The seventeenth episode of Three on the Aisle, the twice-monthly podcast in which Peter Marks, Elisabeth Vincentelli, and I talk about theater in America, is now available on line for listening or downloading. In this episode, Peter, Elisabeth, and I discuss a controversial topic and take calls from our listeners.
Here’s an excerpt from American Theatre’s “official” summary of the proceedings:
At the top of the show, the critics do a meta-discussion: They review a theatre review and the response around it. Recently Laura Collins-Hughes of The New York Times wrote a review of Smokey Joe’s Cafe, and was then harshly critiqued for allegedly “body shaming” an actor onstage. The critics look at the history of body shaming in theatre criticism as well as how critics judge actors’ appearances and when they are relevant in a review today. They also dissect shows such as Pretty Woman, which by its very title bakes the protagonist’s appearance into the title of the show….
As usual, we wrap things up with a discussion of recent productions, in New York and elsewhere, that we’ve seen and liked—or not.
To listen, download the latest episode, read more about it, or subscribe to Three on the Aisle, go here.
In case you missed any previous episodes, you’ll find them all here.