There's been quite a bit of discussion going on about how we give feedback and criticism to people's pieces and how they should or should not react to it. Much of it grew out of Don Hall's blog and some pseudo-controversy involving him giving a bad review to a play that was running concurrently with a play he was doing or something. I'm going to be totally honest and say that I don't care about that controversy at all, and over the past few years have grown increasingly tired of conversations about the ethics and implications of blogging vs. print criticism. The controversy has, however, opened up some interesting discussions of how we give feedback to people's work, and how they should accept it etc.
For a moment, let us assume that from now on, we're talking about responding to productions/performances not scripts, because I think those really are two different animals. And let us assume we're talking about productions/performances where you have enough of a relationship with the artists involved that you'd be talking to them about their work. I am not talking about blogging one's thoughts on a show, or writing a review. Those are separate animals and part of a conversation I must admit to being less interested in.
I believe that if artists are interested in growing and developing they need to get used to "taking the hit", by which I mean accepting and listening to criticism when it is given. Sometimes "taking the hit" is confused with *agreeing with* all critiques offered. This would of course be deadly to our work. But even when it is a critique that to us is wildly off base, someone is still offering something: their opinion and impression of the work, and we should take what we can from it to help us.
We might not always like the wrapping that gift comes in. Some people are really, really bad at giving criticism in a way that is helpful or useful, even though the content of what they're saying might be helpful. Responding in those moments is tricky. Do you just reject it? Do you ask the person to give what they're giving in a different way? Do you ignore the wrapping and take the gift?
Receiving criticism thoughtfully is an important skill that every artist needs to develop. I will fully admit that i am still developing it. I have gotten pretty good at receiving and processing criticism once a show is finished, and still have a bit of a ways to go in receiving/processing it while the show is up and running... I think this is for two reasons... first, if the show is open I can't do anything to address the criticism and second my emotional (and ego) investment is way higher while it's still performing.
And then the coin flips and we have to ask... how do we give the hit to others? How do we express our thoughts on their work?
Here I think we have to ask ourselves a question that to my mind doesn't get asked enough in general: "Why am I saying this to this person?" and from that "Why" flows the "How do I want to say this to this person?"
I do not, in general, offer my full opinion of an artist's work to them unless they ask me. This is not because I want to dodge what could be a difficult conversation. I'm a director, I'm used to giving feedback that is both positive and negative. This is rather because I don't want to give something to someone that they have no use for. I have friends who are artists who do not want to hear negative criticism of their work. I disagree (strongly) with their position on this issue, however I must also respect that they are artists with their own wants and desires and methods of working, and they've decided they don't want to hear it. In that climate, why would I offer my critique? It's not going to be heard. If I'm just talking because I like hearing the sound of my own voice, that's not actually giving anyone anything, it's just verbal masturbation. Now you might feel you're entitled to give your opinion and of course you are right. You're entitled to your opinion and to give it, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's going to serve the purpose you would like it to.
To me, giving my opinion about something ideally isn't about self-expression (I have my art and this blog for that). It's about building a conversation with someone, about giving something to them. If it's not going to serve that purpose, I'd rather not say it.
And then there is of course the way we give criticism, the wrapping on the gift. I want to give my opinion on something in way that it can be received and heard. That's my goal. Sometimes that means adjusting the way I would say something so that it's heard better. The big example is how we're always told to "lead with the positive". Some people appreciate that. Some people consider it manipulative horsecrap and are *less likely to trust what I have to say* if I start out with what's positive. They just want to hear what didn't work (for me) and why. They don't want a lot of questions about the work, or complex insights, they just want "that moment didn't do it for me, it felt fake". Other prefer questions, complicated discussion etc. mixed in. There's a wide variety of ways to do it, to perform giving criticism. There's a very wide range between "not saying what you really think" and being as blunt and forceful about it as possible. Some people (I think Don would count himself amongst them) prefer giving and getting critiques in that blunt and forceful way. Some people don't (me, for instance although I do agree that artists can at times be waaay too thin skinned and immature about getting feedback on their work).
So let me close also by saying to anyone who comes to see my work: I want to know your opinion. I want to know what you thought about it, what questions you have, what concerns, what you noticed, what worked, what didn't work, what surprised you, what bored you etc. etc. and so forth. I need that in order to keep growing as artist, I want it because I recognize that my work exists for you as an audience member not solely for my own self-fulfillment. Let's have a real conversation about it, one that takes into consideration both of our needs as participants in the conversation. Sound good?
UPDATE: Really interesting (and somewhat dissenting!) views from Matt Freeman over at his place.
... Adding I would also recommend a one-two punch of Travis Bedard on this subject (the second link is really the short-and-sweet version of a much longer and less clear post I've had floating around in my had for like a week... linking to it saves me having to write it! thanks, Travis)
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