It is true that to those who use their time immersed in producing art that the voice of the critic is, at best, an irritant in the ear of an artist. As a practitioner of the theatrical arts, I fully understand that reaction. But I have also been regularly reviewed for my work as an actress and director. I saw my share of good and bad notations, and I probably deserved not so many of the former and a few more of the latter.
Here in ‘the Valley’, I have noted an upsurge of interest in the theatrical arts from Bakersfield to Fresno. Some companies have been here for years and years, some come and go, but more and more independent productions have cropped up. Some productions I ‘ve seen have been exceptional and others abysmal. And always I hear of amateur actors who want their work to touch, to entertain, to get better, and to be taken seriously.
Well, I’m here to do just that.
You may find that audience reactions to your shows are wildly enthusiastic and mine is barely lukewarm. But I’m fairly certain that you’ll find no one in your audience who takes your aims more seriously than I. No one will want to be moved, entertained, or informed more than I. And no one will be more honest– or more balanced in my review– than I.
I don’t wish to be one of those classic reviewers who made a name for themselves through meanness or bitterness. I don’t wish to tear your work apart, leaving its entrails on the stagefloor to be mopped up. But I will give potential audiences an idea whether their few hours off on the weekends are worth your show.
I’ll also give you an idea of where your work can be improved in the future and what you need to hold onto. (It is entirely possible I could be the one positive voice regarding your next production of “Godot”!).
I freely acknowledge that criticism can be good or bad, well or ill-written, exhilarating or dull. But, more than ever it seems to me, we need some kind of voice that will offer a verdict on plays in our area.
