tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post8594184646796843216..comments2024-02-18T19:36:43.844+11:00Comments on theatre notes: The problem of praiseAlison Croggonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08398213223487458758noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-45759281312442622352006-12-12T12:46:00.000+11:002006-12-12T12:46:00.000+11:00Nice to see you back in the sun CB.
To clarify - ...Nice to see you back in the sun CB.<br /><br />To clarify - I think that a 'unique' perspective has greatest value when it is 'definitive'. <br /><br />I am personally not a fan of walkouts. So, while I understand and accept an individuals right to exit at choice, the role of critic seems compromised if it is afforded these same liberties. Obviously, not sitting thought the entire performance is Jeanniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15631932684856015838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-31432282929832530472006-12-12T12:03:00.000+11:002006-12-12T12:03:00.000+11:00Yep. Agreed, of course. I'm not talking about Alis...Yep. Agreed, of course. I'm not talking about Alison's right to (a) walk out of a theatrical production (of <b>course</b> she can walk out of anything she likes!) or (b) say what she wants in her blog (she is of course free to say whatever she wants, whenever she wants, as I've said <b>repeatedly</b> in these comments). I've merely been saying that walking out of a theatrical production can Casey Bennettohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00069992763893159912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-44255081312771253632006-12-12T11:12:00.000+11:002006-12-12T11:12:00.000+11:00I enjoyed your comment Paul (sorry to enter this c...I enjoyed your comment Paul (sorry to enter this conversation so late - but I have been following it with interest over the past few days - as much as time allows anyway.<br /><br />I find this to be an extremely worthwhile conversation and one that is particularly necessary in the Australian arts scene - what a great opportunity to fundamentally question the constantly evolving role of the Jeanniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15631932684856015838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-42327947982585439442006-12-12T01:23:00.000+11:002006-12-12T01:23:00.000+11:00"Feel free to continue if that tree is too windblo..."Feel free to continue if that tree is too windblown..."<br /><br />It's a refreshing breeze!<br /><br />Cheers,<br />CBCasey Bennettohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00069992763893159912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-54260018053774689082006-12-11T22:47:00.000+11:002006-12-11T22:47:00.000+11:00At the risk of sounding impertinent - I haven't re...At the risk of sounding impertinent - I haven't read the last few posts in full detail as I'm busy with my own writing. But....<br /><br />What's the big deal? As a film-goer, I have walked out of five films in the last 14 years. And at different stages of each film. I could have easily walked out of another hundred, but didn't. As someone who takes the medium very seriously, that I walked Paul Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10965628567103267009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-83718803170553469852006-12-11T19:19:00.000+11:002006-12-11T19:19:00.000+11:00Well, we'll have to agree to disagree on the walko...Well, we'll have to agree to disagree on the walkouts. Honest, it doesn't happen often, and only when someone is driven to it. And that being driven is, in some views, worthy of comment.<br /><br />As for the other - those decisions are played production by production. I reviewed two productions of Hamlet - one by Peter Brook, one by a tiny company in a shop front in Northcote - together without Alison Croggonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08398213223487458758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-69786394439305722932006-12-11T18:02:00.000+11:002006-12-11T18:02:00.000+11:00Tough case? Moi? I'm the very definition of a puss...Tough case? <b>Moi?</b> I'm the very definition of a pussycat... probably one of those fat ones that sits on the fence all day long.<br /><br />We've reached something of an impasse, I think - not that it hasn't been fun getting there! Re. MTC, you say "seduced", I say "intimidated", but we're talking about the same process there, I think, and in agreement on its potential blandishments or Casey Bennettohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00069992763893159912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-53799342698583319302006-12-11T15:45:00.000+11:002006-12-11T15:45:00.000+11:00Hi Casey
I already withdrew my Olympian pretensio...Hi Casey<br /><br />I already withdrew my Olympian pretensions to Ultimate Knowledge (in the post where I put up Chris Bendall's letter) so I don't feel I need to address that. Call it a little implosion in my own brain...<br /><br />All the same, it is possible to criticise a critic on the grounds of ignorance of the artform he is criticising. There are critics writing in Melbourne who betray anAlison Croggonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08398213223487458758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-71007242819431267702006-12-11T14:26:00.000+11:002006-12-11T14:26:00.000+11:00Howdy again Alison ('s turning into quite a little...Howdy again Alison ('s turning into quite a little back-and-forth!)<br /><br />The clarification there is useful - I mean, I'm not sure the reasoning makes much of a difference if the net effect is, as you approvingly quoted from Chris Boyd's blog, "Croggon, clearly, means that she is more likely to forgive -- and therefore drop the curtain on -- a bad indy experience...", but I take your point.<Casey Bennettohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00069992763893159912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-13709389251366143962006-12-10T09:32:00.000+11:002006-12-10T09:32:00.000+11:00Hi Casey. No, I don't think that you're asking for...Hi Casey. No, I don't think that you're asking for special favours - don't get me wrong. But you're right, this is an interesting conversation. It might help - not that I mean that you will agree with me, but you might understand my own motivations more generally more clearly - if I explain what I mean in greater detail. <br /><br />Firstly, I don't agree that Theatre@Risk wasn't treated with Alison Croggonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08398213223487458758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-40757237703955563502006-12-10T01:41:00.000+11:002006-12-10T01:41:00.000+11:00Well, I didn't misread it at all. I thought it mea...Well, I didn't misread it at all. I thought it meant exactly what you meant it to mean - that if it was MTC you would've strung 'em up for a show like that, but because it was indie you thought it would be better to be merciful. That's what I was disagreeing with. I think Theatre@Risk deserve the same treatment as MTC, both positive and negative. That means, if you hated the Theatre@Risk show, I Casey Bennettohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00069992763893159912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-38678407830675249432006-12-09T20:58:00.000+11:002006-12-09T20:58:00.000+11:00James Comtois' comments were interesting.James Comtois' comments were interesting.Paul Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10965628567103267009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-67511810022008790142006-12-09T13:26:00.000+11:002006-12-09T13:26:00.000+11:00Hi Casey - I think that comment has been fairly pe...Hi Casey - I think that comment has been fairly persistently misread. As Chris Boyd pointed out (correctly) on <i>his</i> blog:<br /><br />"I do believe, however, that director Chris Bendall has misread Croggon’s comment about not leaving a bad MTC production. Bendall sees this as Croggon’s greater commitment to the flagship company. Croggon, clearly, means that she is more likely to forgive -- Alison Croggonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08398213223487458758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-81939012253837811342006-12-09T12:37:00.000+11:002006-12-09T12:37:00.000+11:00I take the point - though I think Mr Comtois' summ...I take the point - though I think Mr Comtois' summary of the situation is a little inaccurate - but do you agree with his stance? After all, you did say that if it had been an MTC production, you would have "stayed and reviewed it properly".Casey Bennettohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00069992763893159912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-18916004555929976982006-12-09T10:13:00.000+11:002006-12-09T10:13:00.000+11:00Emailed from Casey Bennetto:
I'm in two minds abo...<b>Emailed from Casey Bennetto:</b><br /><br />I'm in two minds about this. On one hand, I think all this talk about the importance of accurate and honest criticism - especially of local productions - is right on the money. (I'm having trouble forcing myself into the cinema to see Australian films because of the automatic-four-star mentality that is often applied, and the ensuing disappointment IAlison Croggonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08398213223487458758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-6171599246361426672006-11-29T01:37:00.000+11:002006-11-29T01:37:00.000+11:00Interesting discussion here. (TQ, why don't you h...Interesting discussion here. (TQ, why don't you have a blog? I mean that as a compliment.)