Theatre Critique
An evaluation is a formal, written discussion of a performance of a play or musical.
Use MLA Format for your heading and margins. Make sure you have parenthetical (in text) documentation throughout the critique.
This paragraph introduces your reader to the productions and where you place your thesis statement.
Paragraph 2 and 3 – The Basics
Introduce the name of the play, author, place of performance, date of performance, and director.
In a few sentences talk about the basic theme of the play and discuss the general plot.
Paragraphs 4 & 5 – The Acting
React to two of the performers in the play. Be sure to use their names.
Were they believable: true to the play, the production, the theatrical conditions?
The following items should be discussed in your review.
You should respond with more than “yes” or “no” answers.
VOICE: volume, tempo, vocal quality, interpretation, articulation?
BODY: Were the gestures, movement, and business suitable to the characters?
EMOTIONS: Were reactions true? Climaxes achieved in the play by characters?
RELATIONSHIPS: Proper relationships by characters?
PROJECTION: Project orally and visually to the audience?
Paragraphs 6 & 7 – The Design
The following items should be discussed in your review.
You should respond with more than “yes” or “no” answers.
SET DESIGN: Did the set establish the correct mood and background for the play?
LIGHTS DESIGN: Did the lighting convey the proper mood, emphasis, and illumination?
COSTUMES & MAKE UP: Were the costumes and makeup true to the period and characters?
SOUND DESIGN: How did the sound effects and music contribute to the show’s mood?
Paragraphs 9, 10 and 11 – Research and Reaction
Research the play and the playwright
What do you think the director is trying to say to the audience?
What was your opinion of the play?
Make sure there is parenthetical documentation
Make sure you have at least 3 sources
wants to reflect what we have learned.
Paragraph 12 Conclusion
Avoid generic phrases like: “two thumbs up” or “3 out of 5 stars” Your conclusion is your opportunity to wrap up your essay in a tidy package and bring it home for your reader. It is a good idea to recapitulate what you said in your THESIS STATEMENT in order to suggest to your reader that you have accomplished what you set out to accomplish. It is also important to judge for yourself that you have, in fact, done so. If you find that your thesis statement now sounds hollow or irrelevant — that you haven’t done what you set out to do — then you need either to revise your argument or to redefine your thesis statement. Writing, just as much as reading, is a process of self discovery. Do not, in any case, simply restate your thesis statement in your final paragraph, as that would be redundant. Having read your essay, I should understand this main thought with fresh and deeper understanding, and your conclusion
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