Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-12
RY w. HERBERT BLAKE


LOCAL writer who frequently
"a tells disagreeable truths in a
IA most agreeable manner has aimed
a shining lance at my friends in the
gallery. With scornful urbanity he
ridicules the idea that the high brows
roost high In the theatrical coop. lie
derides the popular faith i'm gallery
gods with the superior rationalism or
a Roman stole As ovid dared the
Olympian thunderbolt, this merry mod
ern braves the multitude. He Is as
calluus to the casual hiss as any lead
ing man to dramatic criticism.
Now the great crowd in the gallery
or on the street has this immense adj
vantage over those of US VINO occd-
sionally differ with its way OF DehaN-
ing; we must make our peace WIN lts
preiudices and read Alright the truth
that is I'm them; but the public is under
no such obligation to the writer. If ne
surrenders To its whims of the moment
il accepts his Capitulation calmly anu
ceases to pay any further serious az
tention to him If he Whets ms plaue
and battles with its deluslons IL goou-
naturedly gets out of his way Inc
tastes and dogmas of the gallery may
annoy and distress me- ! may pe as
irritated al the follies of the mon as
was Moses or NietZsche. BUT the gar
lery and the moh like the poor, we
have always with us. IL may aillp t,n,.
US as an outrage but II Is o'e'''''
impressive and appalling fact; -,
A writer may rave as muCh as nc
nleases over the madness Of manklhu'
Perhaps he ought to rave frouapIS
Il nroyes that at heart he is man
who Wills to share the frenzfes ana tle
follies as well as the placid sahltles o.
the human family. But ms u is..,iie
relatives in the gallery of the universe
40 NOT in the least share his passion
Co. reconciliation. They may not care
for his friendship or for his disgust
irhev may be as gloriously Isolated as
the liked stars in the armament
The mountain may be 700 IluN' co..
arietocrat TO care for Mahomet. But
go. NIobomet since time began has
bod an Unsuitable desire to turn the
,,a,,rtotn into crater. the arlsto-
crat and the nihilst are at one IN TINS
mat they both at heart desplSe tue
masses of men for ignoring theln w - 80,
a critic sets out to upbrald men iol
their sins he should become a casuls''
7 suenect that this is what the Sehtle-
MN who berated the gallery intended
IL uas aiming at certain folbles III
,ionl,ind The gallery was but syIn-
hoI nv making us det' st and a9hol
the gallery he unconsclously Cuicu uo
of the gallery habit of mind WnctheL
he has depopulated the balconies OF our
warehouses; we must wait III J"
patience to determine. ,N
,rhe gallery is a phenomenon Wnlch
NAV well provoke the scientlhc cuTios-
a., of anv constant theaterSoer IloM
fascinating a pursuit it is, as some uull
and SIMPLIFYING play IS holuihg tio
boards. to forget the mimic ana Ieepie
str,ogie of the stage and turn studl-
o',e Owe upon the greater battle WaSins
~ Tho audience. For a play is a war
- alone behind the biVouac or the
tootliphts. hut i'm the dark and mysterl-
-. wilderness where the masses or the
soIdiery sit encamped. An audience IN
deed is a civil war, CONNECT petNeelI
tribes Of ideas and passions and RANCHES
which wear for the moment the peaut-
f,I uniform of human flesh. At each
aiinax of the action a citadel is hcld OF
lost i'm each of us who sit in the silent
VOWS of orchestra or balcony. we ply
The lance or WELD the shield at each
ADVANCE or repulse. And now ana thell;
&C Inv the impetus of some spiritual
Command we ioin i'm the human an
them of victory, the applause which is
&c tbe thunder of innumerable cannon
and the hiss which is the defant pugle
of an army which knows not the mean
ing of surrender -.
Or we may think of the drama OF
the audience as a maShihcenl comfy az,
versv between shadoWy opponents dls-
o,,ised in frocl< coats and chamols SKIN
hats and quaint white cylinders or
white at throat and wrist. 1t is a con-
troversv not of reason, but of temper
ament. as are so many wordy battles
Tn the front orchestra seats sit those
homeless rationalists, the critics, and
those hopeful emotionalists who go to
soc q good show. Farther back is the
enthusiast for some cause or vision
Who looks to the play for inspiration
and cheer along his lonely pathway
Here and there sits poet who be-
iieves in truth and matinee idols for
their own dear sake. The hearts OF
tbe daughters of Eve beat expectantly
~ rhvthm with the clank of mail and
The swish of silk skirts; they at least
arc artists-the invincible critics of the
leading woman's gowns and the ham
mo cravats of the leading man. Sci
nnfists and techncians are here seek
Inc The battling clew to success in the
ne oerplexing of the arts. Beside
them perhaps, sit the only race OF
mvstics in whose spirit we may laugh
NJ the strange logic of the world-the
children. A. 41o,, &, +ha
,,1ixnown country the FL Dorado of
Sen,ocracy. the enigma of the artist,