It," according to Roach (The Player's Passion: Studies in the Science of Acting
), is "a certain quality, easy to perceive but hard to define, possessed by abnormally interesting people." Unfortunately, what might have been an abnormally interesting history of It-ness is marred by incomprehensible prose, endless sentences and turgid critical theory. Roach, a professor of theater at Yale, argues that the origins of It can be traced back to the late 17th century, or more precisely, to the period following Charles II of England's restoration to the throne. But It also appears to be a universal phenomenon. The Roman rhetorician Quintilian defined It as "the compellingly singular character of the great orator," while for Castiglione It was sprezzatura,
the ability to turn heads when entering a room, and biblical prophets were confident It was a divine gift. Despite Roach's lengthy and demanding analysis, no one has come closer to defining It so perfectly and so succinctly as Elinor Glyn, the British romance author who first coined the term in 1927 (Clara Bow would be the first "It Girl"): "In the animal world 'It' demonstrates [itself] in tigers and cats—both animals being fascinating and mysterious, and quite unbiddable." Truer words were never spoken. 25 illus. (Apr.)
