Our Stage and Its Critics By "E.F.S." of "The Westminster Gazette"

"Our Stage and Its Critics" by Edward Fordham Spence is a compilation of writings from the early 1900s exploring British theatre. It presents the state of dramatic arts, looking into the jobs of theatre reviewers and the tricky parts of putting on plays in England at that time. The writer hopes for a lively national theatre that captures the complicated modern world, while stressing helping new playwrights and actors. The book starts with Spence's mixed thoughts on British theatre, going back and forth between hope and worry. He talks about how theatres copy one another, and how money and old customs often hide real art. Spence touches on steps to make modern national drama, but also thinks that many complaints about modern theatre come from misunderstanding what people want. Spence gears up to go deeper into the critic's job, showing them as both commentators and players in the dramatic world. He paints a picture of their difficult roles in an quickly changing art scene.