As a regular attendee at the Pewter Plough Playhouse, I was surprised to read Anna Weltner’s review of Grand Manner (“Not so grand Manner,” Sept. 6). It was described to me as being immaturely written and unwarranted, but I have a little more to say.
I was amazed at how she ridicules the players with her sarcasm in the first paragraph: “… doing this thing I’ve heard of, where you pretend to be someone else. I might be wrong, but think it’s called acting.” There is no place in any review for such mockery. I know that it is not unusual for plays to get bad reviews, but it is not the bad review about which I am complaining. It is the sheer contempt with which she writes her review, comparing actors to Loony Toons characters. Such scoffing is unnecessary to get one’s points across about a performance one finds not up to standard.
A creditable reviewer would have no reason to be so offensive to make an impression upon the reader, saying nothing of common decency, kindness, and support.
This article appears in Sep 27 – Oct 4, 2012.