The "right to criticize" is not being debated by anyone here. The right of anyone to post whatever he/she thinks is obviously the point of this message board. And though something may not be profane - which is grounds for removal from the site - being "tactful" is a whole 'nother thing.
I refer you to this thread:
https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?thread=850741#1055985 I take serious issue with Matt_G, Tiny-Toon, StephanietheStar and others who have taken to repeatedly mocking Ms. McAlexander in a childish, inconsiderate way. It is a case of guilt by association, and lack of censure by those who post to the thread. To post your well-informed critique of a performance, surrounded by hateful drivel such as this, has the effect of diminishing your solid points. And to lump you in with the lowest common denominator.
Yes, as you've all discovered, some actors, playwrights, directors and other theatre professionals not only read this board, but are willing to interact with you - a relatively small portion of the overall theatre-going community. You should consider this while posting your opinions. Would you want your favorite actor to read your hateful words about another's performance? And thanks to google-cache and the long memory of the Internet, do you want these words - perhaps crafted in your teens or in a fit of anger - to remain floating in the digital ether for the rest of your life?
Truth be known, theatre professionals don't have many conduits for critical/audience reaction. This site and a few others like it give them a rare glimpse into what works and what doesn't. This is a very small community doing very expensive productions that are critiqued in only a handful of publications. Actors do "google" their own names, and may in fact stumble across a board such as this one. For a working actor who has only recently "made it" on Broadway, the effect of your words could be great. Sure, they have to be thick skinned, but posting their picture and/or calling them names is always going to be hurtful.
Movie actors are not likely to pay it much attention, as their scope is so much larger and there are a multitude of message boards for this purpose. But stage actors are much closer to this than you may know.
All I would ask is that you have some humanity in your posts. Be unencumbered, post your opinion and be honest, please! But keep in mind that these are not people without feelings and that they may end up reading what you type in haste.
And how about some self-policing? When someone is out-of-line, even if you agree with the sentiment, it would be nice to see that sort of thing eradicated from within.
