When I came to Richmond from Cincinnati, I was chagrined, but not surprised to find that the capital city was a one newspaper town. Not unlike Cincinnati, one of Richmond's two daily newspapers, the Richmond News Leader, disappeared in the mid 80's, and with it, any real opportunity for coverage of multiple points of view in the arts. Outside of the major markets like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, Richmond, like most other US newspaper markets, became a "one thumb" town.
What makes arts and culture so exciting, at least to me, is the notion that one single experience in the theatre, concert hall or museum, can elicit completely opposite reactions from those in attendance. And it's that conversation -- whether you loved something or hated it -- that gives the arts and culture true meaning and relevance in our society.
The internet age has brought new hope for meaningful arts and cultural discourse and the Modlin Center jumped at the opportunity to use technology to get that conversation going. We launched the audience reviews section of our website last year and we have had a remarkable response from many patrons who are eager to share their views -- good and bad.
Now, I thought I was prepared to take the good comments with the bad, especially since Modlin patrons never hesitate to come up to me, personally, to tell me exactly what they think of any given performance. Well folks, I was not prepared, especially when I read some of the negative comments that were now posted out there on the internet for the entire world to see! Had I now become lily-livered about very kind of cultural discussion I had hoped to inspire? I had to wonder. Honestly, it hurts when I read some of that stuff, and this week's comment that the Bobby McFerrin concert was "like water boarding," sent me completely over the edge!
I screamed to my staff, "Blow that bloody page up!"
"Whoa there, KP," they reminded me. "This is what you wanted." And to be honest, it really is. At the end of they day I would rather that folks come to the theatre and hate what they saw, than not to have come at all. And I am truly interested in what patrons have to say. After all, one person's "fabulous" is another person's "torture". Vive La Différence!
Honestly, I try not to take it personally. My team and I work really hard to put together a season of diverse performances of the very highest caliber and at the end of the day, not everyone is going to like everything we present. That's life. That's art. And that's what makes this such a remarkable conversation.
So, thank you for posting your audience reviews. Keep 'em coming!
kp
1 comments:
Great insights, Kathy. A few words of encouragement here . . . Since I joined the Modlin Center staff last year, I've been increasingly impressed by its innovative spirit, the thoughtful emphasis on diversity in programming and the keen attention paid to providing the public with an original--yes, even a controversial--cultural bill of fare.
Extreme reactions, in my opinion, are preferable to tepid responses. After all, one of the measures of great art is that it challenges the status quo. It makes us THINK.
Thinking can be uncomfortable for some of us. But, when it comes to shaking up the usual cerebral process, discomfort's not a bad thing.
You, Samantha, Beverly, David, Matt and the rest of the stellar Modlin bunch are providing Richmonders with fresh perspectives; furthermore, you're opening a window on the world that's sorely needed in this day and age.
So I say "Bravo!" to all of you. I'll only stop saying bravo when the season line-up consists of performances like "Lawrence Welk's Greatest Hits" or "Lederhausen on Parade." Oh--and "Bingo Night at Modlin" might be another turn-off.
:-D
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