tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12657288.post4991910508029916912..comments2024-01-07T06:59:04.212-05:00Comments on The Playgoer: Theatre Trade PubsPlaygoerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994724588504353485noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12657288.post-20903773973835891042009-07-13T14:13:40.939-04:002009-07-13T14:13:40.939-04:00Criticism and theater go hand in hand. How else do...Criticism and theater go hand in hand. How else do we expect actors and entire companies to improve if honest and constructive criticism of their work is not provided by the people and publications that know them best? Now, that's not to say that American Theatre or Theatre Bay Area should start publishing Frank Rich style reviews or that a feature article is the right place for criticism.<br /><br />An arts journalist is not a cheerleader nor is he/she a critic. American Theatre has published many interviews, columns and roundtables about the role of criticism. In the July/August issue, there was a roundtable about the changing role of arts criticism in an increasingly multimedia world. However, the emergence of twitter and blogging could mean that these trade publications might need to start providing a more critical perspective. An interesting example of an arts trade publication that does publish reviews is Dance Magazine. In my opinion, this section of the magazine helps rather than hurts the art form and gives the magazine a more complete perspective on its industry.Suzy Evanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03583029015330490410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12657288.post-25213007982860254992009-07-09T18:17:17.702-04:002009-07-09T18:17:17.702-04:00American Theater is less of a magazine and more of...American Theater is less of a magazine and more of a newsletter. Its complete lack of criticism combined with its presumed mandate to promote its constituent theaters has long made it a good intention that is put into practice badly. <br /><br />And it is sadly one of the reasons the American theater suffers. Think about it. <br /><br />The Wall Street Journal obviously believes in capitalism and the so-called free enterprise system. And yet it has never been shy about criticizing the occasional business leader, corporation, economic policy, or even Republican. And there is no hand-wringing when it does so because the WSJ and those who read it take their industry seriously. It doesn't need a cheerleader or CPR coverage to remain relevant. <br /><br />On a smaller scale, and a little closer to home, Backstage does a pretty good job at the balancing act. It features a few too many movie stars on its covers for my taste, but every issue eventually realizes its core readership is the struggling actor who is looking for an audition, agent, coach, etc. And in addition to employing theater critics (who will sometimes cover the plays their readers are in), they have an array of columnists and contributors who aren't afraid to target some people/practices in the field. <br /><br />If we see the theater as a charity, an orphan, as something sympathetic but not quite useful, then others will believe us. But if we take it seriously and write and perform and work and CRITIQUE on behalf of others who do the same, then that's all the cheerleading we'll need.<br /><br />Unfortunately for TCG, they would not survive under such a philosophy.The EsoCriticnoreply@blogger.com