Date: Tue, 03 Sep 2002 09:11:28 -0700
From: Mary Robinette Kowal <maryrk-AT-earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: PUPT: critique


Thank you for that history Elder David.  Clearly some panelists should
have been spanked.

Out of curiousity, was there a moderator for these panels?  Back when I
was an art major in college, where I learned the value of critique, the
teacher served as our moderator and forced good critiquing habits on
us.  It's also where I learned to abhor the phrase "I liked it".  Always
glad to know that, but the "why" is much more interesting.

Part of the reason I'm also curious about getting an honest critique of
our shows is that we had something go wrong at the West Coast Festival. 
It should have been a fairly important plot point, but no one seems to
have noticed.  Which makes me question many, many things.

Mary

nmt-AT-sover.net wrote:
> 
> Hi Mary - MANY years ago there were open puppet critiques at festivals.  The
> day following the performances the critiques were given ONLY IF the puppeteer
> that presented the show allowed it.  There were 5-6 'recognized' (how else can
> I say that?) puppeteers on stage - an open panal discussion type thing.  From
> Margo Rose I learned what the responsibilities/how-to-give-a-fair-review should
> be done.  She ALWAYS began by saying, "This is only my opinion" (not speaking
> for everyone on the panel). She always praised what was good and things she did
> not think helped the performance she would carefully explain why she felt that
> way and ALWAYS threw out 4 or 5 possibilities/ideas for a change in the show.
> She was terrific!  Very helpful and stimulating to the puppeteer
> being 'reviewed'.  So during the years that I would be up there 'talking' I
> also always began by saying, "This is only MY opinion" and pretty much followed
> Margo's format.  It SHOULD have worked, SHOULD have helped, SHOULD have been
> very illuminating and helpful to the members that attended (over 70 % would
> show up).
> 
> UNFORTUNATLY there were a few folks on the pannel that, for what ever personal
> reason, just ripped into the poor puppeteer sitting in the audience who was
> trusting enought to allow us to discuss their work openly, hoping to get
> unbiased opinions from those on the pannel - these 'few folks' would always
> give their opinion as if it were straight from God him/her self - would
> devistate the puppeteer, leave them bleeding for all to see.  One pannelist had
> the nerve to say, "There is absoutly nothing redeaming about your show - I
> suggest you take it out to your back yard and burn it!"  OUCH! Needless to say
> not all the puppeteers who wished to be reviewed were 'into pain' and the 'open
> reviews' were stopped.  It would have been easier to remove the offending
> panalists but, like in ancient Rome, some of the membership came to the reviews
> hoping to see blood - sort of a late mornings appitizer before lunch.
> 
> The idea of having an open review panel is great and should have worked - good
> for the puppeteer who truly wanted to get some helpful input, improve their
> work, good for the membership to get them thinking about WHY they really
> liked/disliked the show, what THEIR suggestions would have been (yes, we took
> comments from the floor)and be able to articulate their opinions.  Perhaps some
> day an 'ideal' panel can be put together that can truly do a good service to
> puppeteers wishing some unbiased perspective on their production . . . and I
> guess that at the same time pigs will also fly to the moon.
> 
> David Syrotiak (the elder)
> 
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-- 
Mary Robinette Kowal
Other Hand Productions
http://www.otherhandproductions.com


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