To Avoid Negative Reviews, One Theatre Company Blackballs the Messenger

If I had my way, right now you’d be reading a review of International City Theatre’s current show. The good, the bad, the matters of taste — I’d be giving you my honest but admittedly/unavoidably subjective take on what they’re hoping you’ll lay your hard-earned money down to see. 

But apparently I’ve given them one too many negative reviews, because after more than a decade of covering most every show they’ve staged, recently word came down that I would no longer be issued press tickets. It’s not a question of freeing up space for paying customers: ICT rarely fills even half of the 825 seats in the Beverly O’Neill Theater. Rather, apparently it’s a matter of trying to control the narrative. 

Full disclosure: historically ICT’s theatrical sensibilities, both in terms of script selection and performance style, have differed from mine, and this has been a limiting factor on the number of positive reviews I’ve written about their shows. 

But in the theatre world negative reviews are typically viewed as a sort of occupational hazard. A theatre company offers a product for sale (an individual play, a season subscription), and the critic offers potential buyers data that may help them decide whether it’s a good investment (time, money). 

ICT’s actions seem to show that they don’t like this status quo — that they are now willing to have reviewers come out only if they tend to function in a strictly promotional capacity. Unfortunately, that’s generally obtainable — and despite being home to very little arts coverage these days, Long Beach is no exception. Page back through the work of some of the very few writers covering Long Beach theatre, and you’ll get the impression that every show anyone puts on is a rousing success on all fronts. 

I wish that were the case I really do. Nobody doing theatre in Long Beach is getting rich, and nobody (ICT included, despite being one of the priciest arts orgs in town) is trying to screw the theatregoing public out of their money. I’m always a little nervous when I see a show — nervous for the performers because of the tightrope act that is getting up on that stage and trying to bring a vision to life in real-time; and nervous for me, in that I hate being in the position of having to write anything less than a rave, let alone a pan. 

But the truth is that not all shows are created equal. Not all actors are equally convincing or well-cast. Not all directors are equally diligent. Not all mise en scène is equally transporting. And when it comes to scripts, one person’s Pulitzer-winner may be another person’s turd. 

Needless to say, negative reviews are no fun for anyone. But ICT’s response is uncommon. Madison Mooney is executive director of Long Beach Playhouse, both Long Beach’s oldest theatre company (95 years) and the one staging the greatest number and variety of shows each year. And she would never consider cutting off access to a critic.

“It’s an accepted fact that you’re going to be getting reviews, either from professional sources like critics or websites or regular audience members who rave or complain about you on their Facebook page,” she says. “My philosophy towards it is that you kind of have to put the same weight on all reviews, [so] you can take a bad review and not let it hit you too hard — but then you can’t let a good review give you a big head. […] We try to have a [wide enough] range of shows so that we can appeal to everyone at some point. […] But with any show, there’s going to be people who like it and people who don’t.”

Mooney not only sees the value of arts criticism — especially in a journalistically underserved city like Long Beach — but feels an obligation to lay Long Beach Playhouse open to reviews, particularly if they are going to accept public funds (City of Long Beach, Arts Council for Long Beach, etc.), as do both Long Beach Playhouse and ICT.

“In comparison to cities with similar populations, there is definitely a lack of arts/culture coverage here,” she says. “It would be beneficial if there were a bit more. […] Anything to [raise] awareness of the different institutions that are out there in the city and what we’re doing, [whether] a negative, middle, or positive review. […] For general arts organizations, I do think the community you are providing entertainment/culture for does have the right to critique both the work and the organization.”

Garage Theatre co-founder Eric Hamme says it’s “absolutely” important to have critics review shows, regardless of the outcome even though Garage performances typically have only 30 to 40 available seats.

“It’s so hard to get critics out [to shows] these days,” he notes. “When we started the company, there were more options [for being reviewed. …] Honestly, I’m just happy to get a review these days.”

And he says that not only don’t negative reviews trouble him, they can actually be helpful. 

“It’s not personal,” he says. “[…] Critics come with some level of experience, with knowledge of the [theatre] craft and what to expect, and they see a lot [of theatre], so they can compare and contrast and provide insight. […] You’re getting a truthful response, and it’s helpful sometimes. It helps you become a better artist. […] And if somebody reads [a negative review] and says, ‘This guy didn’t like it, but it sounds right up my alley,’ they’re still going to come.”

Mooney also sees the potential value of negative feedback.

“Critics or general patrons are all allowed to have their opinions,” she says, “and we as an org can choose to ignore negative ones, especially when it is clear the person giving the negative review just doesn’t get something or understand a production. But when there is a growing trend of similar complaints, that’s when it can help you evaluate what your organization is doing and fix problems that didn’t necessarily seem to be problems before.”

But apparently that feedback is no longer welcome at International City Theatre. So if you see only positive reviews from now on, it may be fair to wonder why.

(Note: International City Theatre’s Artistic Director caryn desai did not respond to Random Lengths News’s invitation to be interviewed for this article. Neither Mooney nor Hamme were asked to comment on ICT.)