Isherwood Firing
Isherwood Firing
Braniff Forever
Featured Actor Joined: 6/27/15
#1Isherwood Firing
Posted: 2/16/17 at 5:19am
So what's really going on here? Is this article accurate? Was Charles fired more because he didn't get along with the Times staff or because of his close relationship with Scott Rudin, a producer he didn't review? Also, not too smart to bash your employer while using company e-mail. Like don't ever say anything negative about your employer in company e-mail or social media, duh!
New York Times critic fired over relationship with Scott Rudin
?
New York Times critic fired over relationship with Scott Rudin
?
Braniff Forever
Featured Actor Joined: 6/27/15
#2Isherwood Firing
Posted: 2/16/17 at 5:22am
I tried to copy and paste the article from today's NY Post describing what's going on between Isherwood and the Times but it wouldn't link. Maybe somebody more technically savvy than me can do it! Thanks!
#3Isherwood Firing
Posted: 2/16/17 at 6:06am
http://pagesix.com/2017/02/15/new-york-times-critic-fired-over-relationship-with-scott-rudin/
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lsteven
Swing Joined: 4/13/10
#4Isherwood Firing
Posted: 2/16/17 at 7:52am
Except that Isherwood reviewed Rudin's biggest money make of the past few years The Humans - twice. Rudin announced the transfer of The Humans from the Roundabout "before the reviews came out" which no one ever does unless they have the review in advance.
http://deadline.com/2015/10/the-humans-broadway-transfer-scott-rudin-1201595884/
#5Isherwood Firing
Posted: 2/16/17 at 8:13am
Weird piece, but I doubt that any paper would print it if they couldn't back it up.
Two statements that I find false: 1) Isherwood never got to review any major shows, and 2) "He is a well-respected critic."
Good riddance. Now put that old nag Brantley out to pasture and get a new voice.
Braniff Forever
Featured Actor Joined: 6/27/15
#6Isherwood Firing
Posted: 2/16/17 at 8:19am
Interesting! So The Humans made more money than any of his other shows? That's interesting. I saw The Humans and thought the ending was sort of bleak. Nothing seemed to happen. It's like the family all just went home, their separate ways. Althougb I've heard some people say that the father went out to kill himself.
#7Isherwood Firing
Posted: 2/16/17 at 8:25am
In just the last few months, he reviewed three major new Broadway musicals (The Great Comet, Dear Evan Hansen, A Bronx Tale), a few prominent Off-Broadway shows (like Sweat), Kristin Chenoweth's concert at the Lunt-Fontanne, the revival of Falsettos. We're not exactly talking about shows running in church basements on the Lower East Side. The idea that Isherwood was kept from reviewing A-list shows is preposterous; and even if it was true, he's not the chief theater critic.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
neonlightsxo
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/29/08
#8Isherwood Firing
Posted: 2/16/17 at 9:36am
It's true that he's been complaining about not getting the top shows for years. I've heard that from tons of people. What a bizarre entitlement. He was never the top critic, why would he get the top shows? Good riddance.
#9Isherwood Firing
Posted: 2/16/17 at 10:03am
Also, WTF was Isherwood doing corresponding with Rudin from his work email?
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
#10Isherwood Firing
Posted: 2/16/17 at 10:10am
Two lessons every employee should take from this:
1. Be careful what you write in your work email. Your bosses can read it if they want to.
2. If they don't like you at your job, they will find an excuse to fire you. So be nice to everyone.
#11Isherwood Firing
Posted: 2/16/17 at 10:11am
Rudin has his hand in a lot of theatre in NYC. A critic should not be maintaining any sort of relationship with him beyond the professional level. And clearly, gossiping and bitching about the top critic at your publication with a producer is remarkably unprofessional.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
10086sunset
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/8/16
neonlightsxo
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/29/08
#13Isherwood Firing
Posted: 2/16/17 at 10:33am
AC126748 said: "Also, WTF was Isherwood doing corresponding with Rudin from his work email? "
I mean, that's the real question isn't it? Especially after an election season all about emails.
