New York
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
1914
Now here are twenty criticks ... and yet every one is a critick afterhis own way; that is, such a play is best because I like it. A veryfamiliar argument, methinks, to prove the excellence of a play, and towhich an author would be very unwilling to appeal for his success.
—From Farquhar's A Discourse Upon Comedy.
Copyright, 1914by THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
Set up and Electrotyped. Published November, 1914
THE MACMILLANCOMPANY
NEW YORK—BOSTON—CHICAGO
DALLAS—ATLANTA—SAN FRANCISCO
MACMILLAN & CO., Limited
LONDON—BOMBAY—CALCUTTA
MELBOURNE
THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, Ltd.
TORONTO
Preface
Chapter: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI
Notes
THIS book is aimed squarely at the theater-goer. It hopes to offer aconcise general treatment upon the use of the theater, so that theperson in the seat may get the most for his money; may choose hisentertainment wisely, avoid that which is not worth while, andappreciate the values artistic and intellectual of what he is seeing andhearing.
This purpose should be borne in mind, in reading the book, for while Itrust the critic and the playwright may find the discussion not withoutinterest and sane in principle, the desire is primarily to put into thehands of the many who attend the playhouse a manual that will provehelpful and, so far as it goes, be an influence toward creating in thiscountry that body of alert theater auditors without which good dramawill not flourish. The obligation of the theater-goer to insist on soundplays is one too long overlooked; and just in so far as he does insistin ever-growing numbers upon drama that has technical skill, literaryquality and interpretive insight into life, will that better theatercome which must be the hope of all who realize the great social andeducative powers of the playhouse. The words of that veteranactor-manager and playwright of the past, Colley Cibber, are appositehere: "It is not to the actor therefore, but to the vitiated and lowtaste of the spectator, that the corruptions of the stage (of what kindsoever) have been owing. If the publick, by whom they must live, hadspirit enough to discountenance and declare against all the trash andfopperies they have been so frequently fond of, both the actors and theauthors, to the best of their power, must naturally have served theirdaily table with sound and wholesome diet." And again he remarks: "Foras their hearers are, so will actors be; worse or better, as the falseor true taste applauds or discommends them. Hence only can our theatersimprove, or must degenerate." Not for a moment is it implied that thisbook, or any book of the kind, can make playwrights. Playwrights as wellas actors are born, not made—at least, in the sense that seeing lifedramaticall