tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post8874126988901519222..comments2023-06-08T09:09:26.663-04:00Comments on THE CHARLEBOIS POST - MONTREAL: After Dark, April 3, 2011Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-68029505146576835022011-04-05T19:51:32.628-04:002011-04-05T19:51:32.628-04:00Sigh...
To show what I mean by thin-skinned, I co...Sigh...<br /><br />To show what I mean by thin-skinned, I could not choose a better example than your #1. "The tone and language used in the review of Schwartz's and the review of Humans..." It enrages me that the comments on Goddard's piece rarely took note that it was not our review. Our review, published the night the show opened, was completely and utterly positive (not masturbatory at all, I do believe) and most of the three dozen goddam reviews on this site have been positive...take some time and have a look. Everyone went fucking apeshit over an article that was published after the show closed and - importantly - after it set a record for attendance for that space. MY God! Just how much glutinous hurrah-ing does one show require to feel successful in this city?! And is our Schwartz review going to do damage? No! As has been shrieked from the rooftops, it is damn near sold out for the entire run. Centaur - after they called our reviewer a cunt - wisely moved on and are quoting the Gazette which is what I mean when I say we need an army of reviewers - we need varrying opinions. And as to the writing of the Schwartz piece - clearly that is a matter of opinion. I have been writing and reading reviews for 40 years and I happen to think it says what it needs to say without being tedious. End of. And what you do around bar-rooms has nothing to do with the point I am making. I am talking about open, public discussion.<br /><br />One more thing. Simple. Do. Good. Shows. <br /><br />When you do, we'll say it as we always have.<br /><br />Jayzus.THE CHARLEBOIS POSThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08217129925286207040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-75476451743674188672011-04-05T16:57:17.222-04:002011-04-05T16:57:17.222-04:00I have never witnessed a dearth of honest criticis...I have never witnessed a dearth of honest criticism, both for better and worse among MELT members. Heated conversation about the good, bad, and ugly take place over barroom tables, in venue lobbies, through e-mail and on the Facebook posts of those members who present and offer critiques. <br /><br />We are not shy. We are hard on each other. I have seen things come to blows. I have seen unfavourable reviews break up relationships, and drive people to change professions. I have seen sincere, honest critique compel and propel theatre makers to do better. I've seen crap reviews do so the same.<br /><br />What I'm observing MELT do at Charpo is not us showing our thin skins. As is evidenced by the content of the comments, wherein we're ranting about the quality of the *review* rather than that of the *show* -- It's not that we can't take a bad review. It's that we don't take well to pontifical tones. We don't respond well to critiques that go "I HATE IT" or alternatively, "Look at how cleverly I can hate this" for a few reasons:<br /><br />1) To borrow a phrase, A Critique It Ain't. The tone and language used in the review of Schwartz's and the review of Humans that garnered controversy here in the past are not conducive to productive, civilized conversation. Badly written and ill-thought-out reviews serve nobody. In these 2 cases, they border on masturbation. Write us a review that compels us to discuss how we can do better.<br /><br />2) We'd call out a play that's all style and no substance, we'll roll our eyes and dismiss as childish any show that is shocking for shock's sake. We behave the same way about the reviews than we do about each other's show. What's that? You don't like the reaction to your review? Simple. Write. Better. Reviews. It's possible that there's a bit of the old Freudian projection going on here.Nanette Soucyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06430518574768662399noreply@blogger.com