TimeOut Chicago Roundtable

Sam Charles
Reviewing the Arts

The critic I chose was Don Hall, a theatre blogger who writes for An Angry White Guy in Chicago.
Hall brings up a few different points throughout the roundtable discussion.
The first being the old saying that, “Opinions are like assholes, everybody has one.” Hall and the rest of the roundtable go on to further dissect this statement by talking about the differences between opinions that are worth reading and the many more that aren’t.
Hall stresses the importance of having knowledge of what one is criticizing. By having a strong understanding of what one is discussing, they’ll be able to provoke more thought from the audience.
Along with education, Hall says, comes passion. He says that if someone is passionate about something, be it theatre or anything else, you’re more likely to educate yourself about it. That’s the sign of someone who’ll truly be a good critic. It’s hard to write passionate, meaningful articles about something you hate. Fellow critic Anne Holub backs Hall by saying, “You have to have passion for it; otherwise, you’re simply not going to bother.”
Along with passion and knowledge of the subject, Hall says, it’s important to be aware of any prejudices a critic may hold. This is key because the more aware someone is of their biases and prejudices, the better they’ll be able to, either, (a) put them temporarily aside, or (b) back them up with a strong argument.
“You should be as sharp and precise as what you’re slamming,” says Hall. This reverts back to the idea that having strong knowledge of your subject will make you a much more effective writer. Also, it suggests that a critic shouldn’t bite off more than they can chew. If, say, a writer doesn’t like a book or movie, but they can’t pin down exactly why, then they should either (a) move on to a different topic, or (b) reexamine the piece to try and get a better understanding of it so they can form a stronger, more substantive point of view.
This ties into a later point that he brings up. When asked if it takes courage to be a critic, Hall says, “Only if you’re criticizing the powerful.” This only applies to critics who are in the public eye, however. Anonymous bloggers rarely have to own up to any comments they make. But published writers are much more available to the public and far easier to get in touch with, so if they make a negative comment or write a less than flattering review about a restaurant or theatrical performance, they have to keep in mind that their info is out there.
Overall, Hall stresses the importance of sticking to your guns and building strong arguments, two qualities of a successful critic.