Things happen in threes, right?

Last week, my bloggin’ hero, Seth Godin, wrote a fantastic entry called, “The Critic Stumbles,” where he publicly announced that he thought the Times got their review of Macbeth wrong, especially in the face of what was obviously extreme positive feedback from the public.

Then, Scott Rudin, took a public swipe at the Times in an ad for Testament of Mary(!) because of a feature he didn’t like so much.

And finally, Alec Baldwin hit the trifecta yesterday with his piece in the Huffington Post called “How Broadway Has Changed,” where he . . . well . . . calls for the Chief Theater Critic of the NY Times, Mr. Ben himself, to be removed (!).

As I wrote last week, I’m a fan of reviewers and theatrical criticism in general, despite what some might think.  Anyone who amplifies a conversation about the theater, whether it’s the Times or a blogger in Boise is a winner in my book.  And, I’ll admit it, I disagree with Mr. Baldwin . . . I think the other Mr. B, is a fantastic writer . . . and don’t tell anyone, but I agree with him, oh, probably about 80% of the time, and yep, even when he has been mixed on some of my own shows!

But that’s not what this blog is about.

Producers, actors, etc. responding to negative press, or bad reviews has always previously been thought of as sour grapes.  But in today’s age of social media and celebrities having bigger distribution methods than a lot of the theater writers, is the tide turning?

And should the traditional press embrace it?

Should the Times respond to Alec?  Maybe feature a panel discussion with him as a featured speaker?  A debate?  Were you surprised that the Times even ran the ad with the Rudin quote?

Is there a way we could use this obvious tense situation to amplify the conversation about theater even more?

Because one thing you can’t deny on both sides of this discussion . . . the theater is filled with passionate people, no matter what side of the footlights you’re on.

And businesses have boomed on the fuel of passion for decades.  In moments like this, we just have to figure out how to bottle it.

 

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