Date: Thu, 1 May 2003 11:16:31 -0400 Subject: Re: PUPT: Brantley vs. Barnes on Symphonie Fantastique From: robert smythe <robertsmythe-AT-mumpuppet.org> --Apple-Mail-6-480547624 charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Did we read the same reviews? Brantley seems to be more amazed at where the show has played, the size=20 of the tank, the increase in the number of performers. Having read a number reviews of the piece from its last playing, I can't say that Mr. Brantley is actually offering anything more than a re-hashed press release. John, I think your comments are a bit of what Mary referred to: we hear=20 what we want to hear from critics. Reading Brantley I don't hear HIS opinions, where I definitely did hear Barnes. I don't know that Brantley shows any depth of understanding of what Twist is doing; some=20 of his phrases ring eerily familiar to Barnes's, making me wonder if there is a common source for the terms ("twisted fabric" stands out). Most telling for me in your response, John, is that you said that you don't normally think that Brantley is that good of a reviewer, but now=20 you are willing to make an exception. I believe you had respectful things to say about Mr. Barnes until he disagreed with your opinion. I would also say that "a better description of the action," is perhaps=20 the province of those who don't know what else to say. This hardly shows an in-depth understanding of the background of the piece, a requirement you had of Mr. Barnes. Robert Smythe On Wednesday, April 30, 2003, at 09:39 PM, john bell wrote: > =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0I think that good theater criticism has nothing to do with > whether the critic likes the piece or not; that's pretty much > irrelevent.=A0 Uninformed and superficial praise is just as bad as (or=20 > worse than) an uninformed and superficial slam. > =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0I think good theater criticism includes the following: > =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0a. a good description of what's going on, > =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0b. a good sense of the context and traditions in which the > piece is created, > =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0c. an evaluation of the various elements of the performance, > and > =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0d. an overall sense of how the piece succeeds as art. > =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0If we compare Ben Brantley's review of Symphonie Fantastique > with Clive Barnes's, we can see a bit more depth in the analysis, and,=20 > interestingly enough, a much better description of the action.=A0 Notice > that Brantley acknowledges that a connection to Disney's Fantasia > could be made, but that such a connection does not get to the center=20 > of Twist's work.=A0 Brantley does not stop at the superficial, but wants > to find out what's most important about Twist's goals.=A0 Barnes > dismisses the possibility that Twist might be after something that has=20 > artistic depth. > =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0I don't like a lot of Brantley's criticism, but certainly he's > got more on the ball with this review than Barnes has with his.=A0 And=20 > Mary Robinette's puptcrit review of Symphonie Fantastique is in itself=20 > much better than Barnes's because she takes care to consider a variety=20 > of aspects of the show, and explains how she finds them wanting.=A0 > =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0I think theater criticism is fun and challenging.=A0 Its purpose > is not to figure what's "bad" and what's "good," because rarely are > artworks so easily defined, but to understand how art forms develop in=20 > particular societies in particular moments. > > jb > > Robert Smythe Artistic Director Mum Puppettheatre 115 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 T: 215.925.7686 F: 215.922.5184 robertsmythe-AT-mumpuppet.org http://www.mumpuppet.org --Apple-Mail-6-480547624 charset=ISO-8859-1 Did we read the same reviews? Brantley seems to be more amazed at where the show has played, the size of the tank, the increase in the number of performers. Having read a number reviews of the piece from its last playing, I can't say that Mr. Brantley is actually offering anything more than a re-hashed press release. John, I think your comments are a bit of what Mary referred to: we hear what we want to hear from critics. Reading Brantley I don't hear HIS opinions, where I definitely did hear Barnes. I don't know that Brantley shows any depth of understanding of what Twist is doing; some of his phrases ring eerily familiar to Barnes's, making me wonder if there is a common source for the terms ("twisted fabric" stands out). Most telling for me in your response, John, is that you said that you don't normally think that Brantley is that good of a reviewer, but now you are willing to make an exception. I believe you had respectful things to say about Mr. Barnes until he disagreed with your opinion. I would also say that "a better description of the action," is perhaps the province of those who don't know what else to say. This hardly shows an in-depth understanding of the background of the piece, a requirement you had of Mr. Barnes. Robert Smythe On Wednesday, April 30, 2003, at 09:39 PM, john bell wrote: <excerpt>=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0I think that good theater criticism has nothing to do with whether the critic likes the piece or not; that's pretty much irrelevent.=A0 Uninformed and superficial praise is just as bad as (or worse than) an uninformed and superficial slam. =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0I think good theater criticism includes the following: =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0a. a good description of what's going on, =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0b. a good sense of the context and traditions in which the piece is created, =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0c. an evaluation of the various elements of the performance, and =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0d. an overall sense of how the piece succeeds as art. =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0If we compare Ben Brantley's review of <underline>Symphonie Fantastique</underline> with Clive Barnes's, we can see a bit more depth in the analysis, and, interestingly enough, a much better description of the action.=A0 Notice that Brantley acknowledges that a connection to Disney's <underline>Fantasia</underline> could be made, but that such a connection does not get to the center of Twist's work.=A0 Brantley does not stop at the superficial, but wants to find out what's most important about Twist's goals.=A0 Barnes dismisses the possibility that Twist might be after something that has artistic depth. =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0I don't like a lot of Brantley's criticism, but certainly he's got more on the ball with this review than Barnes has with his.=A0 And Mary Robinette's puptcrit review of <underline>Symphonie Fantastique</underline> is in itself much better than Barnes's because she takes care to consider a variety of aspects of the show, and explains how she finds them wanting.=A0 =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0I think theater criticism is fun and challenging.=A0 Its purpose is not to figure what's "bad" and what's "good," because rarely are artworks so easily defined, but to understand how art forms develop in particular societies in particular moments. jb </excerpt>Robert Smythe Artistic Director Mum Puppettheatre 115 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 T: 215.925.7686 F: 215.922.5184 robertsmythe-AT-mumpuppet.org http://www.mumpuppet.org --Apple-Mail-6-480547624-- --- Personal replies to: robert smythe <robertsmythe-AT-mumpuppet.org> --- List replies to: puptcrit-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu --- Admin commands to: majordomo-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu --- Archives at: http://lists.village.virginia.edu/~spoons
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