Chapter 3 The Critic and the Audience

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Chapter 3The Critic and the Audience

• What is a critic?
• Someone who observes theater and then analyzes
  and comments on it
• A knowledgeable and highly sensitive audience
  member
• Presumably better informed about theater than the
  average spectator
• However, most audience members act as amateur
  critics

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What is Criticism?

• Criticism is the understanding and appraising of
  a theatrical event
• Although sometimes theatre critics cannot help
  but enjoy finding fault

With the single exception of Homer, there is no
eminent writer . . .whom I can despise so
entirely as I despise Shakespeare . . .
George Bernard Shaw
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Preparation for Criticism

• Ideally, a critic should have a thorough
  knowledge of and background in theater
• A good theater critic should possess
• Knowledge of theater history
• Knowledge of acting, directing, and design
• Familiarity with different plays and different
  styles as well as playwrights
• The ability to relate theatrical events to
  society

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Critical Criteria

• Every critic should develop criteria (often in
  the form of a set of questions) by which to judge
  a play and production
• Examples of critical criteria
• What is being attempted?
• Have the intentions been achieved?
• Was the attempt worthwhile?

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Descriptive and Prescriptive Criticism

• Descriptive Criticism
• Attempts to clearly and accurately describe what
  is happening in a play or performance
• Prescriptive Criticism
• Attempts to not only describe the play or
  performance, but also offers advice and comments
  about how it should be done.

• It is important to always distinguish the facts
  in
• a criticism from the opinions of the critic!

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The Reviewer and the Critic

• Whats the difference???
• Reviewer
• Usually works for television, radio, or newspaper
• Reports on the theatrical event
• Summarizes plot and identifies actors
• Offers an opinion on whether or not the event is
  worth seeing
• Critic
• Usually works for a magazine or scholarly journal
• Describes but also analyzes the event
• Contextualizes the theatrical event

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The Audiences Relationship to Criticism

• The Audiences Independent Judgment
• Theatergoers should not be intimidated by
  critical authority
• There is no absolute authority critics often
  disagree with one another about a play
• Audience members can and should make up their own
  minds
• Analysis and Overanalysis
• Some critics can become so concerned with
  criticizing the play that they miss the joy of
  the experience
• The critic must be aware of the job without
  letting it overshadow the immediacy of the
  theatrical event