Theplayingofgames, certainly, isathingwhichisnotworthdoingwell.
Butthatdoesnotprovethatitisnotworthdoingatall, astheproverbwould, byimplication, , —whichobservationistrite, buttheruleitimpliesisseldomobserved, ? Whyshouldweexpecttobegivenpointsunlessitbethatwewishtowinbymeansotherthanourownskill?
“Ah! but,”myreadermaysay,“theweakerplayerwantstoreceivepointsinorderthathemaygivethestrongeroneabettergame.”Really, , sometimes, astrongandvaingloriousplayermaywishtogivepoints, , Isuspect, wasgiventometheotherdaybythesecretaryofalawn-tennistournament, inwhichIplayed.“Whyallthisnonsenseofhandicaps? Whynotletusbesquarelybeaten, anddonewithit?”Iaskedhim.“Because,”Hereplied,“ifwedidnotgivehandicaps, noneofthelessgoodplayerswouldenter.”Isthatnotaconfessionthatthemajorityofushavebothrealizedthetruevaluedoingatrivialthingbadly, foritsownsake, andmustneedshaveourmindsbuoyedandcheatedintoafalsesenseofexcellence?
, oddlyenough, weacceptfreelyofsomethings—butnotofothers—, atitsbest, canbeagreatart, athingworthdoingsupremelywell, thoughitsworth, likethatofallinterpretativearts, , andthethingthattheactorcreate—forwhatwecallaninterpretativeartistisreallyacreativeartistworkinginaperishablemedium—isanimpressionupon, anemotionorathoughtarousedin, themindsofanaudience, andisincapableofrecord.
Acting, then, letmepostulate—thoughIhaveonlysketchedeversobrieflytheproofofmybelief—? Notabitofit! Andquiterightlynot, foractingisoneofthethingsaboutwhichIamwritingthisessay—thethingsthatareworthdoingbadly.
