What’s the Buzz?
We know too well the laments about shrinking critical jobs and authority. But are we looking for the future in all the wrong places?
Category Archives: The Critical Condition
Theatre critics may seem besieged on all sides—by the shrinking of newspaper and magazine arts coverage, by criticism of their cultural competency and lack of diversity, by the indifference of consumers for whom it’s easier than ever to find and form their own opinions. But if you’re as tired as we are of reading the same old lamentations and defenses, these stories look at new models and formats, new challenges and solutions, as we attempt to tap the energy and sniff out opportunities for new dialogue afforded by the changing critical landscape.
A Second Act for Theatre Criticism?
Reviewers and reporters are an endangered species. Here’s how some of them are surviving—and even thriving.
The Critical Palette
Three theatre critics of color who are used to being the only one who looks like them on the aisle seat.
A Critics Bestiary
There may be as many kinds of writers about theatre as there are kinds of theatre. Here’s a handy guide.
Tastemaking in a Post-Newspaper World
Sure, theatres can find ways to spread the word without critics, but patrons still want—and deserve—disinterested reviews.
Black Bodies, White Writers
The crushing homogeneity of theatre criticism means it’s missing crucial perspectives—and its relevance to readers.
A Critical Lion in Winter: Robert Brustein Looks Back
The legendary critic and impresario is still writing every day, though he’s largely left the battlefield to other warriors.
The View From the Aisle Over ‘10,000 Nights’
Choice notes from an extraordinary theatregoing career, documenting trends and artists of the late 20th-century stage.
