Critic's Choice

Critic’s Choice Coming Soon 

. . . but with major changes

Every summer since 2004 I have published my Critic’s Choice, my choices for the best in South Sound theater. This year I am going to do it differently. Since The News Tribune has cut back on the number of theater reviews they publish I have not reviewed as many plays in Tacoma and Lakewood as I used to, and I have completely stopped reviewing shows in smaller venues in places like Puyallup and Gig Harbor. I live in Olympia and cannot afford the commute for reviewing plays I don’t get paid for. I reviewed only 38 plays this season. In the not too distant past I typically reviewed 50 to 60 plays in a season.

Picking the best actor or best director would not be fair to the theaters whose performances I did not review. So, I will still publish a column called Critic’s Choice, but it will not be a ranking but will be a recognition of actors, directors, set designers and so forth whose work is worthy of special recognition with a brief blurb on each.

I know that when theater people have been chosen as best in category they have often used that in their resumes and in program notes. Can’t do that anymore but you can still say you were listed in my Critic’s Choice, and feel free to quote anything I may say about you.

Watch for my next Critic’s Choice coming soon to this blog.