Friday, July 22, 2005
Everyone's a Critic
At the risk of stepping on the third rail, I'd like to talk about critics. Those people that actors love to hate (unless of course it's a good review). The purveyors of validation or scorn who hold fragile egos firmly in their grasp.
While many might at best call the critic a necessary evil, I tend to see him or her as a valuable asset to production and audience. Within a few hundred words a jaundiced eye can sum up a tedium best avoided by audience or a breathtaking vista worthy of pilgrimage.
While none of us enjoy being "called out" on facets of a production or performance that aren't appreciated by the critic, the value comes from examining the comments and finding the kernel of truth that can help us to improve. The awe inspiring power of theatre is its ability to adapt and be reborn with every performance. (The key is ensuring that all members of the production are working towards the same goal and not just reacting to a harshly turned phrase.) Acting is constantly interpreting signals from audience, costars and space. So why not add the critic into the mix? No show should be re-envisioned simply as a knee jerk reaction to a critic, but it can certainly be tweaked and expanded after thoughtful examination of the critique.
Good reviews can be even more deadly. Never believe your own press. You may be very good and you might steal the show from the moment you come on stage, but the key to a good review is remembering that you got it because of all the people around you. When a critic focuses on positive aspects it can be helpful, but often that focus fails to take into account the forest around the tree. The result is the some of so many parts is appreciated, but not the numerous ingredients that made it possible. While a review can ignore the components, the participants in a show need to be even more wary of forgetting that acting is communal and collaborative.
The most valuable role a critic plays regardless of the positive or negative aspects of a review, is in growing, educating and informing our audience. A critic who develops a reputation for consistent, honest and clear assessments of a show, becomes a valuable resource as an audience member considers how to spend an evening out. A review keeps the production and theatre at the forefront of a potential audience's consciousness and in the long run strengthens our community as we become a forethought rather than an after for entertainment and art. Even if a reader consistently disagrees with a reviewer, that consistency encourages an internal dialogue and can still be a valuable barometer for someone considering whether to attend a show. The critic can also help audiences to develop a more nuanced appreciation for theatre. Through thoughtful comments and exploration of a show, they can help find the subtle inflections that lighting, set and many other facets can bring to a story.
Certainly the slings and arrows cast from the critic's keyboard can be painful, but the seeds that are planted at the same time will hopefully grow an audience, an appreciation and a commitment to theatre.
While many might at best call the critic a necessary evil, I tend to see him or her as a valuable asset to production and audience. Within a few hundred words a jaundiced eye can sum up a tedium best avoided by audience or a breathtaking vista worthy of pilgrimage.
While none of us enjoy being "called out" on facets of a production or performance that aren't appreciated by the critic, the value comes from examining the comments and finding the kernel of truth that can help us to improve. The awe inspiring power of theatre is its ability to adapt and be reborn with every performance. (The key is ensuring that all members of the production are working towards the same goal and not just reacting to a harshly turned phrase.) Acting is constantly interpreting signals from audience, costars and space. So why not add the critic into the mix? No show should be re-envisioned simply as a knee jerk reaction to a critic, but it can certainly be tweaked and expanded after thoughtful examination of the critique.
Good reviews can be even more deadly. Never believe your own press. You may be very good and you might steal the show from the moment you come on stage, but the key to a good review is remembering that you got it because of all the people around you. When a critic focuses on positive aspects it can be helpful, but often that focus fails to take into account the forest around the tree. The result is the some of so many parts is appreciated, but not the numerous ingredients that made it possible. While a review can ignore the components, the participants in a show need to be even more wary of forgetting that acting is communal and collaborative.
The most valuable role a critic plays regardless of the positive or negative aspects of a review, is in growing, educating and informing our audience. A critic who develops a reputation for consistent, honest and clear assessments of a show, becomes a valuable resource as an audience member considers how to spend an evening out. A review keeps the production and theatre at the forefront of a potential audience's consciousness and in the long run strengthens our community as we become a forethought rather than an after for entertainment and art. Even if a reader consistently disagrees with a reviewer, that consistency encourages an internal dialogue and can still be a valuable barometer for someone considering whether to attend a show. The critic can also help audiences to develop a more nuanced appreciation for theatre. Through thoughtful comments and exploration of a show, they can help find the subtle inflections that lighting, set and many other facets can bring to a story.
Certainly the slings and arrows cast from the critic's keyboard can be painful, but the seeds that are planted at the same time will hopefully grow an audience, an appreciation and a commitment to theatre.
