Comments on: Spotlighter’s Theatre Unraveled on the Gravel: A New Musical

By: Donald Kay

Donald Kay — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 20:14:53 +0000

This is true, however there are informed reviewers and then there are other ones.

By: Marilyn Millstone

Marilyn Millstone — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 16:24:45 +0000

My play, “The Sculptress,” was also reviewed by Ms. Gusso as part of the 2011 Baltimore Playwrights Festival. This was my first play, and what I have learned is that no two critics – -like no two other audience members — will react in the same way to my play. I see this as both the risk and the reward of live theater.

For better or for worse, live theater will always be reviewed, and I, for one, am trying to be grateful for the good reviews, strong enough to take the bad ones…and, I hope, smart enough to learn from the whole process.

By: Michael Clark

Michael Clark — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:16:33 +0000

Comments are not posted without a full complete name to be associated with the comment. I emailed you that morning asking for your first name and did not receive a response. The decision to allow comments lies solely with myself as editor.

By: Donald Kay

Donald Kay — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 10:40:10 +0000

While the reviewer may have strong (and perhaps, valid) opinions about the play script, she betrays a lack of understanding and finesse on the critique of theatrical elements. To drag fledgling actors over the flames, as she does, is uncalled for and unnecessarily cruel. With what seems like only a partial understanding of production, her review of these elements is very one sided and judgmental, particularly to Ms. Jackelski. The actors, working for no pay and with limited rehearsal time, are at the mercy of a script in process as well as the limited time/experience/ability of the director in working with them. A production is more than just the set and sounds. It is the director’s work with the actors. Ms. Gusso would do well to take that into account before casting aspersions onto the performers.

This reader has read this kind of generalized, awkward and mean spirited comment in other assessments by said reviewer. In the future, more constructive critiques to the actors would be welcome–if Ms. Gusso is capable of this. (I should say that I am not, in any way, connected to this production nor to any of the performers involved.)