Critics And Managers

Mr. Charles Wyndham has explained that his coutempt for the press is not, like Mr. Penley's, absolute, but refera only to Christmastide criticisms. He holds, in short, that the critica are "but mad nor'-nor'west. When the wind is sontherly, they know a hawk from a heronshaw. " The truth is that some actor managers are snperstitious in their reverence for the press so long as it prophecies smooth things for them. A critic the other day got into correspondence with a manager who thought he had slighted one of his productions. By way of conclusivo testimony to its merits the manager sent him a paragraph emanating from au obscure press agency, to the effect that "if there is one thing in the world the lessee of this theater understands it is the histrionic tastesof theEnglish people. " This ■was of course most gratifying, but the beauty of it was that the writer of the paragraph evidently had not and did not profess to have seen the play, and had sent the paragraph to the manager with a demand for a cotipleof seats "so as to give further particulars in our next. " Such is the fiattering unction which soiüe managers lay to their souls.