An Open Letter To All Posters on This Board — Page 4

Jane - You have read Goth's post with the voice of Victoria Jackson accompanied by ukulele in order to put it in its proper context.

I have no beef with you, either. I like you.

I've got to say that I'll admit it, I sometimes root for shows to close.

It's not a nice characteristic, I admit it. Do I post these wishes on public sites like this? No - why would I? I try not to be rude.

Being interested in the business of Broadway inevitably leads to analyzing the producers and investors decisions. So yeah, sometimes a show comes along that I wonder what the producers are seeing that I don't - and wonder "Are they crazy - what am I missing?" When my assessment is proven correct and the show closes spectacularly, I fall victim to "I knew better than they did" bravado. (Usually after a drink or two and hopefully only to my long-suffering husband or friends.)

Quietly rooting for an enterprise which employs so many people to fail just to prove one's armchair analysis is not an admirable trait. However, since I have no actual power to affect anything about the production and, to address the issue of posting here, since I'm not about to reveal such wishes to anyone involved, I don't feel particularly guilty.

Finally, I'm amazed that no one has mentioned the other reason I am glad to see some shows fail. I'm always interested in the new shows and productions that are being developed. There are 40 Broadway houses. Shows have to close for new ones to come in. And when it comes to my hope that the next show might transport me out of my seat and become the next great musical or play, I'm a cockeyed optimist.

Updated On: 5/5/15 at 03:41 PM

Someone on another board responded to a poster who asked why so many people become snarky and take such delight in trashing every show they see. He wrote:

"Simple answer: bitterness. Plain and simple.

People who didn't have the courage to go after their dreams or whose talent was insufficient to warrant any support from the industry are looking for revenge and the internet has provided them with a platform that they control. Anonymity is like a drug and unrestrained bile is easy to release online.

You can walk away from a bitter deluded person if you run into them at a party but on the internet they can find a platform to write whatever they want and this gives the otherwise ignored, broken person a sense of self importance they were unable to achieve through guts or talent.

Sadly some of these people are probably talented but broken in a way that makes them unable to do what needs to be done to get anywhere in theater.

Many years ago I used to read a small NJ weekly that hosted a theater critic who had no standing or name recognition in any industry but delighted in taking down actors, directors etc. who were working on the NY Stage. I remember specifically that he wrote Nathan Lane as 'devoid' of an comic ability whatsoever. Whatever you think about Nathan Lane, no sane person could dispute his formidable comic gifts.

When you are this angry, this deluded and this full of vengeance the act of writing something down makes you feel a little bit validated.

Now you see this on these theater message boards and from the 'blog critics' whose carefully spun bios attempt to make their personal failures look like successes in an effort to disguise their sketchy credentials.

These bottom feeding, shame driven people are everywhere online and nothing can be done about them except to simply ignore them."

I thought this really hit the nail on the head.

I have never worked in the theater, but I'm not sure why Broadway theater professionals would read, much less pay attention to, what some anonymous poster or no-name blogger has to say about their shows. As unfair and vitriolic as some of those people can be, they have no influence whatsoever on whether a Broadway show succeeds or fails. Dr. Zhivago isn't closing because of what anonymous posters wrote about it on this board; it failed because the main-stream critics (who sign their names to their reviews for all to see) eviscerated it.

I never feel ripped off if I don't like a show. Every time you buy a ticket it's a gamble. No matter how much any show is lauded or who is giving it raves, there is no guarantee it will suit your own tastes even if you believe there could be no reason not to like it. I learned this when seeing Spring Awakening and the recent Carousel at the Chicago Lyric Opera. I didn't feel ripped off so much as disappointed by an expensive production with names I respect or confused by all the raves. If I choose to spend my money on a show, I already accept that what I see is what I get. What's the point of bemoaning how the money could have been better spent if you have to spend the money to find out?

I am embarrassed for some of you. I don't go to the theatre to find fault. I go to enjoy myself. I always try to find something to enjoy. I am not ignoring what I find fault with. I go probably two times a week to the theatre on average. Sometimes I go four times a week. I am also a playwright. I have had a play reviewed by the NY Times. I got RAVE reviews from about ten other reviewers. The NY Times sent a young reviewer... he brought three of his friends with him. He hated everything about my play and it was quite devastating for me. All turned out well. My play was published and being done all over the country. I signed with a VERY respected literary agent. I spent three years of my life on that play. It was awful for some 28 year old reviewer from The Times to dismiss it in a snarky review that had no resemblance to any of the other reviews. I still think it was a lousy job of reviewing but I have gotten over it. I get what the original post is about. I tried my very best to create art. To paint a hat where there never was a hat... and it's really hard when people just become dismissive and hateful. And... I am pretty thick skinned. I have been in this business for three decades. So if you love theatre.. go with an open heart. Go with Love. Go to find joy. There is NO PLACE I would rather be than in a theatre as the lights are going down on Act One. It's a moment full of endless possibilities.

Strike a nerve, Jane2?

hmm, didn't think so. Another coward in front of a computer.

Are we supposed to guess what show it was?

"You're blanketing the entire creative industry (and I don't even know if you're only referring to theater, or all arts) as bitter people. And you seem to have an idea why they're bitter."

Yeah, I mean obviously it would be incorrect to generalise like that, and my post was vague. So I suppose, to be more specific - I am referring to my personal experience encountering people who work in theatre and theatre students, in real-life, on this board, and on ATC. When I say "bitter", I really mean overly-critical (which probably isn't the same thing. But it does come across as bitter to me). And as for the theory about the overly-criticalness being related to a defensiveness about their own career. It's hard to provide evidence for this. I won't argue strongly this, but I always find it a little awkward when people like Morgan James are overly critical towards those who are much more successful than they are (even though I probably shouldn't). There is some sense of jealousy coming out of it, to me. But this could be completely wrong.

Updated On: 5/5/15 at 07:55 PM

Beautiful post... I stage doored DOCTOR ZHIVAGO and I was so impressed by how kind, grateful and talented the cast was... Sad to see them go.

I remember my first time posting here.... The hate I got for expressing my love for a talent, Andy Karl, made me want to cry; I almost did. It's hard but... Onwards and upwards. :)

NOW all I want to do is buy tickets to DOCTOR ZHIAVGO for Sunday...