[NEohioPAL]Re: Theater listings disappeared???

Mon Nov 14 06:27:44 PST 2005

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Mr. Kappes:

       I appreciate your reply in this matter and am glad it was simply 
a production error that the Theatre Listings were missing.  However, I 
am dismayed at your decision to move the Auditions notices to only your 
online version of the Plain Dealer.  While there may be Email 
newsletters available to artists in Northeast Ohio, many performers are 
dedicated to their craft and therefore sometimes fall into the "starving 
artist" category because the art itself is more important to them than 
anything else.  Which also means that many do not have Internet access.  
So how will these performers now find out about upcoming auditions?
       I think the Plain Dealer is making a terrible decision in 
believing that most people have access to a computer.  That smacks of 
elitism, first of all.  Secondly, I have been to cleveland.com and find 
it to be one of the most user-UNfriendly sites for a newspaper that I 
have ever visited.
       You also mention "adding content" and therefore not having space 
for listings.  I personally buy the Plain Dealer every Friday /just/ for 
the Friday Magazine.  I scan through it several times looking for 
notices of unusual events, art openings, small theater performances, 
independent films, dog shows, etc.  I don't always read the articles, 
however, especially the reviews - since your reviewers seem to hate most 
everything and I am quite capable of forming my own opinion - art being 
subjective and all.
         I also find it a little bit suspect that within the past month 
or so, you have added this "Renters' Marketplace" listings to the back 
of the Friday Magazine, which is /completely/ out of place.  Put those 
rental listings back where they belong - in the Plain Dealer's 
Classified section.  And give us back the Audition notices.  Otherwise, 
you're not only going to lose this reader, but you're going to lose MANY 
readers who will instead look to Cleveland magazine, Northeast Ohio Live 
magazine, The Free Times, Scene, and Blue-ize Magazine to get their 
cultural and entertainment listings for Northeast Ohio.

Thank you,
Eric Oswald
Lakewood, OH 

JOHN KAPPES wrote:

>Dear Mr. Oswald:
>
>There will be theater listings; the fact that there weren't any in the first issue was simply a production error.
>
>In fact, there is more theater content every week, because Tony Brown is writing a column devoted to local theater. It was our decision, however, that we had to move away from making the magazine like a phone book of listings and add some content for general readers. For that reason, auditions will now be online only.
>
>I hope you'll keep reading each week, and give our new look, and the loads of new content, a chance to win you over.
>
>John Kappes
>Plain Dealer Friday Editor
>1801 Superior Ave.
>Cleveland, OH  44114
>
>
>
>  
>
>>>>Eric Oswald <eric.oswald at sherwin.com> 11/11/05 10:07AM >>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>Is it just me??  I have searched through your "new" Friday Magazine and 
>it seems to me that Theater Listings and Audition Notices have 
>completely disappeared!  Has local theater been relegated to 
>non-existent or non-relevant status??
>
>
>
>  
>

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Mr. Kappes: 
 
       I appreciate your reply in this matter and am glad it was simply
a production error that the Theatre Listings were missing.  However, I
am dismayed at your decision to move the Auditions notices to only your
online version of the Plain Dealer.  While there may be Email
newsletters available to artists in Northeast Ohio, many performers are
dedicated to their craft and therefore sometimes fall into the
"starving artist" category because the art itself is more important to
them than anything else.  Which also means that many do not have
Internet access.  So how will these performers now find out about
upcoming auditions? 
       I think the Plain Dealer is making a terrible decision in
believing that most people have access to a computer.  That smacks of
elitism, first of all.  Secondly, I have been to cleveland.com and find
it to be one of the most user-UNfriendly sites for a newspaper that I
have ever visited. 
       You also mention "adding content" and therefore not having space
for listings.  I personally buy the Plain Dealer every Friday just
for the Friday Magazine.  I scan through it several times looking for
notices of unusual events, art openings, small theater performances,
independent films, dog shows, etc.  I don't always read the articles,
however, especially the reviews - since your reviewers seem to hate
most everything and I am quite capable of forming my own opinion - art
being subjective and all. 
         I also find it a little bit suspect that within the past month
or so, you have added this "Renters' Marketplace" listings to the back
of the Friday Magazine, which is completely out of place.  Put
those rental listings back where they belong - in the Plain Dealer's
Classified section.  And give us back the Audition notices.  Otherwise,
you're not only going to lose this reader, but you're going to lose
MANY readers who will instead look to Cleveland magazine, Northeast
Ohio Live magazine, The Free Times, Scene, and Blue-ize Magazine to get
their cultural and entertainment listings for Northeast Ohio. 
 
Thank you, 
Eric Oswald 
Lakewood, OH  
 
 
 
JOHN KAPPES wrote: 
<blockquote type="cite" cite="mids3773b17.029 at plaind.com">
 <pre wrap="">Dear Mr. Oswald:

There will be theater listings; the fact that there weren't any in the first issue was simply a production error.

In fact, there is more theater content every week, because Tony Brown is writing a column devoted to local theater. It was our decision, however, that we had to move away from making the magazine like a phone book of listings and add some content for general readers. For that reason, auditions will now be online only.

I hope you'll keep reading each week, and give our new look, and the loads of new content, a chance to win you over.

John Kappes
Plain Dealer Friday Editor
1801 Superior Ave.
Cleveland, OH  44114

  </pre>
  <blockquote type="cite">
    <blockquote type="cite">
      <blockquote type="cite">
        <pre wrap="">Eric Oswald <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:eric.oswald at sherwin.com"><eric.oswald at sherwin.com></a> 11/11/05 10:07AM >>>
        </pre>
      </blockquote>
    </blockquote>
  </blockquote>
  <pre wrap=""><!---->Is it just me??  I have searched through your "new" Friday Magazine and 
it seems to me that Theater Listings and Audition Notices have 
completely disappeared!  Has local theater been relegated to 
non-existent or non-relevant status??

  </pre>
</blockquote>
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