Recommended Schooling for Someone Who Wants to be a Professional Critic

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 11:33am

Does anyone know what type of schooling would be appropriate and beneficial for someone wanting to become a theatre critic? Theatre school? Journalism?

[astonishing1985]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 11:44am

If you want to be a theatre critic you might want to major in English and minor in theatre

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 11:45am

I'm pretty curious about this, too. Not so much for what I'll be doing as an undergrad, but whether I should look into going to grad school for dramaturgy or journalism.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 11:51am

With the exception of Michael Feingold of the Voice, none of the major New York critics have any training whatsoever in theatre or journalism. They all just sorta fell into theatre criticism (which explains why none of them know what the hell they're talking about most of the time). Brantley has an English degree from Swathmore and was a movie critic for Elle Magazine, before being hired as a theatre critic for the Times (he has zero background or training in journalism, theatre, music or dance). Kissell of the Daily News was a movie critic for Women's Wear Daily. Most of the others were working in some other capacity at a publication and somehow got assigned to write a review or two when the main critic was away.

Not sure how one sets out to be a drama critic (I don't think any of the current theatre critics planned or even wanted this career -- it just sorta happened), other than perhaps writing reviews of shows freelance and then submitting them to publications that at least occasionally cover theatre. There are very few openings and less and less space is devoted to theatre coverage, industry-wide (even at the Times), but you can certainly try.

Updated On: 3/20/06 at 11:51 AM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 11:53am

That's what's discouraging, Margo.

Logically, I'd think a background in theatre could only help -- or at least make one equipped to do other things in the theatre if criticism doesn't pan out.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 11:57am

I have a background in theatre, but no English degree. I guess I can always just send off my portfolio to the papers and see what happens.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 12:10pm

I actually think that there are universities that offer degrees -- or at least minors or "concentrations" -- in theatre criticism and history (check U. of Iowa). But, like I said, majoring in this would be a mistake because there are no job openings. Brantley's held his post for 13 years with no sign of stepping down. Isherwood isn't going anywhere. Barnes has been at the Post for 25 years and was at the Times for about 13 years before that. Kissell has been at the Daily News for decades and Feingold is in his 36th year at the Voice. There are only a couple of dozen or so paid slots for critics in the New York metropolitan area (not counting internet critics who are often unpaid). The only cities that have papers that employ full time theatre critics are LA, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington DC, Boston, Toronto and maybe one or two others. Typically in cities that don't have very many new play openings, there's an arts or entertainment critic who covers theatre, music, dance and even movies for the paper.

Updated On: 3/20/06 at 12:10 PM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 12:13pm

There are also schools with programs in arts journalism -- mostly graduate programs, though.

[Calvin]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 12:14pm

The Houston Chronicle has a full-time theatre critic -- and like the others, it's someone who's been there a long time and isn't going anywhere.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 3:18pm

MFA in critical journalism.

[children&art]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 3:36pm

theatre history and criticism, MFA
theatre, BA
english, BA
journalism, minor

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 3:39pm

But why spend $100,000+ on those degrees when no major critic has any of those degrees and apparently no major publication requires or cares about them?

[Calvin]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 3:41pm

So then you can become a professor and instruct others on how to get those degrees.

I have a masters in journalism -- that's useless enough as it is.

[children&art]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 3:41pm

that's just what is in the University of Texas graduate, undergraduate catalog when i looked up under profession "Theatre Critic"

[xM3L24x]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 3:46pm

Everyone I know tells me I should become a theatre critic. I'm not sure that I'm that great of a writer though. I'm taking journalism next year to see if a career in writing would be something I'm interested in.

[Calvin]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 3:50pm

(run away -- trust me -- run away)

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 3:52pm

Mind you, I would love it if a few of our critics had MFAs in something/anything, but it doesn't seem like newpapers care about that.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 4:01pm

They'd probably get paid more.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 4:36pm

This career also interests me. I want to major in English so maybe it might happen. I'm taking a journalism course next semester so I definately will ask about that.

Thanks for all the information thus far.

[Ourtime992]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 4:41pm

Peter Filichia offered me this advice several years ago: if you want to write about theatre, just start doing it. Wherever you are, for whatever publication you can. If you live in a small town, talk to local papers about freelancing. The pay is pathetic, but it's a foot in the door somewhere, and you'll develop a portfolio. When you've got a good number of reviews and preview pieces behind you, talk to the next tier paper in your area. Over time you wil likely fill a niche, and if you're great at it you may just find full-time work in it. If not, you've lost almost nothing. You've attended hundreds of performces, mostly for free, and had the opportunity to examine them in depth. And who among us wouldn't do that anyway?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 4:53pm

might i suggest writing to Ben Brantly or Peter Filichia..(sorry spelling) and ask them...i wrote to Ben once and he wrote me back a very kind response!
also PB Ent. might be someone good to have a chat about this with!

[Garland Grrrl]

Posted: 3/21/06 at 3:40pm

i think you should start a blog if you really want to communicate with people and practice the craft of theater criticism. i learned how to write a review from dr. felicia hardison londre, a great dramaturge and theater historian. however, as it has been some years since i was a student of hers i've found that my taste in theater criticism has been shaped primarily by the poor quality found in publications all around me. i know precisely what i DON'T want to read!
i am a fan of our own Margo Channing and know quite a few people who read him regularly. so -- just do it! and shop yourself around. don't be surprised to see yourself plagiarized either. a certain husband and wife team are regular pilferers on the net.


a great book on dramaturgy and criticism

Updated On: 3/21/06 at 03:40 PM

[Horton]

Posted: 3/21/06 at 6:40pm

Just to let you know, I would not base what you plan to do for your life over what people put on this thread.

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 3/21/06 at 9:00pm

There's a college major for theater criticism.

[jasonf]

Posted: 3/21/06 at 9:14pm

I was interested in being a critic for a while - I wrote most of the theater reviews for my school's newspaper for two years, majored in theater history/academics and minored in journalism. I went to Brandeis U - a top of the line school -- sent out tons of applications to newspapers - and the best I got back was you can start at freelance or beat reporter and maybe in TEN OR FIFTEEN YEARS work your way up to a job you want!!!

I am not in my fourth year teaching middle school, running a drama club, and loving it.