Your Critic Integrity
Displaying Objectivity
For the Cappies awards and your feedback on shows to be meaningful, people must know that your evaluation is objective – that it is based solely on your knowledge of theatre and what you observed in the show – without any outside influence. Therefore, when working as a Critic at a show, it's best to socialize only with fellow Critics. Even waving at a friend you have at the host school may be interpreted by others as bias toward the school's show. This also includes texting and social media. So, to preserve your integrity as a Critic, keep with your fellow Critics. Your friend(s) will understand. For the same reason (and the sake of your relationship), if you have a really close friend on the cast or crew, it's best not to even review their show. That's what professional theatre critics do in the same situation.
Saving Your Opinions for Your Review
While the cast and crew of the show are eager to hear what you thought of their work, your opinions must be presented carefully to give a balanced evaluation of the whole production-and prevent hurting their feelings. After all, these students are students like you, just learning their craft. The Review Writing Guide will show you how to appropriately present your evaluation of these student's work.
Here are some tips to help you at a show to save your opinions for your review:
- While watching the show, go ahead and laugh and clap as you see fit, but don't discuss your opinions – even in a whisper. You never know whose mom is sitting right behind you, reading your lips for her theatre-booster phone tree.
- During bows, do pretty much what the rest of the audience is doing. Don't start a standing ovation – let the parents of the performers do that – but if you liked the show, it's fine to stand, too. If nearly everybody in the audience is standing, and you thought a show was only so-so, go ahead and stand anyway so as to not give your thoughts away. (If it's closing night, and the school is giving special acknowledgements at the end of the show, the school is to let you leave the theatre before that. There's supposed to be an announcement excusing the Critics, but, if there isn't, the Mentor will gesture to you all to stand and exit the theatre as quietly as you can.)
- When you walk between the theatre and the Cappies room – during intermission or after the show – don't say anything about the show, even to another Critic. You never know who may be a few feet away overhearing. If someone from the host school asks what you thought of the show, it's best to say that you're a Critic and not permitted to talk about the show.
Keeping Critics' Confidentiality
Because Cappies is a learning program, there is one exception to saving your opinions just for your review. That is, talking with your fellow Critics in the Cappies room at the show. In the Cappies room, you and your fellow Critics may freely discuss the show to compare observations and information and to make Critics' Choices. However, everything that is said in the Cappies room is to be kept in confidence – forever. What goes on in the Cappies room must stay in the Cappies room. Just as you save your own opinions for print, let your fellow Critics save their opinions for print – or not – as they see fit, and let your Program Director announce the Critics' Choices when the time is right. All of this protects the integrity of each individual Critic and of the Cappies program now and in the future – and makes it possible for everyone to speak candidly in the Cappies room.
Scoring Privately
Your Critics' Choices scores and award votes are even more private than the opinions you save to put in your review. They are not even to be shared with other Critics, not even the ones on your team. The results (names of award winners) will be divulged at the Cappies gala, but the scores are not revealed at any time so peoples' feelings are not hurt and you are not put in the awkward position of having to defend your score.
Confidentiality Consequences
Divulging information about the Cappies Show, discussion in the critics' room, critics' choices or voting whether in person, via social media (i.e. Twitter, Snap Chat, Instagram, Facebook, etc), or in writing could result in removal from the Cappies Program per your local Steering Committee.
Writing Carefully
While the cast and crew of the show are eager to hear what you thought of their work, your opinions must be presented carefully to give a balanced evaluation of the whole production – and to prevent hurting their feelings. After all, these students are amateurs like you, just learning their craft. The Review Writing Guide will show you how to appropriately present your evaluation of these students' work.