The Washington times., 1908-02-02

~ FANATIC critics throughout
the country are in a state Of
PANEL One. Harris Merton
Lyon advocates the destruC-
ton OF the whole tribe OF pickering
Taconteurs."
Mr. Lyon. under the title. Are
Dramatic Critics Worth While?" con-
tributes an article 20 the current num-
Der Of the New Broadway Magazine in
which he says that so much has been
said recently by the dramatic critic
about the decline Of the modern drama
that a most important adjunct 10 this
lamentable falling of has. in the gen
eraI cIamor. been hitherto overlooked
namely. the decline of the dramatic
critic himself.
Mr. Lyons article is the latest of a
series Of attacks that have appeared
against the press reviews of plays since
the present season was ushered I'm by
a series OF miserab failures. failures
which evinced either a lamenta0le lack
Of perspicacity on the part OF the pro-
Gucers or an Overestimation as TO
lengths 10 which the public would 20
in patronizing vicious or hopelessly dull
plays.
Mr.. Lyons explanation for his ad-
vocacy Ct the defamation OF the critical
ranks is outlined as follows:
The main trouble seems To be that
the dramatic critics on the daily papers
are doing-or attempting TO do-a class
or work which should not appear in the
dailies. Analytical discourses upon the
drama should he published in the more
reflective weekly or in the mature and
"a nj
In the daily newspaper as a rule, mere
" the news or story Of play should
suffice. together with an estimate of the
popular opinion OF the performance.
To perform successfully his function
on the newspaper a critic has but one
simple duty: 10 wit. 10 tell the people in
advance what the people themselves, were
they first-night spectators. would think
about a given show, story and all That
is the simple sum total of his duty as
he is desired TO fulfil it by the great
mass Of people who purchase his paper
A drama, treated thus, becomes as
plainly ineligible an affair as murder
trial
The task i'm hand is merely TO give
the general public an idea Of what The
play is about and Of what the general
public, attending later, is going 10 think
concerning it, This task IS not per
formed by the present-day newspaper
critics: and the reason It is not is be
cause these gentlemen justly lay claim
10 being Intellectual. Being Intellectual,
they are well-nigh useless 10 their
public. a man OF this class is really
ulaced in a false position and. he works
a hardship upon both himself and mis-
readers Pulled both ways by pleasures
OF Intellectual Indulgence and plain re
porting. he continually goes of on a
tangent. He is fnsincere with his pub
lie: his public IS insincere with him
and between the two the actor unjustly
suffers"
Mr.. Lyons proposition resolves itself
into a plea for a ''hands-off' attitude
IN order that the noxious and the worthy
should be allowed to exist side by side
and the theatergoer oe none the wiser
until his money has been spent. He
would advocate dlscursive and exhaust
I've reviews in the monthly magazines
where these analyses seldom meet the
eve OF the average theatergoer-
BY Mr.. Lyons own plea for the drama
he degrades it 10 the level OF the "mur-
der story"
The Judgment Of dramatic critics. as
OF individuals, rests, Of course with
the reading public. The individuals
must be condemned OF accepted. as the