| Members of The Dramatists Guild of America, the | | | | that the workshop process "provides an |
| organization of playwrights, of which I have been | | | | opportunity for writers to evaluate their work as |
| an active member for many years, was in an | | | | it evolves, protected from the consequences of |
| unusually feisty mood in a review they let howl at | | | | critical appraisal." |
| a theater critic in the Windy City. What was the | | | | From our viewpoint her transgression is not so |
| occasion of the lambasting? | | | | much an occasion for vitriol but for lament, not |
| A long-time critic for The Chicago Sun-Times | | | | for her lack of propriety but of wisdom. |
| reviewed some musicals that were works in | | | | If you look back at the very few critics we've |
| progress at Theater Building Chicago, a venue | | | | had who one might generously apply the word |
| that has been attempting to nourish the struggling | | | | great in describing, they have known we are all |
| art form for many years. The critic, one Hedy | | | | tending the same garden, and, while it's fine to |
| Weiss, had deigned to review its showcase | | | | harvest in its time, it only helps create a famine |
| performances in previous years but apparently | | | | to decide on the quality of the sprouts before |
| her opinions were not so flagrantly intolerant for | | | | they have time to mature. Whacking them |
| the head of the theater to ask her to absent | | | | precipitously means, not only less nourishment for |
| herself until one or more of the works might | | | | all, but less produce worthy of the connoisseur's |
| mature enough to be presented in a more | | | | persnickety palate. |
| critic-friendly manner. Not so this year. | | | | Ms. Weiss allowed herself a written response, |
| The unsuspecting critic wrote: "The eight deeply | | | | stating that she had reviewed the festival in the |
| flawed new musicals seemed to suggest the art | | | | past without objection and no one had told her |
| form has fallen on very hard times." She went on | | | | she could not review it this time. She also called |
| to maintain that none of the wannabe hits, | | | | attention to her understanding that the festival is |
| "whether in semi-staged or concert-reading style, | | | | a public event, with an advertising campaign and |
| was ready for prime time." Worse yet, she had | | | | tickets. "If you are given a press kit and if you |
| the ill-advised temerity to admit that she had not | | | | are given pictures," she asked a reporter of The |
| sat through any of the shows because of their | | | | New York Times, Campbell Robertson, via |
| poor quality. | | | | telephone, "what are you supposed to do with |
| Enter the howling dramatists. | | | | them?" |
| Edward Albee: "Irresponsible." | | | | Meanwhile, Joan Mazzonelli, the executive director |
| Stephen Schwartz: "Ignorant." | | | | of Theater Building Chicago, finds herself in the |
| Tony Kuchner: "Incapable of understanding | | | | uncomfortable middle of the squall. She is, after all, |
| standards of professional and ethical conduct." | | | | condemned to continue in Chicago and has, of |
| And, as I noted in the Guild's latest newsletter, | | | | necessity, distanced herself from her defenders. |
| Stephen Sondheim weighed in with "Art isn't easy. | | | | She has also admitted she hadn't made the |
| It becomes close to impossible when the creative | | | | festival's policy clear to Ms. Weiss: "Call it an error |
| process is violated as casually and unprofessionally | | | | of omission is the best I can tell you." She added |
| as it was in this case, eight times, by Ms. Weiss." | | | | the sad refrain, "What's in my hands is that Hedy |
| John Weidman, the usually affable president of the | | | | Weiss, who is a major reviewer, is upset with |
| guild, fired off a letter to The Sun-Times, | | | | me." |
| accompanied by 22 emails from irate members. | | | | But probably not as upset as the librettists, |
| His missive called her review "a shocking and | | | | lyricists, and composers at whose budding works |
| irresponsible betrayal of one of the fundamental | | | | she did most unwisely swing her sharp and heavy |
| understandings which makes the creation of new | | | | scythe. |
| work possible." He also called attention to the fact | | | | |