Monday, February 24, 2014
Reviewing Student Theater is an Invisible Taboo: Conspiracy
HowlRound: This report begins a survey of University theater in greater Boston and Cambridge. Higher learning has significant footholds in Massachusetts Bay, and in aiming to treat the local theater scene broadly and accurately, it seems appropriate to make mention of some of these academic productions and their successes.
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I come from a suburb of Boston, MA, and found this article to be exceptionally true. Where I'm from, criticism is taken harshly, although we are encouraged to be constructive and help others. Student theatre was a realm untouched, however, and because I was so a part of my high school's theatre program, I quickly began to recognize it. I demanded real critique for my work. And no one would give it. Of course, it made me feel worse than it was intended to. I believed that no one had the heart to tell me I was horrible, even if I truly wasn't.
That being said, there is a time and there is a place. If someone asks me what I thought of their work, I will tell them. If they do not ask, there's no point in me criticizing them because 1.) That's rude and 2.) They'll immediately tune out and blacklist me from their advice list.
Student theatre is a tricky subject, but what's important to remember is that these are students. They are there to learn. And if they ask, sincerely ask, help them to continue their learning and enhance their craft.
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