Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-24
THREE BOOKS OF
STAGE CRITICISM
What Clayton Hamilton Writes
Has in It the Seeds Of
Long Life

The impermanence of stage critiques is
naturally akin to the elusive art or winch
they treat Not for an age, but for the
moment, does the footlght reviewer pen his
notices" Occasionally sound opinions VIII
survive the ravages Of time. Mere brll-
liancy seldom does. Thus, "Wilhelm Meis-
ter" stil contains an extremely authoritative
criticism OF Hamlet" while the shower
tinsel Of Bernard Shaw's saturday ke-
view" feuilletons has faded with the passing
years Even of those works written wlthih
the last quarter Of Il century very few nave
still substantial value The scanty list
should of course. include Augustin Filons
"rhe English Stage" Brander MatthewsS
French Dramatists" and perhaps william
Archers "Playmaking."
Edging toward this exclusive class is one
of the three new critical volumes lately
come from American publishers clayton
Hamilton's "Problems of the Playwright
inevitably reflects contemporary viewpoints
but some of it's dcta should assuredy out
live the period. Mr.. Hamilton is Co
lumbia professor, but no pedant. He writes
simply and frankly, inteligcntly and en-
Enthusiastically of the theatre as a practical
and highly enjoyable concomitant of cvili-
zation He subscribes whole-heartedly to
Henry Arthur Jones's ru ing 10 the effect
that the purpose Of the drama is. first, TO
express life. and second, TO interpret life
in terms of the theatre,
Tho stage Is no exotic TO Mr. Hamilton
He has fine catholicity of taste and can
wax rhapsodic concerning Dunsany and
Maeterlincll But in his rating, PinerO and
ft1,y NnNtN Isn1-
Shaw and the literary" cult of playwrghts
who airily profess to contemn eXtrcmcl"
useful principles of stagecraft Balanced
adjudication of values is the salient merit
OF Mr. Hamiltcr's admirable work This, of
course does not exempt him from emphatic
personal predictions. whoever has been
through the experience of discussing crlt-
cism with thorough, perfect and entire
ASS" writes Shaw himself in an inspired
moment, has been told that criticism
should. above all things. he free from per
sonal feeling" "Prohlcms of the Play
wright does not quote this fiery passage.
but the whole book IS clearly in sympathy
with the lesson implied in this hit Of
philosophical satire. Mr. Hamilton like all
good critics, has his favorte artists, The
| great name Of Pincro is as prevalent In his
pages as was reference 10 King Charles's
| head in the immortal Mr.. Dicks incom-
| pleted magnum opus.
Favorites indeed are carl Van Vechte0's
almost exclusive theme in Interpreters and
Interpretations" I'm afraid" he confosSeS,
| that I'm one of the few who take the
| production Of opera seriously. Isn't IT ely
| Of me-" However that may be, the author
| has at least the precious faculty OF making
| his subject matter interesting. He writes
! Of modem music drama informativelY and
unaffcCtedly Perhaps some Of his swans
are really geese. but his analysis of their
| art betrays none the less an agreeable en-
! thusiasm frequently Informed by what now
| seems to be god logic CalumniatinC time
may appraiSe their worth in harsher terms
| 4 discriminating Judgment on prime dOnNc
| pets and idolized male grand opera stars
| Of the day is not easy 10 voice. Mr. Van
| Nechtcn believes what he writes That
much is Gear gain
| Third in this critical trio is George Jean
| Nathans "Mr. George Jean Nathan Pre-
| sents" Meredith called the Book oF
! EFoism" the biggest book in the world"
| Nr. Nathan rcvcls in that monster tome.
! He enjoys himself so hugely that the blade
| Of denunCation IS duled THAT man.
| said Mark Twain Of Thomas Bailey Aldrich,
| would be brilliant in hell" can that be
| Mr.. Nathan's ambition? In these pages
of personal "prcsentati0n" cpGrammatic
"SmartncsS' has first place Sometimes the
| effort to sustain It is wearisome and obvi-
ously mechanical. When Mr. Nathan calls
| THE Wanderer" the gospel Of st Luke
! according to Florenz ZioGfeld he hits the
! coveted buIISeNP. l n" b9Ok mas Ittle Nalue
| as criticism. despite the authors rather
! childish efforts 10 appear crudite by mar
| shaling phalanXes of foreign p'aYwrights
| names In another season "Mr George Jean
| Nathan" will probably present altogether
| contrasting viewpoints His "brilliancy
| mania is doubtless chronic. The fireworks
! will sputter on H 7. G.
| PROBLEMS OF THE PLAYWRIGHT. by Clay.
ton Hamilton. New York: Henry Holt Co
81 60.
| ,n,.rt,u mn ,,rr,pS Avn r>-rrp TT ,rrO>-u
| by Carl van Ncchten. New York: Alfred
\. knopf $3.50
| MIR. GEORGE JEAN NATHAN PRESENTS
BY George Jean Nathan. New York: Alfred
| A. knopf $3.50.