The San Francisco call., 1909-01-08
CLERGYMAN LIKfN[D
TO YOUNG REPORTER
Critical Acumen Displayed in
Comments Due to First
Impressions of Play
BY Walter Anthony

Robert Whitaker went TO the thea
ter last Wednesday night. Even in
these dull theatrical days the fact that
he or anyone else bought seat cou-
pom at a box Office is not of itself q
circumstance of news interest. What
makes Robert Whitaker's play patron
age noteworthy is the fact that he is
4o years old; that he had never been
| inside a theater for play purposes be-
fCIe in all his life, and that he is
Rev. Robert Whitaker of Alameda. He
Is not actively pulpiteering now, but
he is a clergyman in good standing,
and on excellent terms, it would seem,
with his conscience. A year ago he
resigned from his pastorate at the
Twenty third avenue Baptist church in
Oakland. Ill health and a desire to
travel were the reasons for his resig
nation.
He went Wednesday night to the
Van Ness theater His only dalliance
with the stage is thus with the charms
of Ben Hur." General Lew Wallace S
religious drama called him forth and
the other features which are grouped
into acts and called Ben Hur."
HAD EXPECTED TOO MUCH
He was not shocked and he was not
conscious that his immortal soul was
lights. But the show was not up to
what his untrammeled Imagination. in
spired by the pictures and the press
agents copy had conjured. He had
expected too much, but he liked the
chorus. He admits the fact freely and
iustifies my own expressed preferences
in this direction.
He is not ashamed of his pleasure at
viewing the merry, merry" which
trips gracefully into seductive scenes
and sings nightly in the last act be-
meath waving palms. But the acting
OF the principals did not please him.
Particularly the men he found stiff and
unhuman. They behaved, it would
seem, like preachers who say their say
ing. He complains at their absence of
sincerity.
LIKE YOUNG REPORTER
Having been restrained from the
theater during the 40 years of his life,
Rev. Robert Whitaker discloses a crit
ical acumen which familiarity with his
subject would only stale and make
fat. He is like the young newspaper
man whose duty, newly found, took
him into dramatic criticism.
What do you know about the
drama?" asked his stern and inquisi-
tive boss.
Not id thing replied the en-
bryonic critic frankly.
Then you have all the qualifica-
tions to make a good critic" said the
power, handing him the keys to the
critical desk.
AS the best judge of a novel is not
the man who reads every best seller" "
so the best Judge of a play may be
one who never saw show in his life.
At any rate the criticism of the play
of Ben Hur" is here set forth. 1t is
honest. of course, because it is writ
ten by a clergyman; it is frank, be-
cause it is honest, and It is interest
ing-because it is his first, but haply,
not his last.
ADVICE By THE CRITIC
Rev. Robert Whitaker. | should ad-
wise you to see, let us say, "Zaza," or
"Rosmersholm," or Paid in Full" or
melodramatic Arizona"
These are pIays-such as they are
and mot spectacles. Your opinion would
be valuable on the subject of ''The
Great Divide" but if you do go to the
theater again, remember the song-or
have you heard it at the Orpheum?- p
I'D Hate to Take Another Fellows
job" and keep that respectful distance
from the stage which the church rec
ommends as wise and which to hired
scribblers about the drama would be
regarded as safer for them.