Stephen, I first want to thank you for attending "Jerusalem" and thank you for sharing your thoughts about the production. You know, in the movie "Almost Famous" about a young Cameron Crowe as a critic for "Rolling Stone", there is a scene where the fictional band he is on the road with has a dust up over a t-shirt. In the conversation one of the band members turns to the rest and says "You love this t-shirt, it lets you say everything you want to say." Perhaps Ensemble's production of "Jerusalem" is your t-shirt, and in this great country you should say what you want to say and I welcome that. And perhaps your unsigned review is my t-shirt. Because, honestly, whatever is good in this production is because of the actors and the production team. They are professionals and to a person are some of the most talented and deserving artists I have had the luck to work with. You are not alone in your critique of the acting, I believe there have been other critics that have called their ability and professionalism into question. These critics like you perhaps like different styles of theater or work at or are on the payroll of other theaters that receive more favorable reviews from them. But for them, like you, to attack their talent and professionalism is ludicrous and beneath even the most elementary reviewer's dignity and judgement. I also appreciate the fact that you readily admit that you did not understand the play. I wish more criticism would do that because I think there is no shame in it. There is only shame in trying to cover up that feeling with hate, venom and attacks. I think like a lot of great works, in this case I am referencing the "Jerusalem" script, it can take time to understand and maybe you simply just disagree with the idea of the work, that love, freedom and being full of life is more important than a housing development. That the communities we live in are made up of valuable people even if we don't all look the same or agree on everything. That perhaps confusion is part of life and that we are all part of a great legacy that is our humanity and if we lose that then we lose what makes us human. And when we lose that we can tear down the commons and deny all of the small yet titanic beautiful moments in our lives. This play and Rooster's wood are those commons and contain those moments. Perhaps this t-shirt you have left our production is really a drum and we are using it to call the giants to defend us from the hate and fear of not understanding something and rather than acknowledging it focus on a flask and try to tear it down. As for me and my directing ability... There is no golden touch. There is only a lunch pail, a story and enough love to tell it with people I love. They are the ones I will defend until the end of time. Their work is what makes things successful like this production. Whatever award or praise is given to the direction it is misplaced in my mind, theater is a collaborative art form and the praise should go to the collaborators. It is their doing in the moment that creates the catharsis. For me, and I believe the great majority of our audiences at Ensemble, that catharsis coming out of Act 3 is very real and necessary in reminding us what it means to be human and what is important to us and our community. Lastly, we carry on the professional tradition of Ensemble theater that was started 37 years ago now by Lucia Colombi, I think we are doing some of the most important work we have ever done as a company and I think Lucia would be very proud of all of the Ensemble. If you feel like you want to be part of the Ensemble, if some of the anger in your post comes from feeling alone or outside, please let me know we can talk about it and find room for you, it is a big tent and one with much love. But, please do not insult the professionalism of the artists or the theater. This is where "I will draw the line in the chalk and push back hard" (as Rooster says in the play) against anyone, not just you, that includes other critics that resort to ad hominem attacks or simply ignore quality local professional work entirely for whatever reason by not even bothering to show up and review the play. Again, throw darts at my picture all day long, but if you want to be more as a person as a community member as a champion for the power of love in art then join us. Regards, Ian Wolfgang Hinz Director "Jerusalem" Proud Member of Ensemble Theatre P.S. For all those other than Stephen reading this feel free to come visit us and see this amazing production. I couldn't be more proud of this outstanding cast and how they have embraced and tell this beautifully written story. You can get tickets here www.ensembletheatrecle.org or even here www.ensemble.theater or call the box office at 216.321.2930 We hope to see you in our audience. On Fri, May 6, 2016 at 9:56 AM, Stephen via NEohioPAL < neohiopal@lists.neohiopal.org> wrote:

The Ensemble Theatre's production of Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth, directed by Ian Hinz, is one big, messy, long evening. The action is slow, and the production strains very hard for an effect it never manages to achieve.

The play revolves around the events of St George’s Day in a town on the edge of Salisbury Plain. Johnny “Rooster” Byron is a Romany gypsy, and the town's council have finally arranged the legal essentials to have him evicted to build new housing. On St George’s Day, a local fair is held and antics ensue against the background of Johnny’s impending eviction.

To be truthful, I didn’t get Jerusalem’s message, if there was one. And in the case of a show that has no discernible meaning, where an over-abundance of lines are heaved around by very inexperienced cast members, coupled with a director who doesn't seem to have a decipherable conceptual message, something is very wrong. The production is just a community theatre romp, with very few poignant moments, and lots of ambiguity.

Much too much time is wasted with a cast of idiosyncratic characters whose presence is supposed to give the audience the feeling that what they are watching is risky, edgy and dark. Instead, we get a production that is long-winded, and self-indulgent. Unfortunately, this production serves no one, except the inflated ego of a director, who might have felt that he possesses the Golden Touch to pull off this complicated piece, but in truth, totally missed the mark in terms of the execution and analysis of the text, as well as the casting choices; more competent performers should have filled the roles, ones who can hold their dialects, and bring some originality to their performances. Perhaps in the hands of a more proficient and accomplished director, Jerusalem might have at least been entertaining.

So the wrap-up: if someone tells you they loved *Jerusalem*, they do not know theatre. The production is an incomprehensible blur from which I gleaned no value.

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