The devaluation of skill, experience, and expertise is a crisis across cultural journalism right now--it's being felt profoundly in theater. It's great that anyone can post a review, but that does not, even in the smallest way, replace what's being thrown away.
And with all due respect to those who find it useful, TikTok is not a replacement for what is being lost.
Word. (Literally)
100 percent.
Hell no, it isn't. In fact, Tik Tok was one not-small factor in the political nightmare in which we find ourselves now.
One of those things that it’s sad anyone even has to say out loud
Their rationale is that it’s better than reading because it saves time and it’s the same information.
correct.
Yes
Artists and writers serve an educational function, not merely the function to entertain or affirm specific tastes. Has Theatre done enough to cultivate an intelligent audience that will want intelligent discussions? www.americantheatre.org/2024/06/06/t... ... www.americantheatre.org/2024/03/28/c...
howlround.com/dont-let-hap...
(Ha - responded before reading entire thread) bsky.app/profile/mbba...
This crisis is being felt profoundly in any profession based on expertise.
Bleak, bleak, bleak.
There has been a parallel decline in theatre criticism and technical theatre excellence in my area. I can’t prove that the lack of anyone to credibly call out sloppy lighting/set/etc. work (or praise the opposite) is moving people to spend less time on polish, but it wouldn’t surprise me.
Theater tech professional here: it’s not that we don’t care, it’s that every theater cut their technical staff down to the bare bone to survive the pandemic, and most of them never hired back up. We are expected to do the same quality of work in a shorter period with fewer staff. It’s impossible.
I’ll buy that for the set folks, but as a lighting designer myself I do not buy that as an explanation for why some of my peers appear to have gotten worse at programming cues when it’s literally the same people.
Ah, I’m a costumer, so I can’t speak for the lighting folks! I can tell you there are fewer people sewing but somehow just as many costumes required as ever.
For costumes, as with sets, I will totally accept that explanation.