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Letter writer: Theatre and Dance review's merit questioned
Last updated on 00/00/0000 at 12:00 a.m.
On Nov. 11, the Northern Star published a review for “Cinderella Waltz,” a play produced by The Department of Theatre and Dance at NIU. This review generated an unusually strong response from members of the community who had seen the production.
The letters, e-mails etc. expressed, in strong terms, the disappointment in the quality of the review and, by implication, the publication standards maintained by the paper.
The role of the professional critic often can be controversial. The response to a work of art - whether it be in theatre, music, literature, etc. - is subjective to a degree. Nevertheless, if the critic is unable to distinguish between his/her personal response and an objective response based upon the merits of the work, then he/she is no longer a professional critic.
Instead, that individual is merely a layman, no different from a casual passerby on the street who gives their opinion.
The individual who wrote this review is such a person, and it is a shame that the Northern Star would allow her article to be printed. Whether or not she is a student at NIU or a professional critic is not the issue.
She was put in such a position when she was sent to review the play. It is not my intention to list all the errors in the review. My concern is the principle of integrity when writing such an article for the public.
The training in The Department of Theatre and Dance is at a professional level - the evidence of which can be found in countless graduates with successful careers.
In terms of the quality, specifically of the acting program, there are several quotes on line from leading members of the Chicago theatre community who have expressed their admiration for the training here.
The critic for this review is out of her league, in my opinion, and she seems unable to write a critique which is constructive and of value to the participants of this project - a critique which would help them learn.
In one e-mail, it was suggested that her reviews should be limited to high school productions. This is a course of action to be determined by the Northern Star.
However, there are many who feel she no longer should be allowed to review theatre productions at NIU.
Richard Poole
Associate Professor
Theatre and Dance
» Next Opinion Article: U.S., Russia should strive toward unified global security stance
Professor Poole attempts to redeem his theatre program after one not-so-generous review.
Instead he should be teaching his students to deal with professional criticism.
