By Bob Roberts
For the Real Critics Blog
"No refunds. No exchanges. No exceptions." Thus reads a white paper sign scotch-taped above the Old Town Temecula Community Theatre box office. And again, taped on the counter below the hole in the box office window: "No refunds." Why such a tactless presentation of such an inconsiderate customer service policy? Well, having just sat through "The Miracle Worker," presented by Temecula Valley Players, I might have an idea.
Fresh off their ovation-worthy "13: The Musical," TVP debuts yet another cringe-worthy attempt at legitimate theater with William Gibson's play about Helen Keller, the blind-deaf American icon whose legacy has come to symbolize triumph against the most difficult of circumstances. Unfortunately, unlike Lapp, director Terry Miller Schmidt is unable to transcend the difficulties (of a mostly youth cast and a challenging script) to provide us with two hours' traffic worth the steep-for-community-theatre admission price.
Straight theatre is tough. No catchy tunes everyone knows, no elaborate dance routines, no flash, no twelve-piece band or bobbing conductor's baton - nothing between the audience and whatever heart-warming/rending truths the actors can relate. Those simple truths, which elevate the medium beyond the usual fluff - especially when depicting such a powerful true story - were glaringly absent from this production.
Schmidt, director of 120+ plays, let her cast drown. Hankered by inconsistent, cartoonish accents and complete ignorance for the purpose and subtleties of narrative, they flailed blank-eyed around the stage, listening only to their own voices rattling around in untrained ears; succeeding only in dragging the audience down with them into the depths of discomfort that only bad theatre can instill.
While we're on the subject of amateurism, let's talk a moment about stage design. I'm all for minimalism. No need to build an entire house. But how about some Plexiglas in the window frames? Wouldn't that look better? And about that small section of outer wall painted to look like siding, couldn't you have used that same bit of plywood to make actual siding? As for the water pump - which appeared to work, and looked great by the way - did you have to surround it with wood painted to look like rocks? Especially since the set is stationary, couldn't you have used actual rocks? You're professionals. Time to let go of the elementary-school-play design techniques.
I know I've probably hurt a lot of feelings, but since they've made quite clear that I'll never see my $28 again, I think I've paid for the right to express my concern as a customer. Were I able to get a refund, I probably wouldn't have felt the need to say anything.
For the Real Critics Blog
"No refunds. No exchanges. No exceptions." Thus reads a white paper sign scotch-taped above the Old Town Temecula Community Theatre box office. And again, taped on the counter below the hole in the box office window: "No refunds." Why such a tactless presentation of such an inconsiderate customer service policy? Well, having just sat through "The Miracle Worker," presented by Temecula Valley Players, I might have an idea.
Fresh off their ovation-worthy "13: The Musical," TVP debuts yet another cringe-worthy attempt at legitimate theater with William Gibson's play about Helen Keller, the blind-deaf American icon whose legacy has come to symbolize triumph against the most difficult of circumstances. Unfortunately, unlike Lapp, director Terry Miller Schmidt is unable to transcend the difficulties (of a mostly youth cast and a challenging script) to provide us with two hours' traffic worth the steep-for-community-theatre admission price.
Straight theatre is tough. No catchy tunes everyone knows, no elaborate dance routines, no flash, no twelve-piece band or bobbing conductor's baton - nothing between the audience and whatever heart-warming/rending truths the actors can relate. Those simple truths, which elevate the medium beyond the usual fluff - especially when depicting such a powerful true story - were glaringly absent from this production.
Schmidt, director of 120+ plays, let her cast drown. Hankered by inconsistent, cartoonish accents and complete ignorance for the purpose and subtleties of narrative, they flailed blank-eyed around the stage, listening only to their own voices rattling around in untrained ears; succeeding only in dragging the audience down with them into the depths of discomfort that only bad theatre can instill.
While we're on the subject of amateurism, let's talk a moment about stage design. I'm all for minimalism. No need to build an entire house. But how about some Plexiglas in the window frames? Wouldn't that look better? And about that small section of outer wall painted to look like siding, couldn't you have used that same bit of plywood to make actual siding? As for the water pump - which appeared to work, and looked great by the way - did you have to surround it with wood painted to look like rocks? Especially since the set is stationary, couldn't you have used actual rocks? You're professionals. Time to let go of the elementary-school-play design techniques.
