The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-01
J. |. G. Clarke. Because of Recent
Dramatic Critics, Thoroughly Anal
ton as 1t Exists To-day

No one. so far That is why the the
atre Is such an exciting game. You
may have all the court cards, and the
absence of miserable deuce may lar
the whole structure Of your house OF
cards.
Not that criticism has been wanting
in preparing a play. The author must
be. should be. his severost critic, for i'm
proportion az he detects the absence
of the mechanical essentials to success
Will he approach one side OF perfection
the negative side--well knowing how
ever that he must have the positive
Inspiration ana force which charac-
terize all true drama. He thinks he has
them. and then the manager takes a
hand. lie in turn is satisfied that he
has them. and stakes his money on his
judgment. He thinks. possibly, there
should be some alteration. some con-
cession To this or that prejudice or
prediction on the part OF the paying
public. Then come an array OF critics
in the theatre, all with their hints for
betterments. pennings. curvings, en-
phasizng-stage manager, scene painter
light man. costumer. property man,
what not.
a very determined, painstaking. often
highly skilled and generally costly ef-
fort has been made. From the toiling
author, thrilled with hope and torn with
anxiety. and the ma mayer. who has given
sleepless nights and hard cash. on down
the line, 1t has been struggle for per-
lection. The actors have worked hard.
hoping. wondering whether they are
facing a long run or a short notice"
Here Is something calling for grave
and honest treatment. To say, then,
that group Of men each charged with
the double duty OF telling what the au-
dience as a whole. and he as an expert,
think OF the acted play should decide
in advance how It shall be written
about for the reading public next day
is to make the gravest possible charge.
Personal knowledge would lead me to
say that il was untrue OF the critics
Of the important morning papers OF
New York. and it really seems that Mr..
Klaw should be more specific An old
myth held that the critics OF thirty
years ago used to meet after the play
and agree what should be done to 1t.
l wrote dramatic criticism for years
at that period. and knew the charge to
be false. The opposite was truer,
namely that on first nights the critics
avoided each other. There were two
reasons for this; one that conscien-
tious writer did not want to be infiu-
enced by the opinions OF another, and
second that whatever knowledge or
fresh information he had he wanted to
keep to himself do not wish to name
men any more than Mr. I<1aw. but 1t
seems to me that, for the chief papers,
criticisms are better written as rule
than they were in the good old time"
as honestly and as fairly too. and with
better information. Faulty method. i'm
proper manner. are other matters, but
improper collision after the play or
conspiracy in advance, It would surprise
me IL either existed. What one must
face with such charge Is that II deals
with men who, for a consideration, do
this improper thing.
Looking further into the charge. one
nav say that no selection OF critics by
tho managers of papers can guard
a painst the influencing Of the writer's
Individually in such a way as to cloud
their Judgment. One man. let us say.
can be bought II so, he is bought by
a manager whose plays will always he
nuffed and the plays Of whose rivals
niIi always be "given the edge Of the
| kn,se" Such a man Is not hard to To-
cate: his method soon becomes obvious
do not believe he Is numerous In New
York to-day on any or the papers
cro,t or small. morning or evening.
| Another type almost reaches the same
end out OF personal like or dislike with
nothing consciously corrupt ABOUT H.
only a dulled conscience. still another