#14Isherwood Firing
Posted: 2/16/17 at 10:35am
Ish was unhappy for the classic reason of someone in a job that has no potential for advancement. There are plenty of people who would kill for his job, but that does not change the fact that no one wants to feel stuck. And Ish was not shy about saying it, not just to Rudin and Goodman but to anyone who would listen.
The best drama critic the Times had in the last quarter century, Peter Marks, left when he saw the writing on the wall, to take a great gig (that ironically is keeping others at the WashPost from advancing). Ish has no similar option, and so just wallowed in his unhappiness. But make no mistake: what he did was a no-no.
neonlightsxo
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/29/08
#16Isherwood Firing
Posted: 2/16/17 at 10:55am
neonlightsxo said: "AC126748 said: "Also, WTF was Isherwood doing corresponding with Rudin from his work email? "
I mean, that's the real question isn't it? Especially after an election season all about emails.
"
Particularly when it's a known fact that employers can (and do) read emails sent from workplace accounts. Not excusing Isherwood's conduct--and from what I've heard, there's more to this story than what's reported here--but I'd at least hope he'd be smart enough to send communiques to Rudin from his Gmail.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
#17Isherwood Firing
Posted: 2/16/17 at 11:00am
Why do you think Michael Riedel didn't write this story? Or maybe he basically wrote it and gave it to a Post colleague to print?
#18Isherwood Firing
Posted: 2/16/17 at 11:12am
I would imagine the topic of "theatre journalist being too tight with producers" is not one that Riedel would like to bring up.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
Braniff Forever
Featured Actor Joined: 6/27/15
#19Isherwood Firing
Posted: 2/16/17 at 11:15am
Maybe he can get a job in theater but in a different capacity? To me he's always come across as a little bit whiny. On FB he comes across that way as well. But he does have a vast knowledge of theater so I'm sure he can work with it in some capacity, but he may have to get creative and entrepreneurial about it.
#20Isherwood Firing
Posted: 2/16/17 at 11:18am
Kad said: "I would imagine the topic of "theatre journalist being too tight with producers" is not one that Riedel would like to bring up.
"
Yeah, but Riedel is a columnist, not a critic. He has no mandate to feign objectivity and he's never been shy in writing about his past dealings with producers, Rudin included.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
CaseyBrent41
Stand-by Joined: 8/24/12
#21Isherwood Firing
Posted: 2/16/17 at 11:28am
Riedel didn't write about this because Riedel is tight with Rudin. He's been at Rudin opening nights....and if you read his column he's very rarely anti-Rudin. Also Riedel was pushing the narrative that SHUFFLE was a revival. Riedel also tried to force the HAMILTON producers' hands in bringing HAMILTON in during the 14-15 (FUN HOME season) so that it wouldn't compete with SHUFFLE, which they always knew was a NEW musical.
#22Isherwood Firing
Posted: 2/16/17 at 11:45am
AC126748 said: "Kad said: "I would imagine the topic of "theatre journalist being too tight with producers" is not one that Riedel would like to bring up."
Yeah, but Riedel is a columnist, not a critic. He has no mandate to feign objectivity and he's never been shy in writing about his past dealings with producers, Rudin included."
True, but I think there's still cause to be wary on his end, especially since he's been seeing ever-reducing space in the Post and clout overall.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
Braniff Forever
Featured Actor Joined: 6/27/15
#23Isherwood Firing
Posted: 2/16/17 at 11:50am
So does the Times currently have any other theater critics besides Brantley? Will they be hiring more?
#24Isherwood Firing
Posted: 2/16/17 at 11:53am
Yes, supposedly they are hiring a new critic. The job was posted. It pays over $100,000 a year.
Personally, I would jump at a job like that (if I were qualified), despite no chance of advancement.
#25Isherwood Firing
Posted: 2/16/17 at 12:11pm
The Times also has a number of freelancers on the theatre staff already. It would be nice if they would hire someone who is not a white man but I'm not holding my breath.
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