Reviewing drama
To evaluate something is to measure its worth. It demands considered judgement and analysis. To evaluate drama and theatre you must be able to recognise what was and wasn鈥檛 successful onstage and recognise all the elements that contribute to the impact of a production. If you鈥檙e writing about theatre it may be to evaluate your own work or that of others in a production you鈥檝e seen. A written account of the strengths and weaknesses of a show is called a review.
If you鈥檙e writing about a live theatre production or submitting a review, you need to understand what this means. It鈥檚 an opinion and its job is to advise others about how good (or bad) something is.
People all have different tastes so opinions must always be justified. This means backed up with a clear example to support every argument. You must say why you did or didn鈥檛 like a particular aspect of the work. If you just give your opinion without a good reason others might not trust it. You would also need a thorough knowledge of drama elements, the drama medium and explorative strategies so you can note how they鈥檙e used in the work you鈥檙e writing about.
A critic is a man who knows the way but can't drive the car.
Even professional reviewers of theatre (called theatre critics) rarely write wholly negative reviews. If they slated a production, (called a 鈥榟atchet job鈥), without evidence that they鈥檝e searched for some positives, the reader might feel less inclined to believe them. Their review would then lack authority.
Steer clear of phrases like 鈥業 thought it was terrible鈥 or 鈥業 found it boring鈥. Not only will you sound unintelligent but arrogant too. Remember that you鈥檙e writing about the work of professionals who may have much more experience and understanding of theatre than you do.