I know I've probably hurt a lot of feelings, but since they've made quite clear that I'll never see my $28 again, I think I've paid for the right to express my concern as a customer. Were I able to get a refund, I probably wouldn't have felt the need to say anything.
Ouch!
ReplyDeleteI think that an inconsistency is apparent here which cites both "community theater" and "professionals" in the same, mean spirited review.
ReplyDeleteHaving glanced over the recent "Real Theatre Critics of the IE" webpage, I saw a fresh review for "The Miracle Worker" as produced by TVP.
ReplyDeleteFresh, or perhaps I should say, rotten.
Rotten, mean spirited, trite and absolutely bereft of anything worth calling "useful" if not to read how the author, a Mr. Bob Roberts, loves to see how "clever" he can be with his poo-pooing the work of some 30+ people.
I also rather thumb my nose at the very notion that the "Critics of the IE" has any manner of reputation to GIVE such awful criticism, as a number of previous entries (so-called "reviews") have also read as horrid diatribes of petty platitudes instead of being in ANY way meaningful or helpful.
Yes, I too can be mean. But I have learned that "being mean" and "being critical" are two VERY different things. Being critical serves a purpose.
Being mean, which is what the "Real Critics" seem to do a good deal of the time, does NOT.
Roberts says: "Schmidt, director of 120+ plays, let her cast drown. Hankered by inconsistent, cartoonish accents and complete ignorance for the purpose and subtleties of narrative, they flailed blank-eyed around the stage, listening only to their own voices rattling around in untrained ears; succeeding only in dragging the audience down with them into the depths of discomfort that only bad theatre can instill." (http://ietheatre.blogspot.com/2011/02/show-us-sign.html)
Lovely. Does he offer a comparison? No. Does he explain his experiences in the field of directing? Acting? No. Does he take into account that the community theatre tends to bring people into the scene who want to try but have never done so before, or who are branching out, or that this is their effort after three months of rehearsals, time away from families, work, etc?
No.
He is a very small man, with a very big, bile-filled, vitriol-spewing brain. I am not surprised he found a home with "Real Critics", given that they seem to go out of their way to lambaste the efforts of well-meaning people, and not offer an iota of CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM. (See http://ietheatre.blogspot.com/2010/06/without-vision-these-shows-perished.html for further trivial tripe.)
I challenge "Real Critics" -- and ANY critic for that matter -- to STOP being petty, crude, selfish, self-important. Pat your damned self on the back when you've actually said something that HELPS others, and not HURT.
Two cents. Take it or shove it.
Not once did you critique the actors, you just told them what was wrong. You refer to yourself as a "critic" not a "jerk", so don't be one. Temecula Valley Players does not own the Old Town Theatre, so there was absolutely no reason to bash on virtually the only theatre in Temecula in a review of The Miracle Worker. I don't see how you can review a community production as if it were on broadway.
ReplyDelete"Hankered by inconsistent, cartoonish accents"? Does voluble 'critic' perhaps mean 'hampered'? Or does he even know the difference? Jeez, at least give us a critic who can correctly use the English language he purports to know so much about.
ReplyDeleteI happen to agree with a lot of what this reviewer criticized about the show. First and foremost, it's a joke that this company or the theatre itself do not offer refunds to it's patrons. It's like saying to them "we know the show is really bad, we can't afford to give you refunds, so tough". What kind of company would do that? Obviously one that doesn't care for it's patrons. When you offer tickets at 20-25 dollars a pop, you are communicating to your patrons that yes, we know that's an expensive ticket, but the quality of our work is such that merits that ticket price. Thats where the fault lies, the quality of the pieces presented are not at a level that merit the ticket price. I haven't seen a single show in the empire that is worth that ticket price. If you don't want to be critiqued, don't do theatre. If you want to do community theatre, lower your ticket prices, your patrons expectations and DO community theatre. And stop complaining about a bad review, it makes you look insecure and petty. After all, this is a blog site... Not the Los Angeles Times.
ReplyDeleteYou guys are really strange if all you do is criticize about ticket prices. I understand they are high but oh well deal with it. In my opinion i thought it was worth paying for. I enjoyed the show.
ReplyDelete