er
the individual spectator who has witnessed an amateur performance of a
piece will be anxious to see how it really acts or determine never to
suffer from it again. Perhaps it is rather cheap to scoff at the amateur
performances, some of which, no doubt, are excellent.

Moreover, it cannot be doubted that in a good many cases the amateur
stage provides recruits for _the_ profession, and some of our most
popular players--like Mr Shrubb and other famous runners--have begun
their careers by merely striving for "the fun of the thing." Probably
many who now stroll the Strand or haunt "Poverty Corner" fruitlessly,
were induced to embark upon their vain career by the polite plaudits of
amiable friends whose judgments were worthless even when honest. Perhaps
some of them, or of their friends, begin to believe that Mr Zangwill was
not quite untruthful in his phrase that "players are only men and
women--spoilt," which, of course, he did not intend to be of universal
application.

Still, it can hardly be denied that "G.B.S." was needlessly severe. The
amateur actors do very little harm and cause a great deal of innocent
amusement which outweighs the harm. It may be that, except in dealing
with serious plays, there is an unfair proportion of amusement on the
farther side of the footlights, but it must be recollected that the
performers have many trials and annoyances, and often make severe
sacrifices--of friendships.

If the authors of established reputation seem too greedy the clubs have
an easy remedy. At the present moment the cry of the unacted is
unusually bitter and loud. Why, then, should not these associations,
able as some are to give performances that are at least adequate if not
exactly brilliant, save as regards a few individual players, assist the
drama by giving a chance to the unacted of seeing their works on the
stage? In many cases plays now rejected by managers because they have an
instinctive feeling that there is some flaw which defies precise
indication might, after such a production, be corrected and rendered
acceptable and valuable.

Cant about Shakespeare

In a criticism upon the new Lyceum revival of _Hamlet_ there was a
sentence which impressed me greatly. It appeared in a morning paper of
prodigious circulation, and was in these words: "Mr Matheson Lang's
Hamlet ... is what may be called a popular one, and likely to be
extremely popular. And this is well, for 'tis better to see Shakespeare
in an