Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-18

press every one else that ones time has
not been wasted.
We Americans have such a fearful
fright about wasting time. as if time
were q commodity which could be
wasted
Even the poor bees and ants have
been dragged from their dens to act as
illustrious examples to boys suffering
from degeneracy of the thyroid glands,
children called lazy" for no good rea-
son except that medical attention has
been lacking to them.
Time is not commodity, to be vast
ed or utilized, but merely the medium
in which we exist Time has no real
existence; it cannot be wasted or used.
The fret of a parent over his child S
wasting time" must seem ridiculous to
the stars, or to the puppy dog on the
hearth, or the cat singing on the back
fence.
X 4 X X
The play has come to be one of the
best ways for most of us to show others
that we are educated" in the prevail
ing way
No sooner do we sit down than we
begin to marshal our knowledge of sim
liar shows and characters, TO make COM
parsons and to take sides for or against
the characters on the stage.
If we have certain ideas of morality
we abhor any difference and brand this
character or that as one we like or do
not like.
What we should do is to view them
calmly for what they are, and decide, if
We must think (Which Is not recommend
ed, whether or not they are true to
the actions and speeches OF such human
beings.
Perhaps it should be stated at this
point that We neither advocate immo-
rality nor the presentation of immoral
characters in the drama. Our personal
opinion is that that sort of thing has
been grossly overdone on the stage, es-
pecially on the screen.
The idea here is, not that one should
form no judgment, but that he prefer
ably should not form it during the
course of the play, and that when
formed it should not be of such a ma
ture as to penalize either the playwright
or the actors.
In other words, it is necessary that a
playgoer keep his judgments in thought
tight compartments, in order that they
shall not interfere with his enjoyment
of the play.
The same thing holds true in life. If
one is to get the most out of his fellow
human beings in an artistic way, by way
of the picturesque, the human side, it is
essential that he be not deferred from
seeking by some petty mannerism which
tends to distract his attention.
great many persons permit small
peculiaritieS in others to so far throw
them off their mental balances that
they will see nothing else in the subject.
This is a sad mistake in life and a
sadder at the theater, because life con-
tinues and most people hope it will
continue for them as long as possible,
during which time they may have a
chance to rectify i'll judgments, but a
play is thing of few hours and one
seldom goes again, one seldom gives the
players another chance.
What we take away rom a play de-
ponds, therefore, not only on the words
and actions of the players, as deter
mined by the mind of the writer, but
almost as much by our determination
to play fair by both and to attempt to
see what they tried to put on the stage
We realize that this is an elementary
idea in criticism, but one so commonly
overlooked, especially by "talkie" adj
vocates, that it needs restating from
time to time.