[NEohioPAL] A Criticism of Criticism

[Christopher Fortunato]

I agree with Robert Hawkes.  In recent years (or decades) I've seen a difference in criticism styles.  If you read a review by venerable critics like Walter Kerr or Brooks Atkinson (of whom the theatres are named), they were generally shorter and to the point than today's criticisms by Ben Brantley (or John Lahr in the New Yorker, but then he has more space.) Usually Atkinson started his review the same way, "Last night at the Winter Garden Theatre, Rosalind Russell......."   I don't think Brantley is on deadline the way the critics of the past were in getting a review out by the morning edition rather than the bulldog edition.  
 
Atkinson and Kerr rarely got into history, social issues, and  literary criticism, comparing and contrasting the body of a composer's work or doing the same comparison with another composer for that matter.  Brantley devotes at least three paragraphs to "context" before getting into the production.  When he did not like Fiddler he called it "McShetl."  The New Yorker termed "Millie" "Thoroughly Boring, Shrilly."  The critics did not care for "The Sound of Music", either, though the public (the critic with the money) liked it immensely.
 
I could understand how some previous posts liked Frank Rich.  His Sunday opinions, on national views, generally comport with the mainstream of the arts community in public affairs.  However, when he was theatre critic he had the reputation for being able to close a show within a few performances.  I also think he relished the power.  In my opinion, his current columns are a one note performance like Katherine Hepburn in "The Lake" possessing the range from A to B.
 
A critique should be constructive.  If a critic does not like what someone did, either direction, lighting, acting et al. then the critic should point out why it is wrong rather than just say an actor was just not good in the role.  Perhaps that's acceptable, but the Jesuit training in me always forced me to defend my position in matters.  I agree that our critics in Cleveland assist in a way of getting the play noticed to people.  I look forward to their reviews.  I consider the reviews an opinion from one person and I know people may agree or disagree with them.  A review has never kept me away from seeing something I wanted to see.
 
I also like what Robert Hawkes said about criticism of children having once been savaged for an atrocious attempt at painting in third grade.  When my regular teacher saw what the art teacher did to me, she took her out in the hallway and reprimanded her for it.  I always remember that experience every time I judge high school students dramatic presentations in the Ohio History contests at CWRU.
Christopher



Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2009 08:58:12 -0500From: rhhawkes at gmail.comTo: dadsongs at gmail.comCC: neohiopal at listserve.comSubject: Re: [NEohioPAL] A Criticism of CriticismThe analytical work of film critics such as David Bordwell, of literary critics such as Harold Bloom - and so on; the list is long - has helped me immeasurably, in many cases, to understand better what I'm looking at, and to have a richer experience of life and of art.On a more informal level, the work of such folk as our local theatre (and other) critics helps not only to promote attendance but to keep alive a certain amount of productive discussion about the state of our local arts. Their function is (ideally) vital to the health of an artistic community.What thoughtful and informed folk think is worth considering."Criticism", in the sense of bullying children, or in the sense of the childish and self-serving put-downs one hears from the judges on American Idol, is an entirely non-artistic, non-intellectual matter, and should be discussed separately.  RHH
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