Tonight's a big night for me. I get to be a real theatre critic again.
It's been two years since I wrote my last review for the Colorado Springs Gazette. Sure, I've spent these last twelve months writing for the Colorado Springs Independent, but those reviews only appeared on their blog.
Not a lot of readers. Not a lot of respect.
Over the years, I've asked actors and other theater folk what they want in a review. It turns out they all want the same two things.
No four-star grading system. It's demeaning and arbitrary.
And they want to see the review in print. The newspaper industry may be a dinosaur, but the fact remains people put more stock in inky squiggles than blinking pixels.
My reviews for the Indy meet both desires. The weekly publication has always refused to use a grading system for their reviews.
And as of next week, my reviews will be appearing in their print edition.
Of course, I still may not get much respect. But at least now I'll succeed or fail based on the strength of my writing, not the medium that delivers them.
I'm jumping in with both feet. This weekend, I've got not one but two shows to review: Red at TheatreWorks and Prelude to a Kiss at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center.
So on Sunday, while you're gnawing on buffalo wings and watching all those wonderful Super Bowl commercials, I'll be holed up in my dim little office, slaving away at my 8-year-old laptop.
After all, I've got a deadline to meet. And I couldn't be happier.
(Oh, and so far I've stayed true to my New Year's resolution: 31 submissions in 31 days. I'm going to get some productions this year, or die trying!)
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