Not The Okay Thing

Sir,—The review of the "Private Ear" and the "Public Eye" which appeared in Salient of July 16, was little short of extraordinary. Something less than half the diatribe was devoted to the actual production, while the first half-dozen paragraphs were used by the criticaster to air his critical (or should I say hypercritical) jargon.

Jumbled together in a confused and confusing muddle were the names of Kenneth Tynan. Jimmy Porter. Claude Chabrol; and critical "U"-phrases like "theatrical inevitability" (whatever that might mean). and "mise-en-scene" (which, incidentally, was misspelt).

One choice comment read—and I quote—"These coups de theatre were really the okay thing with the nouvelle-vague film makers . . ."

No one can object to constructive intelligent criticism, but this successful Drama Club production surely doesn't warrant this type of semi-derogatory, super-intellectual, and in places grammatically dubious criticism.

Like, I mean, it's not the okay thing.