Oh, Reviews.
I’d be a liar if I said I don’t care about them or they don’t affect me. I always tell myself not to put too much stock into what critics say, but I can’t help but get ecstatic whenever something I’ve worked on (as long as I’m proud of it) gets a nice review or bummed out when the opposite occurs. Whatever the outcome, I always find myself feverishly checking the web for the first published opinion of our shows, usually well before the review is (or even should be) released. It does nothing but stress me out and it’s a nasty old habit. But you know what they say about those.
Critically speaking, Ozma & Harriet has been quite a strange trip. While Tympanic shows rarely get unanimously praised or panned, the consensus usually at least leans one way or the other. But Ozma’s been different. It’s by far the oddest thing Tympanic’s produced, but it also happens to be my favorite show we’ve done. I don’t know if the polar nature of our reviews is a testament to our team making strong decisions that elicit equally strong responses from our audience or merely proof that the script can’t make up his mind, but whatever the case, I love, love, love this show and everyone involved with it. We only have one weekend left and I’d love to see you there.
Theatre In Chicago has always provided a wonderful overview of…well, theatre in Chicago. One of my favorite things to do is click on the “Review Roundup” section of whatever show I’m working on. Whether the criticism is positive or negative, there’s always something pleasant about seeing the various editorial opinions on a piece of art you’ve helped create scribbled on the web in one collective splatter. Read on if you care about reviews, and if you don’t, consider yourself lucky.
http://www.theatreinchicago.com/review.php?playID=4035
Or better yet, come see the show. Then write your own review. I promise you’ll have something to say.
OZMA & HARRIET
Through April 18th at The Side Project (1439 W. Jarvis Ave.)
Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8:00pm, Sundays at 7:00pm
Tickets are $15 general, $12 student/industry
For tickets and more information, visit www.tympanictheatre.org or e-mail admin@tympanictheatre.org
Thanks for reading!
Dan Caffrey
Artistic Director