{"id":304,"date":"2016-02-11T20:41:18","date_gmt":"2016-02-11T20:41:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/2\/?p=304"},"modified":"2022-05-29T09:32:15","modified_gmt":"2022-05-29T09:32:15","slug":"a-journal-that-fills-a-void","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/2\/a-journal-that-fills-a-void\/","title":{"rendered":"A Journal that Fills a Void"},"content":{"rendered":"

Steve Capra<\/strong>[1]<\/sup><\/a> (New York)<\/p>\n

\"1272107350\"<\/p>\n

The first issue of Critical Stages<\/i>, The International Association of Theatre Critics\u2019 webjournal, appeared in the last quarter of last year. It\u2019s rare that a new journal fills a void, as this one does, and it\u2019s very welcome.<\/p>\n

From the Publisher\u2019s Opening Words, a sort of manifesto, the journal is substantive. Yun-Cheol Kim\u2019s statement, not universally accepted, that \u201c<\/i>the most important function of theatre criticism is\u2014and should remain\u2014to generate interest in the theatre arts in society\u201d is well taken. His four points of \u201cinteresting writing,\u201d while debatable, address the issues squarely. He makes a particularly important point, also debated, that critics should connect our theatre experience to our daily lives.<\/p>\n

The interviews, the reviews, the discussions of our iconic influences\u2015these all reflect an erudite and articulate critical community. Indeed, Robert Greig\u2019s review is close to a model of analysis. Naturally, the material paints a more sanguine portrait of world theatre than it deserves. As our publisher rightly notes, \u201cThe theatre is in a real crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n

The unique contribution of the issue lies in its first and final sections: \u201cTheatrical Commentary and Professing Theatre Criticism\u201d <\/i>(it\u2019s unclear why the sections are separate). It\u2019s here that Critical Stages<\/i>addresses its mission most directly, and we find discussions of criticism per se<\/i>, material that contextualizes our work. It somehow validates us. We\u2019re particularly pleased to read reports from the IATC seminar in Toronto, which designed a plan to record the history of public theatrical commentary.<\/p>\n

Critical Stages<\/i> reflects implicitly some perennial concerns:<\/p>\n

Are our standards common among us, or are they individual?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Peter Szaffko tells us:<\/p>\n

\u201cPersonal experiences, of course, cannot be left out or ignored but they form a very delicate segment of criticism.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yet in the next article, Michael Handelzalts implies that our individuality is crucial:<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are usually referred to in the plural\u2015”the critics.” But they are individuals, each one with his or her unique skills, tastes, work ethics and moral and artistic compass.\u201d<\/p>\n

What is our relationship to the public? Do we share their standards? Do they listen to us?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Michael Handlezaltz and Matti Linnavuori suggest that our profession itself distances us from the audience:<\/p>\n

Handelzalts: \u201cIn many instances the audience is seeing for the first time a play that the critic has already seen many times. The theatregoers do not necessarily seek, nor can they appreciate, a \u2018new and daring reading of the play.\u2019”<\/p>\n

Linnavuori: \u201cAccording to Nor\u00e9n, one Swedish critic is tired and disgusted because she must see so much theatre, and to get a reaction out of her the stage grammar needs to become more and more brutal. I share her experience, which is all the more reason to turn to Nor\u00e9n’s observations.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Kim, in his examination of Korean criticism, glances at our effect on the public: \u201cKorean theatre commentaries during the period of Japanese rule \u2026 were given huge space in the daily newspapers and contributed enormously to attracting readers and generating their interest in theatre. By comparison, the current day\u2019s scientific and analytical commentaries have much less space and severely reduced stature\u2014and thus, much less impact.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is a small step to the next question: what is our relationship with the theatre and its artists? What effect\u2015if any<\/em>\u2015do we have?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In interviews with Yun-Taek Lee and Marta Carreiras, Bang-Ock Kim and Rita Martins, respectively, ask: \u201cDuring your career, have you received a particularly insightful piece of criticism?\u201d The answers received are not particularly helpful, and we\u2019d like to see the question expanded.<\/p>\n

More revealing is the passage in Rita Martins\u2019 interview with playwright Jos\u00e9 Maria Vieira Mendes, in which the latter tells us:<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a difficult relationship with the critics because I often (if not always) feel that they speak a language that isn\u2019t mine.<\/em>\u201d And he refers to criticism as a form of <\/i>\u201creading\u201d which is not compatible with my (our) way of \u201cwriting.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his historical review of Japanese criticism, Manabu Noda writes:<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it even possible to assume that the maturity of theatre commentaries helped kabuki<\/em> develop from its initial revue-like shows into performance with full dramatic content?\u201d<\/p>\n

After a discussion, he concludes that \u201c\u2026<\/i>the detailed records of kabuki<\/em> performances initiated by Miki have contributed, at least partly, to turning kabuki<\/em> from an amorphous art into a tradition of classical theatre.<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n

Here, at least, is one example of criticism having an effect on art.<\/p>\n

The current question, of course, is what the future of criticism will be. It\u2019s often discussed, imbedded in larger discussions of the seismic events in the publishing industry. Critical Stages<\/i> is wise not to dwell on it in its premier issue. Naturally, Kim alludes to it in his foreword, and Ian Herbert\u2019s comments (reporting on the IATC\u2019s meeting in Toronto):<\/p>\n

\u201cRumbling away under all our fascinating and varied discussion was the question which most exercises today’s critics, wherever they may be practicing and at whatever level: for how much longer will we be able to find the space to continue the tradition of comment and commentary that goes back so far?\u201d<\/p>\n

Critical Stages <\/i>is very handsome, with beautiful and revealing photos complementing the text. However, the sectioning of the magazine is arbitrary, and, the web structure of the document\u2015i.e., the formatting and linking\u2015is confusing. There are better online periodical templates than this one, with its clumsy menu.<\/p>\n

We are a community of writers, and as Critical Stages<\/i> evolves, we\u2019re eager to see its editorial policies further codified. The Special Issue (presumably meaning Special Section<\/i>) was a set of interviews calledTheatre Legacy<\/i>. What sections will be constant? What will future Special Sections<\/i> be? It is perhaps our responsibility to suggest these, as it is to ensure diversity.<\/p>\n

Reviews in this issue were chosen \u201cthat would be important for international critics and scholars to know about.\u201d We\u2019d like to see the criterion discussed in the text of the pieces.<\/p>\n

And we want to participate! We\u2019re delighted to see that we\u2019ll be able to comment on the material and create genuine discussions.<\/p>\n

We have no doubt that the magazine\u2019s French content is as engaging as its English language material.<\/p>\n

Our thanks to our Kim, to Maria Helena Ser\u00f4dio, and to contributors. The world theatre community is looking forward to future issues of Critical Stages<\/i>, as are we.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\"1272107350\"<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Steve Capra<\/b> sits on The International Committee of The American Theatre Critics Association. He has been a critic of New York and regional US theater for many years, writing for several national and regional arts magazines. He has always been a champion of the avant-garde. His book, Theater Voices<\/i>, is a collection of interviews with leaders in the theater from the USA, the UK, and Russia. Mr. Capra has adapted literary material for the stage and radio. He was for ten years Chairman of The Gassner Memorial Playwrighting Award, an international script competition. He has also worked extensively as actor and director, often in the area of script development. He currently works in New York with The Living Theatre.<\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a9<\/strong> 2009 Steve Capra
\nCritical Stages\/Sc\u00e8nes critiques<\/em> e-ISSN: 2409-7411<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This work is licensed under the
\nCreative Commons Attribution International License CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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