Letter about youth theatre critiques
Mark S.P. Turvin
(home office) (602) 912-0117
I can be reached for comment via e-mail at: mspt@goldfishpublishers.com
Received 12/10/00

From: ***@***.***
Date: Sun, 10 Dec 2000 17:22:47 EST
Subject: Youth theatre
To: mspt@goldfishpublishers.com

Why is it that you don't reveiw Youth Theatre (Such as Desert Stages and Greasepaint) productions? They work just as hard as adults, and would like the same critique as they get.

Kelsey

Kelsey,

I agree that the youngsters that participate in Youth Theatre productions work just as hard as adults, and maybe sometimes even harder. I personally believe that those productions are a time for education, and therefore should not be critiqued. In fact, you'll see that I don't even critique college productions, except for faculty directed ASU productions. Education is very important, and outside critiques without the chance for a personal discussion with the person giving the criticism can have a negative effect on students.

I performed as a student in several youth theatres, and it was a time to make mistakes and learn from them without fear of everyone hearing about those mistakes. No matter how they are handled, critiques can be very difficult to deal with, and are something that should be grown into, through community theatre productions with adults, and eventually to professional theatres.

I appreciate your interest, and wish you well on any productions you're in. I look forward to reviewing you soon in other shows.
Cheers,
Mark S.P. Turvin
Freelance Writer, Dramaturg, & Theatre Critic
Goldfish Publishers, LLC

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