Kids Today

Saying that "kids today are out of control" is kind of like referring to the victim of domestic abuse as "jittery." Well, perhaps they are jittery, but we have no way of knowing until they are in a neutral, nurturing environment where we can see what they are really like.

The Critic: Burning Out at Festivals.

Sometimes when you have seen average show after average show it becomes hard to tell if something is really bad, or you are just bored of mediocrity. One begins to merge into the other. In this instance a great show is an oasis in the dessert which brings you back to your senses. See one as soon as possible if you want to savour any hope of remaining objective and judicious. Take recommendations if you have to, read other reliable critics to know what to go to. It is essential to have this nourishment to keep your writing fresh, if not your sanity!

Star Ratings

At best star ratings can be considered a necessary evil.

They not only de-emphasise the content of the review, including any constructive feedback, but they say nothing about how, why or to whom something is good, excellent or poor - not to speak of the grounds upon which something is being judged, nor by which measure stick or what parameters.A four star show on the professional stage is a five star show on the amateur one.

Everything must be judged in its appropriate context, and something may seem more or less pore in comparison to similar works, or the time and place where it is being written or performed. The body of a review leaves some space to give some of this context, but a star rating does nothing of the kind.

There is much difference between a "very good" 3* show and a "not poor" one. Likewise there is a breadth between a truly excellent 4* and one that made it because it is clearly  a leap ahead of most of what the 3* shows have been, thus it is the tone of the piece will dictate what side of the star rating the show in on, not the star rating itself.

I'm a Professional

Why does everyone glorify being professional?

Being professional means you can't turn up with a hangover.
Being professional means you can't turn up late.
Being professional means you can't get drunk!
Being professional means you can't sleep with the actress, or the barmaid.
Being professional means you have to get in at a reasonable time.
Being professional means you have to get Up at a reasonable time!
Being professional means - you have to listen here - this is serious!
Being professional means you have to walk the walk like you talk the talk.
Being professional means you have to act like you know what you're doing, even when you don't! Which is most of the time.
Being professional means you have to act like everyone else knows what they're doing, even when they don't! Which is most of the time.

Maybe, just maybe, if we all just Stop!... this glorification of being professional,
then we can all enjoy... being unprofessional together...

- Hold on - oh, shit, sorry, I have to take this. It's a business call.

14/08/13

Relationship Critic

Once in every critic's Fringe it becomes necessary for them to go out for a drink with the actor of a one man show and his girlfriend to give him extensive feedback on the production, and end up giving the two an impromptu relationship counselling session lasting over an hour when a conflict breaks out. Oh, wait a minute - that's not every critic. That's just me.

How long does it take to become a good critic?

So that's a new record for me. Writing 7 reviews in one sitting.

I reckon it takes writing around 100 reviews before you get the "hang" of it. That is, if you ever truly get the hang of it, which most of us don't think we ever do. At least it's likely to take writing that many before you can be consistently concise, get your point across, say everything that needs to be said, and of course - a most important discipline - to distiguish between what needs to be said and what you just fancy saying (because it's clever, or you noticed, or it's a bugbear, or..., or..., or..., - will the reader care as much as you do?)

Being a critic isn't mostly glamour and fun, what glamour and fun there is comes in exchange for taking care in, and caring about, your writing.

Fringe 2013

Ahhhhh now this feels like the fringe. One hour between shows and being across the road in Pret a Manger having a filer coffee and trying to sneak in some writing so I have less to do when I get home!!! This is the way it was meant to be for us behind the pen, in a constant state of feeling like we're in a rush.

Perspective on "Tough Justice"

People become violent as a result of suffering severe trauma, such as childhood neglect, abandonment or abuse (physical, emotional and/or sexual) --- that is the conclusion of established social science based on the psychological data available to us. 

The latest science on nature versus nurture says that human nature is 70-80% adaptation to environment, particularly early childhood experiences. The idea that "tough justice" ie. inflicting more trauma on an already traumatised/abused individual, will make them better rather than worse, is the result of a primitive kind of thinking, ie. if you do something unpleasant to me then I will do something unpleasant back to you to teach you a lesson. The psychology shows clearly that It Does Not teach them a lesson, it makes them worse because they are now humiliated and want to get revenge. Since the trace of trauma can be tracked in the brain, Brain Scans Of Criminals Can Predict Recidivism (returning to prison.) If we want to rehabilitate criminals we have to understand trauma and learn how to reverse it.

The reason why people continue to believe in "tough justice" even though all the data shows it is a wrong-minded approach to deterring violence, is usually because they were treated punitively as children, exposed to punishments, spanking, "strict-discipline" and told it was "for their own good" - and so looking at the situation clearly for what it is would also ential having to reassess their own childhood for trauma and wounds inflicted on them advertently or inadvertently by their own care-givers. That can obviously be a very painful process for most people.

Harsh corporal punishment produces a dogmatic personality, meaning an inability to adapt and change opinions in light of new information. Evidence shows that people who receive corporal punishment are more likely to support punitive public policies such as the death sentence. These views are psychologically motivated, they are not based on reason and evidence, but avoidance of the suffering entailed in bringing childhood wounds into the conscious awareness so they can be dealt with, the benefit of doing so is being given the opportunity to overcome them, and go from seeing the world through irrational biases to seeing it as it really is.

When prisons were originally introduced as the weapon of choice in the fight against crime we did not know much about how to halt the cycle of prisoners reoffending. Now there are several methods which have shown to be effective. The recent science of rehabilitation shows that criminals who are able to study and attain a masters degree in prison are ecxeedingly unlikely to reoffend. Also, recidivism can be reduced by teaching Transindental Meditation to prisoners, as does teaching prisoners Nonviolent Communication - which stands to reason as in many instances violence is the only way that people who have not been taught to negotiate with others know to get what they want. One study conducted in a Nevada Prison showed that a technological process that appears to help the brain reverse the effects of trauma, Brainwave Optimisation, can rehabilitate violent criminals.

With enough will we can understand and end violence for good.

My Second Interview of Pete Gerlach