Evening star., 1951-07-29
The Posing Show
It's All orNothing
90 Often in Drama
But the HoH-Good Play Is Hard
Also on Critics Who Soy So
The Passing Show
By Joy Cormody
Walter Kerr is provocative man

waiter Kerr is provocative man
Kerr who sabbatica wear from teaching .t Catholic
er for anG from paywritng for Broadway
other direction drama criticism to paywrtng SHAW " o
play production Brock Pemberton). ~
magazine critic brings special viewpoint to his new VOCATION
me- ne o0 not think quite like the daily newspaper critic harred
cnasng headlines and dispensing judgments In such
ne can only hope they will be useful to the
Kerr has time recently he brooded provoca
On ne subject that of the sadder ills that it
much too much BY this he means that
en tne critics nod amatvely production it sells
a nops Frequently the flop the of the
magazine critic. ~ ~ GO "eeAA'
No Room for the HoIf-Hit
Thus in empty secondnight houses dozen excel
lencesa performance spot writing direction
erewhch lost to the world because there
nater Tor half hit rs cent play anything but the
AS former university high
passing grade 1t would be disagree him.
NO drama critic wants this and few response
position be- he bames potential black
reading of review Or the producer for not putting
failed to get rhapsodc notices the critic
having tried to make up ucidly as possible
Motvated by at least normal desire to fair and
uncomfortable number of hours every week
In seven-day period which review three
plays move reviewing is less morally painful job somehow
critic given considerable opportunity brood
complaint against criticism
There was for example, olneys play. Border Be
Damned by Vincent Carroll and Eddie Downg Opening nights
performance typical of weary PLAYERS
VINO had no notion where laughs would story would
unfold precisely how character defined its rela
on 70 the Others how lines what their
Stondords Are Lower in Summer
Summer heaer like winter theate respect
rehearsal including
exacting of the customers.
How, then, evauate by such reputable
intelligent humans Carroll and Dowlng? Especially play
bound for Broadway? This reviewer had himself
sought reading comedy
but the script had been changed at least important
Promising" highest rating poorly timed hesiant
and vaguely defined first performance could inspire it had
be qualified by number of detailed judgments including the
that the star himself had not found the central character of
play Nevertheless Border Be Damned" not without its
IN spite OF its defects yet gave the reviewer small reason
TO believe that his work
Torrance itself
Another review that left this department unsatised
was that OF Msaance the play Uni
versy This Bernard Shaw comedy good play
widely known in both the heater classroom as one of its
authors most verbose Intellectually Moreover
is considerably beyond the skill much
less those OF even the best university caiber
Shaw at Worst Con Be Fun
All these flaws conspicuous in Msaiance but they did
completely destroy the enjoyment Of seeing
Nevertheless dwelt this point would
to recommend bad play ineXpertly played.
The exception the rule qualified approval outright
dsappoval the weeks plays is Arena Stages
OF Being Earnest 1t does not with the John Gielgud
production OF several but since few
were position to make the the critic felt let off
But Walter Kerr uncomfortable
that it has to be such black-or-whe business.