Charles Kirsch
THEATER CRITICISM: A CONSIDERATION
Theatrical reviews can take many forms. There was even an obituary notice for one opening night. Reviews have consisted of “ouch”, “what piffle”, or simply “no”, as theater scholar Peter Hay reveals in his book Theatrical Anecdotes. I fall under a slightly different category of critic. Kid critics are a group with a different reputation. Sometimes they’re ignored or restricted in certain ways. Bias is always a factor in critics’ reviews. Many times, we feel pressured into “liking” a show for any of several reasons. Actually, papers usually send another critic just for this reason. As you may know, critics have a reputation for being cruel. Many a time on my blog I have insulted a show. However, expressing an honest opinion can be interpreted as mean. Critics, however, are losing their prescience. Oklahoma got good reviews and was a hit. Ankles Aweigh was panned, or given a bad review, and flopped. Cats got panned and was a hit. Significant Other got good reviews and was a flop. I will include anecdotes and stories, also talk about being a kid critic, and their prescience and boundaries, and include information about what it means to be any kind of theater critic.
REPUTATION
Many theater critics are fearsome, and others in the business try to stay on their good side. After all, you do want your show to get good reviews. When I tell people I’m a critic, they often say something to the effect of “No! Don’t do it!” It’s not just me. Many critics have that happen to them. One way of sucking up sneakily is by flatteringly portraying critics. In the play It’s Only a Play, New York Times critic Frank Rich gives a brutal review that is said to be accurate. He is mean, but still accurate. Because of things like this, critics are careful of how they come off. On the other hand, people often despise critics, and think they are needlessly cruel and often “don’t get” a show. When I saw An American in Paris I subsequently realized I wasn’t grasping the concept. I then talked out the plot, listened to the music, and did research online in order to understand it better before reviewing it. Some shows like Cats have been misunderstood in the form of over-analysis, and sophisticated shows have been accused of being jumbled messes. Times critic Martin Gottfried said roughly that his predecessors didn’t “get” Follies. To be a fair critic, getting it is very important.
Kid critics have an entirely different reputation. People see them and think, “how cute”, not “I really respect their opinions.” A kid they mentally patronize, never taking our recommendations seriously. Why? A couple of reasons. One is that we are young, so we don’t know as much. Two is that the image of a kid makes the brain unable to listen as seriously. The only way to discourage this is by being totally serious, and then you will be thought of as pretentious. On the other side of that, people might think that kids good enough to be given a platform should be respected.
BIAS
As a critic, you never want to disappoint a friend when they are in a show. But if you honestly hate them, it presents you with a difficult decision. Friendship or integrity? I once had a friend who was in a Broadway show that I was reviewing. I felt I needed to mention her, even though she wasn’t my favorite. Critics will often try to avoid being faced with that situation. Reviewing Bernhardt/Hamlet, where I knew the set designer, I felt I should say all positive things. Other critics have been faced with this problem too. Critics Hedy Weiss, Ben Brantley, and others have been accused of larger personal biases. They have faced challenges of being racist, transphobic, and weight-obsessed. Critics must consider their reputation. When they show personal bias or racism, they must first ask themselves, “Why?”
Paid bias is also an issue that occasionally pops up. Can a critic be “encouraged” to revise their opinion with money? Producer David Merrick bribed one critic to give his show a bad review, so the people involved would keep trying. This is not the customary thing, though. Usually it’s the reverse. Sometimes actors and writers, too, will not exactly pay, but sucking up isn’t beyond them. Walter Kerr, a Times critic, thinks critical integrity is too high for this. “Let a… tiresome play… come along, and a reviewer’s going to censure… it, even if a surprise grand piano was hoisted into his apartment.” So apparently some critics are too good to give in to the lure of money. However, this is something a kid critic doesn’t have to worry about, but will if they continue with the job through adulthood.
CRUELTY
One thing you want to avoid being is too cruel. On my blog I usually pull few punches, but I don’t ever want to talk about a show with no redeeming qualities. I, as a kid critic, don’t want to seem like I’m being an adult simply by being acidic. Another reason is because people sometimes doubt pure hatred. Often people will assume you’re just trying to be controversial. If too much of this happens, people doubt your truthfulness and stop reading and considering your work. Another possible outcome is that actors will hate you, which isn’t fun for you or good for your standing. Always remember that excessive cruelty doesn’t benefit anyone. As Peter Filichia, critic emeritus for The Star Ledger said, “I’m rarely cruel. I like that we have a night to sleep on reviews before we write them- because even if we’re angry, a night’s sleep calms us down!” He doesn’t believe in cruelty, and won’t write a gut reaction review.
Retractions are the act of taking back an objectionable comment made in a review. It could be oral or written, but it’s essentially the same thing. When Michael Riedel kissed the hand of actress Bernadette Peters at popular theater hangout Sardi’s, it concluded a 15-year fight. Times critic Laura Collins-Hughes was attacked for her alleged fat-shaming of actress Alysha Umphress. Often critics will refuse to retract or not make physical comments in the first place. I would never call attention to someone’s physical or emotional traits. That’s what usually triggers a retraction. When that happens, you are ridiculed and scorned. This probably wouldn’t happen to a kid, though.
A DYING ART
Not as many people read reviews anymore. In the old days, people would read whatever was there. But today, the internet can help you be more selective about what you read. Another reason is because people can access any review site. For bloggers like myself, it’s hard to ensure that people will actually see your work. I mean, when you see a random blog, why would you read it? You could try to use social media, but the same question might apply. People are not getting read because, say, of the 5,000 critics, each person reads 10.
Also, people who read critics don’t always listen to them. People will read them for fun and then disregard them. This does not bode well. Reviews have been eclipsed by word-of-mouth. I mean, if your best friend hates a show, you assume it’s bad and don’t buy a ticket. When people hear kids say, “It was amazing!” and their best friend say “I hated it”, who are they going to listen to? Also, a new and dangerous attitude has arisen. “How can I trust one person?” This contradicts the basic principles of reviews. There must be a mutual trust between a critic and a reader. Another threat is advertising. Shows use subways, taxis, billboards, buses, websites, food stands, and pretty much everywhere else they can think of to put up a poster for their show. A tourist might not know that reviews even exist and buy a ticket for the first show they see. Reviews are hard to get to, but visual propaganda is unavoidable. Sometimes critical quotes are used in ads. Great! But no one sees the pans. One “Amazing!” in a crowd of “Horrible”is the only one really spread. So are critics important? Not as much.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, critics are both feared and respected. Kids don’t get the same kind of attention or reaction. It is disappointing, but it is a fact of life. You might forfeit ethics and integrity for a friend, money, or employment. For instance, after interviewing performers at Miscast, a gala featuring Broadway stars, I thought I couldn’t be negative. You can’t always be as negative as you want, but don’t go to the other end of the spectrum. No one reads or listens to critics as much anymore. Their importance is fading. As noted playwright Edward Albee said, “If Attila the Hun were alive today, he’d be a drama critic.”
Thanks for reading!
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