Criticism

Jeff Augustin’s Cry Old Kingdom takes place in Haiti, 1964 during François "Papa Doc" Duvalier's reigme. Dani Snyder-Young reviews the 2013 Humana Festival production with an eye towards its theme of sacrifice, and the actor-audience power dynamic.

P. Carl introduces the New Crit Critics, and reflects on their place on HowlRound.

This first set of notes from the NYT Critic Watch projects disects the focus of reviews and if the readers actually agree with them

Lily Janiak takes a look at San Franisco-based Mugwumpin’s The Great Big Also as it explores the new frontier: what that meant to the first American settlers, and what the frontier means now.

John Longenbaugh reflects on balancing his career as a theatre critic with being an artist

Rebecca Haithcoat draws parallels between Hip-hop and theatre and why the public finds hip-hop more accessible

John More talks about why the fall of the newspaper intudusty is bad news for the theatre community

A career as a theatre critic may not be directly linked to accolades and acclaim. Jason Zinoman meditates on the nuanced benefits of critically thinking about art full-time.

If critics evaluate theatre in consideration of who’s the primary audience and the function of the piece, theatre has the potential of bettering itself from criticism.

This week's Howl is going to tackle the topic of theatre criticism and journalism

Wendy Rosenfield explores the idea of theatre critics, not as artists, but as recorders that theatre matters.

Rob Weinert-Kendt shares insight into the motivations and complications of taking on a career of as a theatre critic.

Engine31 is a team of twelve journalists striving to serve the artists of Humana Festival by reporting through a pop-up newsroom.

Holler helps young artist create spaces to discuss what is constructive criticism and how to give it.

A call to bring the art of criticism to HowlRound, utilizing respectful dialogue to foster more in-depth conversations about the theatre we work hard to make.

An update from NYTCriticWatch as we go through the survey responses

Tomorrow's Weekly Howl will focus on the state of criticism in the theater, spurred on by Sherri Kronfeld's recent article, the many comments its garnered, Rob Weinert-Kendt's response.

Sherri Kronfeld asks why theater critics are more often than not theater practitioners, and argues for more inclusion of these hybrid theater maker/critics in the theater criticism scene.

James J. Hodge examins our societys relation to the future through the lens of the new musical Futurity by the Lisps.

Matthew Gushick explains the necessity of having a sense of play in creating any kind of theater, and how it is the vital key in creating ultimate captivation in an auidence.

Highlights from the Weekly Howl conversation on social media's impact on arts criticism.

Our New York Times Critic Watch continues, and we have some insights on what readers really want from theatre critics – and we want to hear your thoughts too!

Mark Jackson responds to the outcome of the Theatrical Salon he helped organize on Criticism, and what the resulting conversation taught him about how theatrical artists interact with the idea of criticism.