[NEohioPAL] Reviews on NeOhiopal

Sat Aug 8 12:54:28 PDT 2009

Lincoln, 

I did not mean to exclude the INTERNET as an "appropriate" organ!!!
An unlikely choice of words, and I didn't mean it quite that way.
For sure the Internet and its immediacy to discuss a work right after it is seen  is THE organ. But I specifically excluded NEOPAL because it is an exclusive audience of arts related people who do have access to all of these other 'organs'  to read about their work and what the 'critics' say about it. I guess that the review process is always a two edged sword - cutting both ways - offending some thin skinned performers or giving an
audience member the information they need to make a decision - to see it - or not.  

The issue of free speech is definitely more appreciated by theatre people than most 
other professions, as the review, and the reviewer, are usually the only handle a non-theatre person will have on whether he will pay - or not -  for a ticket to see it. I certainly can see a website posting for all of these 'critiques' of someone's work, but not necessarily on NEOPAL. Because NEOPAL is a 'public forum' to the arts organizations and individuals
who subscribe to it, subjective 'opinions' of one's peers' work,  in the guise of reviews,
tend to become inflammatory, and "opinionated" (the worst use of this word.) while 
everyone else is listening, and reading, at the same time. It goes to the heart of a 
performer's raison d'etre to criticize his or her work, in front of his very own peers.!!
As a performer, I might want to be personally presented with a constructive criticism
of my work by that person (a very personal issue) rather than have 6,000 people make
a rash judgment about something affecting my career - or tonight's performance.  

It is a complex issue, but one  that needs clarity by clearly separating the "performing" folks from the "reviewing" folks.A well written review is the "sine qua non" of theatre - the critic's obligation to the performer to be the BEST 'observer" possible, for better or worse. 
And sometimes, the very members of NEOPAL who shoot from the hip with their 
'reviews' are not in the best place to be a 'good observer." We pay our dues - and we 
take our chances. Yet what Fred has finally offered us is the choice -after all the hundreds of choices are posted,  and maybe that is the best gift of all - we can each make a final decision. Thank you, .Fred, . . . .again.  

Martin Cosentino
Managing Director
Ensemble Theatre of Cleveland
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--- On Sat, 8/8/09, Lincoln King-Cliby <lking-cliby at lincoln.homeip.net> wrote:

From: Lincoln King-Cliby <lking-cliby at lincoln.homeip.net>
Subject: Re: [NEohioPAL] Reviews on NeOhiopal
To: "Ensemble Theatre" <ensemble-theatre at sbcglobal.net>
Cc: "neohiopal at listserve.com" <neohiopal at listserve.com>, "David Robeano" <david_jekyllandhyde at yahoo.com>
Date: Saturday, August 8, 2009, 9:57 AM

I have to strongly disagree here. 

While I know that theater audiences and general patrons are somewhat in the minority but I am one... 

I'm not sure why you would feel that printed matter was the "appropriate" organ for expressing critical views on theater? Given the immediacy of the Internet, what better way gauge reaction after a performance? With the open nature of the Internet, what better way to see what the reactions of "Joe Audience Member" are? 

Quite frankly in a review 99% of the time I desire anything but a "professional slant" or "educated reviewer" (and what, exactly, makes for an educated reviewer?)-- a synopsis of the show, perhaps a hign or low point and a go/maybe/no go is all I need. 

The worst, most tortuously awful, show (hint: think plywood) I have ever seen was lauded by, I believe, every "educated reviewer" with a "professional slant" in greater Cleveland. There's another reviewer who I can count on one finger the number of reviews I've even partially agreed with, though the frequent insertion of irrelevant commentary on things like the program design may contribute to that. 

Largely I ignore reviews. Frequently I'll read them after I've seen a show to see how my thoughts and reactions compared to someone else (one of the disadvantages to being a single 25 year old guy attending theater in Cleveland is the lack of someone to bounce thoughts and reflections off of immediately after a performance). Sometimes a review -- even if it's comically awful -- will make me attend a show that I had not previously been aware of or had planned on not attending. 

