On the disappearing art of Theatre Criticism
After the decision by the Ottawa Citizen to remove its theatre critic, ( following the removal , in 2011, of the local theatre critic by CBC), we decided to publish this most timely article by our colleague Stephen Hunt.
Guest critic STEPHEN HUNT . CALGARY — Special to The Globe and Mail. Hunt was the theatre critic at the Calgary Herald for 10 years. Published Friday, Oct. 14, 2016 7:16PM EDT
The Canadian cultural critical landscape – outside of Toronto – looks bleaker. In Calgary, there are many signs of the demise of an important industry: The Calgary Theatre Critics’ Awards, locally known as The Critters, recently threw in the towel. I was let go back in January, part of massive Postmedia layoffs, leaving just one Calgary critic who appears in print media.
Our 73-year-old Louis Hobson, whose reviews run in both the Sun and the Herald, is Calgary’s last theatre critic standing – and after suffering a heart attack a year ago, even Mr. Hobson say he needs to cut back. (There are still two young, emerging Calgary theatre bloggers: Jenna Shummoogum and Rodrigo Flores, who find the enthusiasm to review 80 shows a year, featuring over a dozen professional companies, for little or no money – futile for a realistic career opportunity.)
It’s hardly a Calgary thing – or a Canadian thing, or a Postmedia thing, either. It’s happening everywhere.