very particular
two dollar bill, or only one ninety-nine.
A1Ab BdPNA bNAC ilii Nhdk Nv ~ 10
amusing, and. 10. he is bored. Anathema
praises "Everyman' as a tragedy of
death, an admirable Lenten matinee to those
r~eligiously inclined; and all during the per-
formance-being on u Lenten swear OF and
debarred from spiritual aid in the entr'actes
his only diversion is betting with his COM
rade as to which Of the statuelike Beef
caters on either side of the stage will move
first. Maranatha! he sends the theatrical
reporter a hill for his seat and the bets he
has lost. Even when the critics are unani-
nous. as in the case OF The Great Divide
there is still a comeback from the public.
The Princess is nightly jammed TO the
doors, but one out of every three in the
audience issues forth To claim damages
from those who misled him into going there.
The reporter holds tight to his wad; but
the case is none the less distressing, for in
spite of the fact that he has only his own
appreciations TO work upon he is none the
less a reporter primarily. His report is
hastily written and more hastily read. Let
any one try il who thinks il an easy task to
make a true record of the effect aimed at and
achieved by author and actors, and at the
same time tell every reader what will be
his own personal impression.
II is, of course. an impossible task. and
It is Well that it Is 50. 1t Is convenient TO
have others do you thinking for you.
but il ia deadly TO everything that makes
the theatre worth while. 1t is very painful
20 be disappointed in the return for 81
and an evening, but the catastrophe is
mentally stimulating. II. there were no
difference Of opinion, Pudd 'nhead Wilson
was moved 10 remark, there would he no
horse racing. Whether critics agree or
disagree, each man has 10 decide for him
s-lf. and in the int IL ctual throes OF such a
Il cision It's not only tn b. ST adve rtisemept
for thu Manager but also thu best state OF
the public mind Tor any art, and the only
one in which II can thrive.
The two chief eve nts OF the last week
have been fruitful in diss nsion. True,
th- critics mainly agpGd in finding "Pippa
Passes" tediously undramatic, but various
voices of protect AVE been hea I'd. One
proclaimed Browninyite calls the Bishop a
cardinal, describes his black robe as scarlet
and allows that the result Of PipDq's lyric
mt ssages Of spiritual JOY and eNaltntion
vas to prscipitate a series OF cataEtrnphies: