Revisiting APE

Since posting my review of JM Dinson's The Ape on the Church Steps, I have heard both directly and indirectly from people who feel it was inappropriate for me to review the play --- that at the very least, I should have included in my review a disclaimer acknowledging that I have submitted several of my own plays to recent Baltimore Playwrights Festivals, and that the director of Ape, Barry Feinstein, had included a scene from one of those plays in an acting workshop that he conducted last fall. This workshop also included a scene from Ape, along with scenes from eight other plays (including Bloodlines and Turducken, both of which received productions in the 2009 BPF); ultimately, Theatrical Mining Company, of which Mr. Feinstein is the Artistic Director, selected Ape to produce in the 2009 Festival.

Perhaps it was naive of me not to consider the possibility that people would view my history with Theatrical Mining Company as a conflict of interest --- it certainly never crossed my mind that anyone would suspect me of attempting to sabotage Ape by writing a negative review. Unfortunately, that seems to be what has happened --- in the minds of a few people, at least --- and I find myself in the awkward position of defending myself against the charge of "sour grapes."

I admit I can see their point --- I had several problems with both the play and production of Ape, and my review was one of the most negative I have written for BroadwayWorld.com. Still, I did not enter the theatre on opening night with any hope other than to see a terrific piece of theatre, and I did not sit down at my computer the following day with any intention other than to report, as clearly and respectfully as I could, my disappointment. For those who doubt this, all I can say is to let the review speak for itself --- I stand behind it, and if it contains even a single word that crosses the lines of professionalism, then the slip was unintentional. I may be guilty of bad criticism, but I am not guilty of biased criticism.

The fact is that I am first and foremost (as I describe myself in my bio, below) "an aspiring playwright." This means that any review I write --- particularly if the production is a local one --- risks offending a producer, director, actor, or other individual who might one day be in a position to help or hinder my own career. This would be equally true of Mr. Feinstein had I never met him, let alone participated in one of his workshops. Should I include such a disclaimer at the beginning of every review I write?  Should I never review a play for the Baltimore Playwrights Festival?

I think a more reasonable alternative would be to trust that I will only review plays about which I am confident I can be fair and objective. That is how I felt regarding The Ape on the Church Steps, and that is why it did not occur to me to include any disclaimers to the contrary.

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