Post #6: EOTO #2 (American Theatre Criticism)

 The Introduction of American Theatre

Although theater was mainly prominent in the UK and there is not much background of theater criticism in America, the 20th century brought the popularity of theatre in America, especially with the start of the infamous Broadway. 

In New York, many new theaters were built and the number of productions skyrocketed from the turn of the century to the 1920's with Broadway having staged over 2,500 productions. 

But even though theater was off to a great start, the beginning of public criticism was introduced, whether it be positive or negative. The work of Eugene O’Neill, a famous American playwright, was very popular around the time period, but was only targeted towards a specific audience. Critics began to champion his serious works and led American audiences to consider theater as being just a form of entertainment and distraction, but also a way for individuals to showcase their talents.

Famous critics in America over time are William Goldman, Harold Clurman, C. Carr, and Bonnie Marranca established themselves in the criticism field and later published 100 pieces during their careers, mainly in the 20th century. These various publications were The New Republic, The Nation,  and The Village Voice. Their work was inspired by the New York City Broadway area which was ultimately an international destination for theater performances. 

The American Theatre Association 

The American Theatre Association, the only nationwide professional association of theatre critics in the US, was founded in the year 1974 by a group of leading theatre critics who were from various parts of the country who met at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center in Connecticut. 

They made the decision to start an organization because professional regional theatre was growing rapidly and they felt that there needed to be an organization for theatre critics outside of the New York City area who couldn’t gain access to the New York Drama Critics Circle. In 2024, they voted to rename the association to American Theatre Critics/ Journalists Association to recognize the rise of theater journalism. Theater journalism involves reporting and critically analyzing theatrical performances, events, etc. and gathering news, reviews, interviews for media outlets. 

Now, the ATCA consists of theatre critics who write reviews and critiques of live performances for print, broadcast, and digital media. 

The Impact of Drama Criticism in the World

Drama criticism allows you to look more deeply into the play being analyzed and is an outlet for the public to express their thoughts and opinions on the production, whether it be good or bad. It gives others an insight as to whether they have seen the show and agree on their opinion or haven’t seen the show and were looking into what reviews it received. 

All in all, it can inform audience choices, spark critical thinking about the production, and influence the trajectory of a show's run. 

Criticism encourages audiences to interact with a performance on a deeper level and to better understand the play's themes, author's intentions, and artistic choices to enhance the audience's appreciation. 

Without theatre reviews, we wouldn't have the ability to offer valuable feedback for critics regarding the actors, directors, and production as a whole.