A year of reviewing

My final review of a main stage show for Winnipeg's 2013/14 season will be up shortly at Spectator Tribune. It's been... interesting. I honestly don't know if I'll keep reviewing next year. I love going to see the shows and cobbling together my thoughts, but I suspect my reviews a) have zero box office impact and b) don't really prompt discussion, since the theatre community at-large isn't willing to publicly hash over shows for fear of the fallout (though I have had some great one-on-one exchanges).

On reflection, here's what I've learned... beyond the awkward price of honesty.

• Reviews are subjective. I knew this before, but now my certainty is bone deep
• Quickly casting ephemeral experiences into substantive words is taxing
• Writing to sound smart is lame
• Giving away plot points is theft - from the playwright and future audiences
• I'm inexperienced. I always will be
• Writing pans or praise is easy. Reviewing the vast majority of shows, which are neither turds or triumphs, is tricky
• If your own writing isn't entertaining and filled with passion, you should turn in your pen