T'Horn on criticism and joy

Saw this quote from Harold Clurman on Teachout's blog today. Explains a lot about my reaction to some people I know -- not the host here, who's made of better stuff -- who gobble culture and retail their opinions... They are irritatingly free of delight.

"An audience aware of the importance of its own opinion can be dangerous. An audience that seeks above all to have an opinion--and to parade it--is a menace. The audience that believes that one goes to the theatre to form an opinion--that opinion is what the theatre aims to create--is destructive of all real values in the theatre even when its opinion is favorable. The theatre is a place for experience rather than for judgment. An audience's merit is its capacity to feel rather than its disposition to hold court."