Your Role as a Critic

Learning and Having Fun
As a Cappies Critic, you will get to see a lot of great shows, increase your understanding of theatre, improve your writing, and maybe even earn a byline as a published theatre critic. At the end of the year, you will get to score what you saw, and when a V.I.P. opens one of those envelopes at the Cappies gala, you can (secretly) recall having voted for the winner and cheer.

Promoting Area High-School Theatre
Your participation in Cappies will give you something impressive to put on your college or job application. (Go to www.cappies.com for a letter you can download and send to college admissions committees telling them what they should know about you being a Cappies Critic.) It will also help promote high-school theatre in your area as your and your fellow Cappies Critics' reviews appear in the media and create public awareness of what high-school theatre students are achieving.

Earning Feedback for Your School's Show
In addition, by submitting (along with the rest of your Critics' Team) the designated number of reviews of other school's shows, you earn your school's show the opportunity to be reviewed by the Cappies Critics – and the chance to be nominated for, or win, awards from your peers.

Maintaining the Integrity of the Cappies
This exchange of student-to-student feedback is at the heart of the Cappies program, and, as a Critic, you play a vital role in making it work. By presenting criticisms the Cappies way and maintaining Critics' confidentiality (as well as following the other Cappies procedures*), you make it possible for Critics to be frank and for theatre students to receive honest evaluations of their work without having their feelings hurt. This makes it a valuable and fun experience for everyone – with Cappies reviews that are meaningful to the readers and Cappies nominations and awards that are a treasure to receive.