The Playgoer: Internet Interloper Joins Critics Club

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Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Internet Interloper Joins Critics Club

The esteemed New York Drama Critics Circle--the conclave of NYC-area print critics that give awards every end-of-season--has deigned to finally grant an online writer admission to their exclusive club. The fact that it's long time critic David Finkle, who just happens to write at Theatermania.com now, makes it not so radical a choice. But as Circle Prez Adam Feldman writes, "several members, particularly those who had been in the Circle for a long time, were reluctant to start down what they worried would be a slippery slope into the blogosphere." Yes Theatermania is indeed a kind of gateway drug to bloggy heroin, I suppose.

But, as Feldman admits, it's not like they haven't included online critics before--like John Simon who was, if you will, grandfathered in after he got booted from New York Mag and now has to make do with Bloomberg.com.

Personally whenever I hear of some rogue like Simon joining the Internet Critics Circle, I can only sigh, "There goes the neighborhood..."

Anyway, congrats to Finkle. And to the circle for finally letting go of some narrow categories of the past and embracing the future. I mean, how many "print critics" do you think you're still going to have in 5-10 years? Think forward, guys...

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Finkle lobbied to get in for years. Another blowhard elevated? Or is it alternative energy?