Does 'A Classic' Automatically Equal Good?

[VonTussleGirl]

Posted: 5/12/07 at 4:41pm

So I saw a production of Our Town last night, and thought it was boring and not exactly the masterpiece it's made out to be. When I voiced my opinion to my mom, she flipped out and started yelling at me, saying that I didn't understand "real theatre" because I disliked a show that's "a classic" and has been around for decades, and that I'm "not ready to go into acting since I don't understand that if something's a classic, it's been proven to be good."

Is this true? I mean, if a show IS one of the "classics," does that automatically prove it to be an amazing show? And is someone a mindless drone who doesn't understand the concept of real theatre if one of these so-called "classics" just doesn't appeal to their tastes?

[LuPonatic]

Posted: 5/12/07 at 4:49pm

No to all questions

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 5/12/07 at 4:49pm

No. Not at all.

Though sometimes you just get stuck watching a bad production of a truly great classic.

But there are some classics I just can't stand.

Some that I downright abhor, i.e. BRIGADOON.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 5/12/07 at 5:08pm

Oh, I think BRIGADOON is one of the most charming, beautiful musicals. you must have seen a bad production.

Classic doesn't automatically equal good - but you'll be hard pressed to find a classic show, movie, etc. that's "BAD." Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it's bad.

And OUR TOWN is my favorite play.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 5/12/07 at 5:33pm

I can tell when it's just a bad production of an otherwise great show.

BRIGADOON is just horrible.

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 5/12/07 at 5:40pm

no.

[Rose_MacShane]

Posted: 5/12/07 at 6:16pm

I love Our Town. But I can see how it doesn't appeal to everyone.
And no, just because something is a "classic" doesn't mean you have to love it. Carousel and Oklahoma are considered classics and I loathe them.

[Taryn]

Posted: 5/12/07 at 6:25pm

There are also a LOT of bad productions of Our Town.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 5/12/07 at 8:05pm

Classic is (IMHO) an inarguable term--good is all relative to opinion.

that said I find it ironic how most modrn productions of Our Town don't realize Wilder wrote it as a stinging commentarya nd critique of American conservative views--now it's usually watered down into a nostalgic sob fest

[bob8rich]

Posted: 5/12/07 at 8:12pm

Obviously a show is not automatically good because it's a "classic" - other than that usually when a show is called a "classic" it's because it has stood the test of time and is still being performed and enjoyed many years after its first production, which should mean that it has some merit.

As for On The Town, I guess it's just a matter of personal taste. I think the score is amazing - some of Bernstein's best ever music. The book can drag a little - but in all productions I've seen of it the dancing has been so fantastic that it has never been boring.

Updated On: 5/12/07 at 08:12 PM

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 5/12/07 at 8:12pm

On the Town?

[bob8rich]

Posted: 5/12/07 at 8:14pm

Sorry - I misread the first post! Now I see it says OUR TOWN, not On The Town. It must be time for me to get to bed - I'm in the UK and it's already past 1 am here - that's my excuse anyway. LOL

[Julian2]

Posted: 5/12/07 at 8:15pm

Updated On: 5/12/07 at 08:15 PM

[Dover]

Posted: 5/12/07 at 11:02pm

Two definite classics that I don't like: On the Town and Oklahoma. Doesn't mean they're bad, but I don't like them at all.

[LuPonatic]

Posted: 5/12/07 at 11:34pm

I hate CAMELOT! (phew, always feels good to say it)

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 5/13/07 at 1:37am

Exactly, Dover - just because you don't enjoy something doesn't mean it's bad.

And to the same effect, just because you enjoy something doesn't mean it's good.

[BroadwaySinger2]

Posted: 5/13/07 at 7:30am

No not at all. Cats and Phantom of the Opera can be considered classics, though they are awful.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 5/13/07 at 7:41am

Interesting that we seem to be saying that, if the play is bad, it's the author's fault... even though, by its very nature, theatre is a collaborative venture. Yes, someone wrote it, but a whole bunch of other people are now responsible for bringing it to life. The best play in the world can be a terrifyingly bad experience if it has a director with no concept and a cast with no clue -- and when you're dealing with something as difficult as OUR TOWN, there are so many pot holes in that road that it takes someone with vision to pull it off well.

But see, we have this idea that because something is a classic, people *should* appreciate it for its just being a classic -- and as such, most productions cut corners. I can think of only a few Shakespeare where I left the theatre as enthralled as I could be. As much as I love reading Marlowe, I've *never* seen a production that rises to what I think the material gives one to play with. And dont get me started on how the Hellenic Greek works have been treated over the centuries -- if theres any area of theatre where we have absolutely no idea how to approach something, it's Aeschylus and Sophocles.

Now, at the same time, we also bandy the word "classic" around a litle too easily these days. Such and such is a "classic for the ages", so and so is an "actress destined for immortality". If everything we *call* a classic actually becomes one, God help theatre students of the future...

[Danielm]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 7:04pm

Of course it doesn't--but you also have to consider whether it's the play or the production. I've seen bad productions of "Our Town" and I've seen ones that were absolutely riveting. Done well it can be completely devastating.

[Jellylorum]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 8:23pm

Liking or hating something is just a matter of taste, and quality is only a part of it.

There are plenty of bad works of art out there, but some people like viewing them just because they like the campiness, such as those movies on MST3K.

[avab802]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 12:10pm

I think plays usually reach the "classic" status because they are good. However, it is definitely possible to see bad productions of great plays. Bad acting and/or direction can make even the greatest of the greats boring to watch.

[gymdudeva]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 12:27pm

Our Town is tricky, because it seems straightforward and simple to produce. However, it is actual a delicate thing that needs to be directed just right for the true emotional resonance to come out. As someone said above, in the right hands, believe it or not, it can be riveting. Also, it broke a lot of theatrical taboos of the time and in that sense is groundbreaking.

A lot of the classics can seem boring if done wrong. I don't think you would deny that Long Day's Journey Into Night or Death of a Salesman are classics, yet I have seen productions of those that put me to sleep.

[dramaqueen2]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 12:31pm

most definitely not.

i just finished up a production of south pacific.. still not a fan and that is considered "classic" too i guess.

and about brigadoon.. was in a production of that and i love it. loved it even before we started rehearsals. i think it just depends on individual taste.

[popular_elphie]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 12:53pm

Nope. I loathe OKLAHOMA! but love WEST SIDE STORY, two classics. There's nothing wrong with having a choice.

[kissmycookie]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 1:03pm

Shakespeare is as 'classic' as playwrights go, but Denzel Washington in 'Julius Ceasar' was a nightmare of a production.