Life, 1893-06-01 · page 12 of 16
Life — June 1, 1893 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Satire: Contemporary Theater Criticism This page satirizes New York newspapers' dramatic criticism as biased and self-serving rather than honest. **"Unworthy 1492"**: Life defends the burlesque play *1492* against harsh criticism from James Gordon Bennett's *Evening Telegram*, arguing the paper devoted serious critical space to a deliberately frivolous production while praising lighter works elsewhere—exposing inconsistent standards. **"Gambol" critique**: Similarly, Life criticizes the *New York Sun's* theater reviewer for attacking a Lambs Club performance with apparent personal malice, then using the attack to promote a newly established dramatic school—suggesting corrupt motives behind ostensibly serious criticism. **The cartoons**: "The Intercollegiate Feeling" mocks Princeton-Yale rivalry through an awkward social encounter; "And They Parted" depicts class-conscious melodrama with dialect humor. **Overall point**: Life argues New York dailies abuse their authority as dramatic arbiters through favoritism, personal spite, and hidden agendas rather than objective assessment.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Sth tI ERAS . / RSS CONTEMPORANEOUS CRITICISM, IFE is always glad to recognize honesty and intelligence wherever it sees it. The follow- ing is from a recent issue of Mr. James Gordon Bennet's Evening Telegram. UNWORTHY 1492. * An imposition upon the theat titled '1492' was foisted at Palmer by the direction of E. E. Rice. * Surprise party” ‘oing public, en- Theatre last night The properly called unworthy serious criticism. “ Serious criticism’ of a production which claims to be only a burlesque may be uncalled for, but if we mistake not the Ze/egram has devoted much of its valuable space to other burlesques and light operas far less merry and musical than “1492.” — LIFE was not alone in giving this production a high place among those of its class, | Vy and the public seems to have thoroughly endorsed its judgment. the Zelegram ? AND THEY PARTED. He: le THE DEVOTION OF A LIFE-TIME— She: Sav No mone. I KIN NEVER BE YouR'N. [AM A SIMPLE DuFFY AN' YOU ARE A De-HOVENDEN, THE WORLD 1S CENSORIOUS AN’ WOULD SAY I MARRIED ABOVE MY STATION ; GO! | KIN RESPECK YOU AS A BROTHER, THAT IS ALL! What is the matter with Haven't the “ 1492" people properly “ seen" its business department ? . * . JA NOTHER instance of the way New York's daily newspapers achieve their high position as dramatic authorities was presented in the notices of the recent public ‘! Gambol” given by the Lambs Club printed in the New THE INTERCOLLEGIATE FEELING. ** FROM PRINCETON ?” “No, stk. FROM Yate.” “OH, 1 BEG YOUR PARDON SINCERELY.” York Sun, Its theatrical man vented a large amount of what seemed very like personal spite on a performance which was in no way heralded as aspiring to great dramatic merit. Its title was quite sufficient warning to the general public of the character of the performance, but the Sw man, in one of his articles, insisted that the “ buffoonery " was disgraceful, and uses another attack on the performance and those engaged in it, to introduce a puff of a recently established dramatic school. As we said, L1FE admires honest and able criticism even if it be severe, but in the New York dailies its place is very largely usurped by personal malice or favoritism. * * . ELLAR, the magician, is now occupying Daly's Theatre with an exhibition of the peculiar talent possessed by himself and his wife. In the domain of mechanical prestidigitation he is superior to any one now before the public. The exhibition of mind-reading is excellent and contrived to set at defiance all the ordinary theories. Metcalfe. comicbooks.com