FAQ

A show can be very good and not get a Critic’s Pick designation. For some shows, this is an easy decision, while for other shows, it can be a difficult decision. Key questions are (1) is this a show I want to come back and see again with a friend who has not yet seen it, (2) how does this show compare to other Critic’s Picks, and (3) how expensive were the tickets? If the show is based on a true story and/or raises important social issues, this will favor the show versus just a straight comedy.

No, we are volunteers and are not compensated for our reviews. Our compensation is primarily the joy of spreading the word about great art. Some venues may provide us with complimentary tickets in order to review the performance, but a complimentary ticket does not even come close to matching the value of our time, and it does not influence the content of the review. Writing a review can take a couple of hours, not including travel time and the time attending the show. Our time is a magnitude more valuable than the value of a complimentary ticket, if one is provided.

We also pay all of our own travel expenses, including but not limited to airfare, lodging, and meals.

There are far more shows running than we are able to see. Sometimes we desperately want to see a show but cannot due to it being a short run, due to travel conflicts, or due to other conflicts.

Because of this, we do prioritize seeing shows that we expect we will like. Our goal is to spread the word about good art, not to criticize bad productions, and we would rather spend our volunteer time sitting through a good show and writing a positive review. Writing a bad review is no fun for anyone. Therefore, we are very selective about what we choose to attend. This also means our reviews are more often positive than negative, since we are selective about what we will review. We also reserve the right to not write a review after attending a show, if it is deemed just not worth our time to do so. Writing reviews is time consuming volunteer work, and we are under no obligation to write a review - good or bad - after seeing a show.

We generally hold professional theatres with paid actors to a higher standard than we do community theatres with volunteer actors. For example, in a high school musical, we may just expect (and forgive) audio issues, while we generally will not forgive significant audio issues throughout a Broadway production. We also consider the price of the tickets.

No, if a venue or show advertises with us, they understand this has no influence on the content of our reviews. We might express disappointment in one of their shows while at the same time feature a paid advertisement to subscribe to their season. Advertisements are clearly labeled as advertisements. Reviews are never purchased, and reviews are not paid content.

We greatly appreciate you reporting any typos to us. Autocorrect is not friendly with the spelling of many performers’ names, and we are frequently publishing our reviews after midnight, when eyes, fingers, and brains are barely working, in order to publish soon after a show. Please report any typos using our Contact form.