To Read Or Not To Read

Mar 03.09

The other night actor Christine Lahti asked me if I intended to read my reviews. I said, “Of course, I always read my reviews!” She replied, “Maybe for movies because the work is done. The reviews are after the fact. But this is theater. You’ll read reviews and then have to do the show again. Whether the review is good or bad, the comments, the moments that a reviewer might single out for special notice, will inevitably affect your playing of it. Better reconsider. I put the reviews under my bed in a box and only later pull them out to read.”

Today I asked Samantha and Colin about this. Samantha says she never reads reviews; Colin has no particular position and Moises, who overheard the conversation and chimed in, said he doesn’t read reviews either untill the play is over.

This will be hard for me. My curiousity may get the better of me. Yet I can imagine that if a reviewer really likes or really hates something I do, it has the potential to change my performance a little. Something to think about between now and a week from now. I’ll let you know what I decide…maybe.

I just took a poll of our cast: Don, Susan, Erik all read reviews. Zach said,” why not, you’ll know what they write anyway because people will tell you. Someone once actually sent me a bad review of myself!”

Ted’s daughter Laura, her husband Rutherford Seydel, their three children (who call me grandma) and Bobby kennedy and his wife Mary will all be out there tonight and then after the show we’ll all go to Sardi’s for a benefit reception for a organization for hearing impaired children where I will present Pat Mitchell an award.

I’ll not stay, though, because we have a matinee tomorrow.

See you next time.


Category: Film, Television & Theater, My Blog

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Film, Television & Theater

  • "At age 50, I broke all the career rules and left acting for 15 years. Ten of those years I was married to Ted Turner and after that I spent 5 years writing my memoirs and traveling the world on behalf of women and girls. Needless to say, returning to my profession late in life has been an interesting, exciting and unusual experience! "Monster-in-Law" was my first film after this hiatus and was one of my most fun professional experiences after "9 to 5"! During my 15 year absence, I gained confidence and, as a result, I feel that my acting is better, more nuanced and relaxed than ever."