A good review, professional or otherwise, has never been the sole reason I've seen a show. A bad review has never been the sole reason why I've not seen a show.

I would think, or at least hope, that the creative staffs involved would appreciate feedback from ticket-buying audience members and perhaps consider that feedback in future productions. After all, if you don't give audiences what they're looking for, audiences will dwindle. If audiences disappear there's no reason to put on a show and eventually no money to put the show up.

What it comes down to is theater (and dance, and opera, and orchestra) is a form of entertainment and commentary. It is a special form of entertainment where no two performances are exactly the same, and where audience members feed off the energy of the actors, dancers, musicians as much as the talent feeds off of the audience. But it is, ultimately, entertainment. Each person's concept of what makes for "good" and "bad" entertainment is different which is why a variety of viewpoints is a good thing. If you aren't entertained I doesn't matter how "revolutionary" the coreography was, if the blocking was sloppy, if the lighting design was compeilling....

I may get flamed for this, but sometimes I feel like the "professional" critics are stuck in a theoretical MFA-induced utopia and detached from what the casual audience member is experiencing... and what the casual audience member wants to experience. 

To the subject at hand, I was on the fence about doing Pippin tonight (even though Cain is about a 5 minute walk from my place) -- after the laudatory reviews I was still on the fence. Now I'm thinking that I will see it. 

Wow, that got a lot longer than I expected it to be. If I have offended anyone, please excuse me and accept my appologies. 

Lincoln 

On Fri, Aug 7, 2009 at 7:11 PM, Ensemble Theatre <ensemble-theatre at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

I cannot imagine anyone saying it any better, David. Let the reviewers, that is, those who
fancy themselves as 'critics' if that is a correct appellation, find an appropriate organ (!!)
to express themselves.

 The Plain Dealer, The Sun Newspapers, The Scene, The Free Times, The Heights Observer, The Call and Post, The Advocate, The Earth, Cleveland Magazine, Northern Ohio Live. . . . .any more??? How about an independent website devoted 
to all arts companie's performances? 

The NEOPAL subscription list is not the place for reviews. It is vastly subscribed to by arts organization members, and NOT by theatre patrons and general audiences who are seeking an educated reviewer to give them a professional slant on the production - and a reason to see it - or NOT!!  The internet has caused there to be a blurring of lines of authority, as well as professionalism. Hence - Tony Brown does NOT publish his reviews on NEOPAL. nor any other reviewer from those organs mentioned above for a simple reason -

Because it is the ticket-buying general public that needs the information, NOT subscribers to NEOPAL. Excellent point,David. And I happen to agree with you 
about Greg Violand and Mary Ann Nagel - I would listen to them sing a hardware catalog!!

Martin Cosentino

--- On Fri, 8/7/09, David Robeano <david_jekyllandhyde at yahoo.com> wrote:

From: David Robeano <david_jekyllandhyde at yahoo.com>
Subject: [NEohioPAL] Reviews on NeOhiopal
To: "neohiopal at listserve.com" <neohiopal at listserve.com>
Date: Friday, August 7, 2009, 1:51 PM

I know this is a touchy subject, and many will disagree, but I urge anyone who reads reviews, as with any outlet that voices personal opinions, to take comments with a grain of salt.  Fred developed this amazing, one-of-a-kind resource as a way to support local theatre and artists.  While freedom of opinion and speech is imperative, are your personal views really so all important as to be posted here and to possibly be a detriment to business at a local theatre?  I may be mistaken, but I have not seen Tony Brown posting his reviews here, he leaves them for his paper, the forum that they were meant for.

I have not been lucky enough to see Pippin yet, but I have worked with many of the artists in the show, and I would go watch MaryAnn Nagel and Corey Mach sing the phone book.  I look forward to seeing what they do with these roles.

I for one, am thrilled that my computer has a "delete" button, and will look for my reviews from the reviewers and papers I choose, and leave this site for information about a great community of shows and people that I miss a great deal!

David Robeano
Director of Entertainment
The Jekyll and Hyde Club
Davidrobeano.com

All typos coUrtesy of iPhone.

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