staging of the play was beneath
criticism and the acting of it, with one or two exceptions,
scandalous.

The reviewer of one of the most estimable dailies for two whole days
rambled on in a special supplement about the history of the theater
in France and about German actors, he discussed theatrical novelties
and after every two paragraphs or so would remark in parenthesis: "I
saw him at the Odeon," "I heard this at the Burg Theater" "I admired
such acting in London," etc. Then he adduced various theatrical
anecdotes, praised actors who had died half a century ago, harked
back to the past of the stage, spoke in several paragraphs about the
red rags of radicalism that had begun to appear on the stage,
praised with paternal indulgence the actors appearing in The Churls,
flattered Cabinski and wound up by saying that he would probably
give his opinion of the play itself only after the author had
written another one, for this one was merely to be forgiven a
novice.

A third reviewer contended that the play was not at all bad and
would even be excellent, if the author had chosen to honor
theatrical traditions and added music and dances to it.

A fourth took a diametrically opposite viewpoint, maintaining that
the play was positively worthless, that it was rubbish, but that the
author possessed at least the one merit that he had avoided the cut
and dried formulas by failing to introduce the usual songs and
dances which always lower the value of folk plays.

In the fifth review a "specialist" on garden-theaters wrote about a
hundred paragraphs somewhat to this effect: "The Churls by Mr.
Glogowski hm! . . . not a bad thing . . . it would even be entirely
good . . . but . . . although, considering again . . . at any
rate . . . one must have the courage to tell the truth. . . . At all
events . . . be that as it may . . . (with a little qualifying
phrase) the author has a talent. The play is . . . hm . . . let us
see, how can we define it? About two months ago I wrote something
about it, so I refer those that are interested to my former
article. . . . They played it excellently," and he enumerated the
entire cast, placing beside the name of each actress a sugary
epithet, and an ingratiating remark, a polite description, a
melancholy equivocation and an empty phrase.

"What do you call all that?" inquired Janina.

"A libretto for an operetta. Entitle it Theatrical Criticisms and
set it to music and you will have such a sh