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Reimagining Theatre Criticism

In this article the author discusses the relationship between the practice of theatre criticism and equity-focused spaces for theatre conversations like the magazine alt.theatre: cultural diversity and the stage. Speaking from a Canadian context, the author argues that the parameters that define mainstream theatre criticism often manifest as low tolerance for artistic risk and cultural difference, whereas alt.theatre and other forums born from equity movements hold at their centre an understanding that artistic excellence and risk are culturally constructed. The author reflects on what culturally responsive and inclusive theatre criticism might look like: she unpacks the skills of the theatre critic and analyzes how they could best be used when reviewing art coming from marginalized perspectives; and then, considering other political contexts including anti-racist activism and the economic constraints placed on theatre by capitalistic structures, assesses how theatre criticism could better respond to politically engaged content.