[NEohioPAL]Response to Berko's review of "For Colored Girls...."

Tue Oct 5 15:35:27 PDT 2004

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Madam,

I am sure that I speak for many others in the Arts community when I say that 
theatre criticism is not only a richly traditional aspect of the creative 
theatre process, but a necessary one. Any time a group of artists get together to 
collaborate on a given project, it must be taken for granted that this work 
will be eventually presented and subjected to the subjective and diverse 
artistic whims of its audience. While reviews (and reviewers) are often reviled for 
their power to dismiss the effort that such a group produces, they are less 
often appreciated for the intellect and keen eye for social relevance that they 
must possess to do what they do and how they apply this knowledge in an 
objective way to what they and others are witnessing.

I have had my share of poor reviews in my twenty-five-plus years of theatre. 
Poor reviews have always made me a stronger performer and director. I am 
always as interested in why an objective observer feels my work was unsatisfying as 
I am in why it might have been appreciated. Frankly, I learn more about 
myself as a theatre artisan when I receive a poor review than when I receive a good 
one. I welcome every learning opportunity that theatre, and all of its 
wonderfully educational nature, can provide.

Criticizing a reviewer for a bad review is bad form. I have heard it said 
that if you cant take the heat, stay out of the kitchen. If you become so 
emotionally attached to a production that you cannot recognize that it will not 
appeal to everyone, you have lost touch with the very nature of theatre. Theatre 
instructs and entertains, but it never does so in the exact same way for every 
individual. While some people may not like that one person's opinion is allowed 
to be in print while other viewers of a performance do not have this power, 
we must accept that this is a part of the nature of the audience-viewing 
contract we enter into by performing theatre.

Perhaps you might feel that having no review is better than a negative one, 
but many of us learn too much from both the negative and the positive, and many 
of us who run theatres recognize that even negative publicity has its own 
benefits.

We do not need headlines to validate our own personal experiences in the 
theatre. Instead, we should continue to seek out each and every personal and 
collaborative working experience for the rich, traditional, educational growth 
opportunity it provides us. If, as you say, this production does not deserve the 
headlines it received, your audience will know it. However, no amount of 
attempting to enforce your understanding of this production on its audience will 
make them view it with anything less than their own mind, their own opinions and 
their own feelings. For you to attempt to bypass his and their right to this 
personal interpretive process makes you guilty of the very same complaint you 
are making of Mr. Bierko. He, however, has at least his right to do so by the 
nature of the profession that he represents.

Good luck to you in the future.

Sincerely,
Steven Arnold

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<DIV>Madam,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I am sure that I speak for many others in the Arts community when I say=
 that theatre criticism is not only a richly traditional aspect of the creat=
ive theatre process, but a necessary one. Any time a group of artists get to=
gether to collaborate on a given project, it must be taken for granted that=20=
this work will be eventually presented and subjected to the subjec=
tive and diverse artistic whims of its audience. While reviews (and rev=
iewers) are often reviled for their power to dismiss the effort that such a=20=
group produces, they are less often appreciated for the intellect and keen e=
ye for social relevance that they must possess to do what they do and how th=
ey apply this knowledge in an objective way to what they and others are witn=
essing.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I have had my share of poor reviews in my twenty-five-plus years o=
f theatre. Poor reviews have always made me a stronger performer and directo=
r. I am always as interested in why an objective observer feels my work was=20=
unsatisfying as I am in why it might have been appreciated. Frankly, I learn=
 more about myself as a theatre artisan when I receive a poor review than wh=
en I receive a good one. I welcome every learning opportunity that theatre,&=
nbsp;and all of its wonderfully educational nature, can provide.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Criticizing a reviewer for a bad review is bad form. I have heard it sa=
id that if you cant take the heat, stay out of the kitchen. If you become so=
 emotionally attached to a production that you cannot recognize that it will=
 not appeal to everyone, you have lost touch with the very nature of theatre=
. Theatre instructs and entertains, but it never does so in the exact same w=
ay for every individual. While some people may not like that one person's op=
inion is allowed to be in print while other viewers of a performance do not=20=
have this power, we must accept that this is a part of the nature of the aud=
ience-viewing contract we enter into by performing theatre.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Perhaps you might feel that having no review is better than a nega=
tive one, but many of us learn too much from both the negative and the posit=
ive, and many of us who run theatres recognize that even negative publicity=20=
has its own benefits.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>We do not need headlines to validate our own personal experiences in th=
e theatre. Instead, we should continue to seek out each and every personal a=
nd collaborative working experience for the rich, traditional, educational g=
rowth opportunity it provides us. If, as you say, this production does not d=
eserve the headlines it received, your audience will know it. However, no am=
ount of attempting to enforce your understanding of this production on=20=
its audience will make them view it with anything less than their=20=
own mind, their own opinions and their own feelings. For you to attempt to b=
ypass his and their right to this personal interpretive process makes you gu=
ilty of the very same complaint you are making of Mr. Bierko. He, however, h=
as at least his right to do so by the nature of the profession that he repre=
sents.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Good luck to you in the future.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Sincerely,</DIV>
<DIV>Steven Arnold</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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