The theater needs continual reminders that there is nothing more debasing than the work of those who do well what is not worth doing at all.

Vidal’s remark is a warning against mistaking technical proficiency for artistic or moral value. In the theater—where craft, polish, and professional competence can easily be celebrated—he argues that the most “debasing” situation is when talent is devoted to trivial, empty, or unworthy ends. The sting of the line is that excellence itself can become corrupting if it serves work that does not merit excellence: slickness can disguise hollowness, and success can reward mediocrity. Implicitly, Vidal calls for higher standards of purpose and substance, urging artists and audiences to judge not only how well something is done, but whether it is worth doing.