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Theater 32.1 (2002) 82



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Artistic Directors on Criticism

To See or Not to See

Laura Eason
Lookingglass Theatre Company


As the artistic director of Lookingglass Theatre Company, a small- to midsize ensemble company in Chicago, I am aware of the profound effect criticism has on my organization. Unlike our Chicago colleagues Goodman and Steppenwolf--which have operating budgets in the tens of millions and subscription bases in the tens of thousands--our annual budget of just over $1 million and a small subscription base of just under one thousand people mean that getting single-ticket buyers in the seats is life or death for us.

With the large, diverse theater scene in Chicago--often there are more than a hundred different productions to choose from on a given weekend--good reviews are the key to securing that single-ticket audience. We rely on reviews and friendly preopening articles to get the word out and the people in. Currently, most theater criticism in Chicago serves the purpose of helping readers make a choice among the many offerings: "to see or not to see." This leaves most Chicago theaters at the mercy of the critics, hoping that they'll like the show enough to give it a "see" review.

As an ensemble, we have stayed true to our artistic mission and vision, and fortunately the critics have, overall, liked our work. We create and produce original literary adaptations and new work, so we don't have the marketing draw of a well-known playwright or of plays that have already been hits in New York. The positive critical response to our very physical, visual work has resulted in ever increasing ticket sales and organizational growth. By continuing to build our subscriber base and increase marketing budgets we plan to bring our productions more prominently into public view, leaving us less dependent on good reviews.

In an ideal world, criticism of Lookingglass's work would focus more on our role in the artistic community--what we contribute to it, and how our work continues to evolve within it. For the time being, however, theater criticism is primarily a marketing tool for us. Although we wish it didn't matter, we continue to hope that reviewers will tell readers to see Lookingglass shows.

 



Laura Eason is an ensemble member and the artistic director of the Chicago-based Lookingglass Theatre Company.

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