Although Willa Cather is known primarily for her short fiction and novels, she began her writing career as a literary and drama critic while still a student at the University of Nebraska. Her writing experience with the university literary periodical led her to become the drama critic for the "Nebraska State Journal," and later for the "Lincoln Courier." She was known as a vigorous, bitingly frank critic to the actors in the touring companies that played in Lincoln. But if Cather was frequently harsh, she also applauded excellence when she saw it. In 1896, Cather moved to Pittsburgh, where she continued as a critic for the next five years, occasionally traveling to New York and Washington to attend theater and opera performances. As a result of her personal contact with several actors, she decided to write a series of open letters offering advice to particular actors on how to approach their roles, an idea that was not well received by either the artists in question or the publishers she sought. Joining the staff of "McClure's Magazine" in New York led her to concentrate on fiction, but she continued to comment on theater and acting in her fictional works, notably in the "Song of the Lark" and "My Mortal Enemy." Her contributions to American theater are thus two-fold: her audacious criticism as a young woman, and her life-long appreciation that grew out of her keen perception from the audience. (NKA)