Written by Patrick Chavis

I’ve now been a theater critic for over a decade, specializing in the Orange County and LA theatre scenes. Both The Orange Curtain Review and LA Theatre Bites Podcast have rarely strayed away from reviewing a theater show they were invited to, whether it’s an intimate theater, a midsize theater, or a large professional theater like the Ahmanson, or a small black box theater that you might find at the Hollywood Fringe. This all comes from a philosophy that, whether you have $100 or $100,000, sometimes with the right story, people, and passion, you can create magic, even on the simplest of terms. This is something I sincerely believe, and it’s why we don’t limit our criticism to a particular type of theater or split these theaters up into categories. The goal has always been to bring the theater community together — not to split them apart.

Theatre Criticism:

There are people, however, who believe it’s unreasonable, impossible, or unfair to put all these diverse productions up against each other. One thought, of course, is that the Broadway-level shows are just inherently better. They have the professionals, money, and probably more time. All this can be true. However, two things can be true at the same time, and living in the gray bothers people. I have no problem with it, as long as it’s true. When I review these shows, I do so individually, within the context of each show, the type of theater, and its professional level.  10/10 from a one-person show at a black box theater may not be as flashy as a 10/10 at a bigger, more professional theater.

But in the context of that show, the actors and actresses who sweated on stage in the context of what they were doing for the night, these shows embody an equal amount of excellence in their production. To the extent that a critic can actually quantify the talent of art, it is ultimately subjective, but to only say this and deny the craft is also folly.

Like a theater that is living and breathing as long as someone decides to jump on the stage, so is criticism, as long as those who continue to write light the torch. Criticism provides a document in a place and time. It can open up new ideas or simply help someone decide what to see. So, in my view, it’s not so much that the shows are competing against each other, which they are to an extent, but it’s more like they are striving for excellence, and we are cataloging it.

Elitism

Actor Daniel Day-Lewis, in an article published pretty recently, which you can click here to read, talked about elitism in the theater. While Lewis makes his point about the cost and education that limit people’s ability to enjoy the art form. I think elitism even goes into the perception of what a theater critic is. This is rare, but I remember going to a show and sitting down to review a production when a lady got out of her seat — mind you, not even someone who worked there — and explained to me that this seat is for critics.

To which I had to say, I am critic. I wish I could say this has happened only once in my career, but I can’t. While it really was only a minor inconvenience. I bring it up not to fan flames, but to acknowledge that perception can be powerful. Our preconceived notions of what should be, or can be, affect people. This woman saw me there and was like, “Something isn’t right.” That can turn people away from the theater when we want to bring them in, especially since the theater community has been one of the most supportive and loving communities I’ve ever experienced.

It’s not an easy issue. Some theatres and organizations work hard to make theatre more accessible to the community by providing cheaper tickets and accessibility for people with disabilities. Many wonderful community theatres are affordable and put on excellent shows. In a time when we are losing third spaces, that’s precisely what theatre could be. What a brilliant, third-space theatre could be. Who is stepping up to make this happen?