tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12657288.post928324525275541588..comments2024-01-07T06:59:04.212-05:00Comments on The Playgoer: Insulting TimesPlaygoerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02994724588504353485noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12657288.post-62812471826124486962008-10-23T12:35:00.000-04:002008-10-23T12:35:00.000-04:00Mark Helprin said, "All a critic can do is say yes...Mark Helprin said, "All a critic can do is say yes or no. . . and complicate it." Steven Leigh Morris is a very intelligent and committed critic, and when I am finished reading any review he has written, I have a very good idea about whether or not I want to spend my time and money seeing a particular production. Ultimately, THAT is what a review should be for, to guide us to productions worthy of our support, and various backgrounds can make a person suitable for that job, if they take it seriously. . . but I would rather trust an actor or playwright about theatre than a food critic, a sports writer, etc. There IS a value in being passionate about the subject one covers.Thiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08588359294262873368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12657288.post-68336602916780037582008-10-19T16:46:00.000-04:002008-10-19T16:46:00.000-04:00Steven's comment regarding the best criticism aims...Steven's comment regarding the best criticism aims for investigation ought to be heeded by the plethora of bloggers in L.A. who have suddenly "hung out the shingle" calling themselves reviewers of theatre and film. These fledgling journalists can't even put a sentence together much less a review.Robert Axelrodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13462619027244623811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12657288.post-16955310149923047932008-09-30T15:08:00.000-04:002008-09-30T15:08:00.000-04:00If artists may be "among the most rigorous and qua...If artists may be "among the most rigorous and qualified" arts critics, it's probably because of their training and their experience as well as whatever basic skills they have. But then, isn't that also true for journalist-reviewers and critics?<BR/><BR/>I'm not sure whether you're suggesting that a newspaper hire a between-roles actor to review a few shows or not. If you are, there's one important thing missing: the actor may not have much (or any) training and experience in writing. Apparently you were blessed in that cast you worked with in New York, and that actress who wrote the three-page argument may be prepared to take on a reviewing assignment, but I'm not sure about the others.<BR/><BR/>However, many or most staff writers at a newspaper probably don't have the background to equip them for reviewing either. Maybe if you could pair one of them with an actor...John Branchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12323569021826786444noreply@blogger.com