<br /><br />I like <a href="http://www.sheilacallaghan.com/blog/archives/2006/11/#011480">Ted Hughes's take on praise, via Sheila Callaghan </a>Ben Ellishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16654820455368893078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-47291387690032370982006-11-28T20:24:00.000+11:002006-11-28T20:24:00.000+11:00Nice link you've provided, Alison. It reminds me ...Nice link you've provided, Alison. It reminds me of some comments Matt from Esoteric Rabbit made about the role of criticism vs consumer guide.Paul Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10965628567103267009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-32055822212890948322006-11-28T20:15:00.000+11:002006-11-28T20:15:00.000+11:00Errata: I mentioned Tom Ryan in a previous post, b...Errata: I mentioned Tom Ryan in a previous post, but I meant Adrian Martin.Paul Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10965628567103267009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-49534507769196648512006-11-27T19:26:00.000+11:002006-11-27T19:26:00.000+11:00Yuck. Apologies for all the spelling mistakes, I'm...Yuck. Apologies for all the spelling mistakes, I'm a little fatigued today. I meant to say, I liked your review <i>in</i> Creme de la Phlegm. If you have written a review <i>on</i> the book, well, I have not seen it.TimThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10333303180015967125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-59903558121072172162006-11-27T19:17:00.000+11:002006-11-27T19:17:00.000+11:00I can't remember the name of the reviewer for the ...I can't remember the name of the reviewer for the NH, but he apparently had a policy to always be 'encouraging' to local theatre groups. The Age may pride itself on being up-to-date, smart, et cetera, but the reviews I've glanced over give me the impression of being bland, more than anything else. They usually go through the motions - describe the plot, and then if there's any column space left, TimThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10333303180015967125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-89005924981068336852006-11-27T19:00:00.000+11:002006-11-27T19:00:00.000+11:00I recently attended two productions which had rece...I recently attended two productions which had received rave reviews. You know, the kind of over weaning and extravagant praise that one's colleagues smirkingly suggest must have been generated by a blood relative of the lead actor, or was written by the director's lover, mistress or paramour. <br /><br />In spite of the glowing reviews, both productions delivered very little. I was profoundly Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-67066680160825038482006-11-27T18:06:00.000+11:002006-11-27T18:06:00.000+11:00I've had a few doozies myself. But I can't say tha...I've had a few doozies myself. But I can't say that I remember them very well, except being called as pompous as a cut-price Sartre or something of the kind for one of my libretti. That stuck, because I couldn't see how I was anything like Sartre, pompous or cutprice or whatever. I've never had hallucinations about lobsters, for a start.<br /><br />But, to be fair, I am not claiming that Alison Croggonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08398213223487458758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-53978411790716893722006-11-27T16:38:00.000+11:002006-11-27T16:38:00.000+11:00Alison, I've subscribed to the NY Times Movie Revi...Alison, I've subscribed to the NY Times Movie Reviews, and this <a href="http://movies2.nytimes.com/2006/11/22/movies/22deja.html?ex=1321851600&en=c06248b90c2e8b1d&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss"><br />review of Deja Vu</a> is brutally honest in a way I rarely see in Australian reviews. This is of interest to me, because I have an invite to a media advance screening during business hours, and Paul Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10965628567103267009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-53336798945682236112006-11-27T14:44:00.000+11:002006-11-27T14:44:00.000+11:00Nothing wrong with a good negative review - some p...Nothing wrong with a good negative review - some people even collect them. One of my lecturers at Uni was Peter Sculthorpe, and he was always fond of one reviewers assessment of a Ross Edwards piece: "This is a piece that gives A major a bad name." Sculthorpe would quote us this line, before enthusing, "Now I would <i>love</i> to have that written about a piece of mine!"<br /><br />It's amazing TimThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10333303180015967125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-57449500010319134232006-11-27T09:26:00.000+11:002006-11-27T09:26:00.000+11:00Thanks TQ, and everyone else who has posted here. ...Thanks TQ, and everyone else who has posted here. I will say that the great discussion it's sparked seems to have made the post worthwhile, whatever its initial dubiousness. Though I'm not sure what self interest would be playing there; it's probably more in my interest to say nothing.<br /><br />I am impatient too with the excuse of lack of space. Of course here I have as much space as I want, Alison Croggonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08398213223487458758noreply@blogger.com