In Defense of Criticism

 I defend the art of criticism in the TCG Circle blog. Choice snippet:

Based on what I was taught and what I noticed in practice (reviewing for student dailies, websites, print publications and my personal blog), the respect of the theatre artist is a sometimes-handy byproduct of a review. It is not why critics write.

In the words of Chris Jenson, a stage columnist for the SF Weekly, “My primary role is not to be a cheerleader for local theatre, but to be of service to readers.”

 Read the rest at the circle (and see if you can get the play reference in the title).

Me and Hugh Jackman

 

I saw Hugh Jackman on stage. And he was marvelous. Granted, it's not because of his Australian-accented singing voice (which, while full and deep, isn't very nuanced) but rather, the star stage presence. And because of how pleasant he looks standing there singing and shaking his pelvis.

The older lady who sat in the theatre box in front of me would also agree, mainly because in the opening of the second act, Hugh Jackman came to her box (dressed in a tight-fitting gold shirt and gold pants) and sat on her lap. "Ohh, you're warm," he gushed as she rubbed his arms. Then his hand.

The Oversaturation that is Online Dating

It has been said that my generation is the cyber generation. After all, the democratization of the internet, the creation of chat rooms, Myspace, Facebook and Twitter all came to pass and were popularized as I came of age. Not only that, but my generation also remembers a time where people did write letters and talk to each other on the phone, or, shockingly enough, in person.

Well no more. Since we spend most of our waking lives behind a blank screen, connecting to the rest of the world via pixels, it was inevitable that I would come to this point: online dating. Just last year, the thought of online dating would send the normal person recoiling. And now, as I was talking to different people at my workplace, "Everybody's on OkCupid!"

The Family Play

I blog about the family play for the TCG Circle Blog, the official blog of Theatre Communications Group, my parents at American Theatre magazine.

A choice excerpt:

Perhaps it’s the commonality within the theme of family. After all, not everyone finds themselves battling AIDS (Angels in America) or unwittingly becoming cannibals (Sweeney Todd). But everyone has a mother who drives them crazy (Gypsy).

You can read the rest here.