Pictorial Shakespeare, 1880-1890 - eTheses Repository - University ...

a force for social good. Scenery is improving, and contributes
to the general education of the audience; theatres nowadays
are more comfortable and salubrious before and behind the
curtain; playwrights are being given the literary and social
recognition that is their due, and "the improved condition of
the theatre hac made the moot f- rnous literary men of the day
anxious to identify their naraor with it"^. i,irn ''endal's
assertions that the theatre has an educative power may, in
the li^ht of Aestheticism, have seemed a little old-faohioned,
but to the National Association of Social ^cience - a body
concerned as much with prescriptive as descriptive sociology
- they would hcve seemed reasonable and justt
rhoce who ;~;o to the theatre with the capability
of weeping over scenes in which honest selfsacrifice
ic depicted; of being arouced to
ant lusiasm over the succeoo of manly effort or
wonanly devotion; or of feeling genuine contempt
for the portrayal of raeannets, treachery, tuid snobbery,
will come away from a good ^luy, v/cll acted,
having learnt a lesson and gained an experience thct
will probably be remembered v.ith tidvr.nt.vso throughout
the remainder of their lives..
Such opinions were unexceptionable, but in her diagnosis of
the drone's shortcomings, ',irs Kendal :rvo offence to a number
of commentators. 3Iie objected to the oxcocoive quotation of
newspaper reviews in theatre advertising, and iind recervntionc
about the quality of much journalism:
* • *j ,nov;ai"!nyc the writing of a "icturoaque
article, replete with eulogy or the reverse,
oe-.ms to be the aim of the tuoatric'l
reviewer.
Most criticiam \\cic ineffective, and -ind no influeiico over the
public:
Too many notices ..re, it is to be fe i-od, vritten
"to order", and the writer who hc:c declined to
praise an unoucceccful actor has been ]:nov,ii to
lo.Be hi;j oct; but let us ho-ie tlicit thirj unjust
ctate of r.frrdrs, together with the "chic^on ancl
ciu^n-o-v^Tic" of ./liich v^e h^ve heard uo i.iuch, ic a
thing of the past.^
,,Chi c!:en and chainpc.^ie« was a reference to tho eontrovercy
aroused by /owbruy ..'iorris's book, in 18'J2.