You’d think a theater critic would get more angry e-mails for giving a play 1 1/2 stars (out of four) than 3 1/2, but the reverse almost always proves true, and with numbing regularity. Most recent case in point: last week’s glowing assessment of Town Hall Arts Center’s “Rent.”
Some e-mailers thought it deserved four. A few crabs thought it deserved one.
I always try to keep an open dialogue with readers — it’s how critics, like the artists we write about, can learn and grow. But I’ve often pondered why 3 1/2-star reviews bring out such consistent disdain.
Maybe it’s because when a production is that good, the people who made it know it. So it’s natural there might be disappointment that it came thisclose to garnering the highest rating, but didn’t.
The thing is, reviews are written for our readers first, not for creative teams.
For the record, our definition of four stars: A production that has fully accomplished its goals without any apparent weakness, either in content or execution. And no matter how great a production is, you can’t give four stars to an inherently flawed play.
Of 3 1/2: An excellent if not faultless work; a rating that acknowledges a great accomplishment, as well as the difficulty and artistry of the task.
And, for the sake of conversation, 1 1/2: Over their heads. I almost never hear back after these reviews because the people who make those shows usually know it too.
Criticism, though, is not democratic. A review is just one person’s gut-level response to art, no more or less valid, or empirical, than yours. Just with better distribution.
But one “Rent” reader who disagreed with my positive assessment of an individual signed off with the scalding, button-pushing condemnation, “You’re biased!”
“I’m what? Why, I never! . . .“
No, wait a minute . . . “Yes, I am!” And that’s OK.
All reviews are subjective, prejudiced by the critic’s visceral response and previous experience with a play or its subject matter. Critics are supposed to have an opinion.
But one “Rent” fan was mad about the actors I chose to single out for compliment; another was mad about those I did not. I reminded the reader that, at this newspaper, we focus our reviews first on the ideas of a piece, its relevance and the overall execution by the creative team.
Yes, we briefly single out extraordinary individual performances (good or bad), but we don’t go through the specifics of a production like a checklist. Those would seem more for the edification of the creative team than our readers.
That can be frustrating to (credit-) starving artists. But we believe reviews that take a more general, open approach are more welcoming to our readers. And in the end, those reviews likely do any given production more good at the box office.
Read the full essay: “What do our star ratings mean?”
Read a detailed explanation of what we think each of our star ratings subjectively “means.” .
Su Teatro signs papers
On Thursday, papers were signed that made Su Teatro the official owner of the Denver Civic Theater, at 721 Santa Fe Drive. For now, Su Teatro will carry a mortgage of about $550,000. But the sale of its former home, the Elyria Building at 4725 High St., should close within the month. The $300,000 from that, plus other committed funds, should lower the mortgage to about $100,000.
“We will then kick off a campaign to close that debt within the next two years,” said artistic director Anthony J. Garcia.
“Today is the day we started out to reach almost four years ago,” he added. “Today, the Denver Civic Theatre will officially return to the Chicano community, and Su Teatro will own a facility that will allow us to become a regional cultural arts center located en el corazon de la ciudad (the heart of the city).”
On Oct. 16, Su Teatro opens “The Lamented Last Dance at the Rainbow Ballroom” (303-296-0219).
See more photos from Su Teatro’s big day
Here’s a photo essay from Thursday’s celebration.
Briefly . . .
Paragon Theatre has announced its 10th anniversary season of “Reasons to Be Pretty,” “Pride,” “A Lie of the Mind” and “Betrayal,” opening in January. Sam Shepard’s “A Lie of the Mind” will bring back Denver Center Theatre actor Sam Gregory to Paragon for a third time (303-300-2210). . . . Read our full report on the announcement
And finally, in response to last week’s column, in which Curious artistic director Chip Walton expressed frustration that his $1 million a year company is capped from getting one penny more in annual SCFD funding than when it was just a $300,000 company, SCFD executive director Peg Long wanted to clarify: “It is not the SCFD statute that limits the amount of funds Curious can receive, but the Denver County Cultural Council’s own funding guidelines that cap all grants at $40,000.”
Also in the news last week
The death of Tony Curtis last week promted us to re-post John Moore’s 2002 interview with the Hollywood superstar in advance of his visit to Denver in the national touring production of “Some Like it Hot.” It’s called,
Even though it’s not yet been announced, The Denver Post has learned that will be visiting Denver and Beaver Creek next year.
