Oh, Theatre Reviews.
From Cowardly Kiss Theatre
(+1 rating, 1 votes)
Loading ...Remember when your Mom used to say, “If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all”? Sometimes it’s difficult not to feel like that about reviewers. After many a glowing review for one of my shows, my other show just happened to get a very cruelly worded first review, which is unfortunate, though I am expecting some better ones in the next day or two.
Sure, we shouldn’t take these things too seriously as artists, but sometimes it’s hard not to. Here are some things to keep in mind to help put you at ease with your possibly less than favourable review(s):
- Most Fringe reviewers for the smaller publications have no previous knowledge of theatre, and have never written theatre reviews in the past. A great majority of them don’t even go to the theatre aside from when the Fringe forces them to. This may lead to bitterness and irritability, among other things.
- Most reviewers have to see at least three or four shows a day, and most reviewers are also human. Put these two things together, and you may find a gradual increase in negativity or bluntness in reviews.
- ALL reviews are one person’s opinion. Your show may rub them the wrong way for reasons completely out of your knowledge or control. They may not get it. They may have an intrinsic hatred of your genre, etc.
Oh, and most reviewers will, of course, catch your show on a nervous opening night, before, of course, you’ve all had the time to get comfortable with your venue and your tech.
Oh, theatre reviews. What a love/hate relationship you create.
P.S. Saw Rabbit Rabbit and Moving Along tonight and really enjoyed them both. (Also sat in for my show, 00:00AM (Zero Ante Meridiem) and I am still proud of it!)
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About Andrea: Founded in 2006 by writer and director Andrea Beça, Cowardly Kiss Theatre has produced two highly successful shows, B, Or, Unless You Steal Her Pen (2007), and the semi-autobiographical Sylvie (2008). The company’s aim is to blend the traditional and the edgy; Beça’s influences range from Oscar Wilde to Charles Ludlum to Enda Walsh and Martin McDonagh. With each new play, Cowardly Kiss Theatre strives not only to produce thought-provoking work, but also to introduce (and re-introduce) new faces to the stage. This year marks the debut Fringe performances of actresses Julia Guy (00:00AM (Zero Ante Meridiem)) and Louise Casemore (She Came From Planet X!), and the return of actor Paul Bezaire (She Came From Planet X!) to the stage after over a decade working as a theatre technician and designer. |
August 19th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
A friend of mine was tlaking to a woman in line who saw your show (the one with the cruel review). She did not agree with the review and was making it her personal mission to get people to your show! That’s gotta mean something, eh?