| re: How do theater critics write their reviews? | |
| Posted by: AC126748 09:18 am EDT 06/28/17 | |
| In reply to: How do theater critics write their reviews? - jugenjury 05:46 pm EDT 06/27/17 | |
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| I'm a freelance critic, writing for Talkin' Broadway and several other publications in my region. It is true that outside of New York, press packets are far more paltry. It is not common to receive a copy of the script--even of a world premiere work--unless you specifically ask for one. And even if you do, the chance of getting one is about 50-50. I have tried to lobby for this to be common practice at the theaters that I cover, especially since it costs nothing to send the script to our email addresses as a PDF attachment, but to little avail. At most theaters, the press packet is usually just a copy of the program, a press release, and a link to photographs. So, taking notes is essential, at least to me. I have worked as a journalist, off and on, for more than a decade; thus, taking fast notes is second nature. Shorthand is key. I can take pretty accurate notes without much looking down at my notepad. Others have asked whether this can be distracting--the answer is, not if you know what you're doing. I would never take notes with a pencil or a felt-tipped pen, both of which are very noisy when you press them against the paper--especially in a quiet and acoustically sound room like a theater. Don't ruffle the pages of your notebook. Turn a page quickly at an opportune moment. Of course, not everyone is as astute--I was at a performance last week, and the critic sitting behind me rustled her papers loudly and distractingly throughout the performance. (We had words at intermission.) But I guarantee if I was sitting next to you, you'd probably never know I was taking notes. The other key is writing a review as quickly as possible in relation to the performance attended. I like going to matinees, because it allows me to go home straight from the performance and write with the show fresh in my mind. If I attend an evening performance, I will write first thing the next morning. Unless there is some extraordinary circumstance, I usually try to write by review within 12 hours of the performance, and rarely let 24 hours pass without turning in copy. |
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| Previous: | re: How do theater critics write their reviews? - HMiller 09:45 am EDT 06/28/17 |
| Next: | re: How do theater critics write their reviews? - BillEadie 09:54 pm EDT 06/27/17 |
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