The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-01

- VI view ICIh, iuOu6H
not quite unknown. Is the man who
shades his favor and disfavor with the
rise and fall OF the theatrical advcrtis-
ing. He is more Of butcher than
critic. and T, q ishes loose opinions in
poor English ,.nd bromide phrases. and
counts for little.
We come. therefore. to the matter OF
the criticisms themselves. which Is,
after all, the meat OF the matter
II would be rarely prcsumptious to
tell the critics how they should write
particularly by one who hopes to have
them write about him some time or
other. The stronger the writer and the
weightier his opinions, the lillelier he is
TO develop IA distinctive individual way
of putting them down. The New York
critic most accentuatcd in this way
puts heavy varnish of grim humor
over his work that amused his readers.
pleased his employers and held the
men and women of the stage--maragers,
authors. actors-in terror. He became
the father OF school OF critics all
over the country, and their flppancy.
mmaturity. cheap cynicism and gross
vulgari;y remain a blot on the news
papers. They do not swing his axe;
their gestures OF slaughter alone rescm-
bic his lie pierced many bubbles tina.
deserved to be burst, and he knew and
said fearlessly what ne thought. Like
Sir Fretful men who said they did not
read the fellow" when he wrote about
themselves were known to quote him
with relish when he wrote OF others
for there Is STILL even among dramatic
authors. some who enjoy just a little
the misfortunes Of their best friend. He
helped materially to drive further into
the wilds the old jumpy melodrama, and
his spotting of the unfortunate heroines
who appeared in the last act in black
dresses with white cufYs--neatness and
penitence was almost as good as
Sherids,i's eXcruCiating Enter TIL
BURMA, stark mad in white satin, and
her confidante, stark mad, in white
linen" Time has mellowed this critic.
Perhaps his formula, which served his
turn. has lost its terrors from constant
Use. The actors did not die OF it. but
certainly his ancient tendency to hui
morous dramatic homicide IL much mod.
Grated.
Alexander Dumas Ais. who had more
notable successes in proportion to his
plays produced than almost any other
author OF his time. IL amiable on the
whole to his critics. as he well might
have been. In one OF his prefaces. how
ever. he says:
~ have seen certain critics. full of
talent and conscience. lay their fingers
with certainty on the defective spot and
state that the work sounded hollow in
such or such IA place: but have never
seen a single one tell how the matter
should he mended. They did not know:
they conld not know. II they did know
they would write dramas and comedies
instead Of judging ours and they would
find more pleasure. profit and renown
in doing It,"
A little superior, don't you think?
But 1t is true enough. II Is the critics
business to judge what is put before
him. Let him know his business, and
do 1t we'll
Perhaps the greatest difficulty of the
critic n to adjust his viewpoint to
changing conditions in plays or authors
A writer OF hot melodramas who sud
denly presented a play Of real life. mod
ern In type and excellent in quality,
1.-THE Strange Woman" suffered for his
temerity. II survived. however. Vic
tor Herbert's Madeleine" had SINH
lar i'll fortune at the hands of the musi-
cal critics. He had written, and keeps
writing, SO many musical comedies that
1t was too daring altogether to make
grand opera OF one act piece. He
thinks that patriotism should have come
a little to his aid with the critics. Well
1t should have. But the critics will tell
him that like Roosevelt's spear that
knows no brother" art has NO country.