John Moore: 303-954-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com
This week’s theater openings
Opening Tuesday, Oct. 5, through through Nov. 7: Creede Repertory Theatre’s “The Ladies Man,” at the Arvada Center
Opening Thursday, Oct. 7, through Oct. 31: Denver Center Theatre Company’s “Dracula,” at The Stage Theatre
Opening Thursday, Oct. 7, through Oct. 23: Springs Ensemble Theatre’s “keepingabreast” Colorado Springs
Opening Thursday, Oct. 7, through Oct. 23: StageDoor’s “Accomplice” Conifer
Opening Friday, Oct. 8, through Oct. 17: Performance Now’s “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” Lakewood
Opening Friday, Oct. 8, through Oct. 24: Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center’s “An Ideal Husband”
Opening Friday, Oct. 8, through Oct. 31: Lake Dillon’s “Doubt”
Opening Friday, Oct. 8, through Nov. 6: Firehouse’s “Beyond Therapy”
Opening Friday, Oct. 8, through Oct. 24: Festival Playhouse’s “Dracula” Arvada
Opening Saturday, Oct. 9, through Nov. 7: Vintage Theatre’s “Angels in America: Part 2: Perestroika”
This week’s theater closings
Today, Oct. 3: TheatreWorks “I Am Nikola Tesla” Colorado Springs
Today, Oct. 3: Parker Arts Council’s “Dearly Departed”
Today, Oct. 3: Crested Butte Mountain Theatre’s “Moon Over Buffalo”
Saturday, Oct. 9: Dangerous Theatre’s “Second Weekend in September”
Sunday, Oct. 10: Arvada Center’s “Sunset Boulevard”
Sunday, Oct. 10: “A Mile High Celebration: The Second City’s 50th Anniversary,” at the Galleria Theatre
Sunday, Oct. 10: OpenStage’s “Brilliant Traces” at the Nonesuch Theater, 216 Pine St. Fort Collins
Sunday, Oct. 10: Shadow Theatre’s “Innocent Thoughts” Aurora
Most recent theater openings
“Always … Patsy Cline” This ubiquitous little musical revue chronicles the true-life friendship between Patsy Cline and a Houston housewife who meets the star at a concert, then corresponds with her until Cline’s untimely death. Songs include “Walkin’ After Midnight” and “Crazy.” Through Nov. 7. Union Colony Dinner Theatre, 802 9th Ave., Greeley, 970-352-2900 or
“Apparition Palestine” Now in their 10th year, the Allied Witches stage a political tragedy each October to mark the beginning of winter. Through Oct. 31. Mercury Cafe, 2199 California St., 303-294-9258 or
“Bang Bang, You are Dead” William Mastrosimone (“Extremities”) wrote this examination of the culture of school shootings in the wake of four successive tragedies from Colorado to Arkansas. He wrote the first draft after his son’s classmate wrote a message on a chalkboard threatening to kill his teacher and fellow students. Through Nov. 7. 73rd Avenue Theatre, 7287 Lowell Blvd., Westminster, 720-276-6936 or the73rdavenuetheatre
“The Clean House” Thunder River opens its 16th season with Sarah Ruhl’s uncommon comedy about a maid who hates cleaning and dreams instead of creating the perfect joke. And a doctor who leaves his heart inside one of his cancer patients. And a woman who keeps her house in order, but whose life is a mess. Through Oct. 15. 67 Promenade, Carbondale, 970-963-8200 or
“Doubt” Sister Aloysius, a 1960s Bronx school principal played by Elizabeth Dowd, takes matters into her own hands when she suspects young Father Flynn (Stephen Weitz) of improper relations with one of her male students. Winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. By John Patrick Shanley. Through Oct. 23. Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company at the Dairy Center for the Arts, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder, 303-440-7826 or
“Something Wicked This Way Comes” Ray Bradbury adapted his award-winning novel into this live fantasy thriller that explores the conflicting natures of good and evil, modesty and vanity, need and want. Two 13-year old boys, rebelling against the constraints of youth, have a harowing adventure when a nightmarish traveling carnival comes to their Midwestern town just before Halloween. The carnival’s leader is the mysterious “Mr. Dark” (played by Jude Moran), who bears a tattoo for each person he has lured into a deadly devotion to the circus. Aurora Fox, 9900 E. Colfax Ave., 303-739-1970 or and here’s
“Werewolves of Poverty Gulch”The Thin Air Players present this all-new melodrama set in turn-of-the-century Cripple Creek, where a timid physician must summon the courage to become a hero as his town is being torn apart by villainous highwaymen. Through Oct. 31. Butte Theatre, 139 E. Bennett Ave., Cripple Creek, 719-235-8944 or butteopera
Best bet: “Angels in America: Part 1”
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Denver’s little Vintage Theatre — capacity 63 — is taking on one of the most sweeping of plays: Tony Kushner’s two-part, six-hour treatise on life and death in the 1980s. The story follows two couples: Louis Ironson, who is living with his AIDS-stricken lover, Prior Walter; and Joe Pitt, a Republican law clerk living with his Valium-addicted, agoraphobic wife, Harper. Starring Haley Johnson, Kurt Brighton, James O’Hagan-Murphy and Vintage artistic director Craig Bond. Part 1, “Millennium Approaches,” plays 7:30 p.m. Fridays and 2:30 p.m. Saturdays, starting tonight. Part 2, “Perestroika,” plays 7:30 p.m. Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Sundays beginning Oct. 9. $18-$23 ($30 for both when purchased together). Through Nov. 6. 2119 E. 17th Ave., 303-839-1361 or
Best bet: “Night of the Living Dead”
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Flesh-eating zombies return to the Bug Theatre for a third consecutive Halloween season as George Romero’s 1968 classic film “The Night of the Living Dead” is told like it was never meant to be seen: live and on stage. Seven people find themselves trapped in a farmhouse surrounded by flesh-eating ghouls. A unique aspect of the live staging is that all the action taking place inside the farmhouse is on the stage, while the action outside the house is projected onto an overhead screen. 8 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. $12-$15. $3 off if dressed in full zombie makeup and costume. Through Oct. 31.Bug Theatre, 3654 Navajo St., 303-477-9984 or .
Complete theater listings
Go to our complete list of in Colorado, including summaries, run dates, addresses, phones and links to every company’s home page. Or check out our listings or
The Running Lines blog
Catch up on John Moore’s roundup of theater news and dialogue.
