So I’ve been trundling along writing my little theatre and…
Then recently I posted a passionate article about my reaction to a play at the Sydney theatre company Belvoir St Theatre and I’ve had more than 100 readers and most of them have been from google searches – as if word had somehow got out that a review was out there about the production that was controversial.
I have had a few comments that have been a bit nasty, something which I have never experienced before and I wondered: how do you handle nasty comments or people who don’t like what you wrote? I don’t want to hurt anyone but I don’t want to withhold my opinion just because it is safer. Do you do any damage control that you feel is necessary or do you hire someone to do it? Finally, how do you determine what needs damage control and what doesn’t if a lot of the readers don’t actually comment?
It doesn’t matter if someone does not like your review. There is no right or wrong answerto an art review. There is only interesting or or not. You wrote an interesting review that made people talk. Good for you. It’s flattering to have people talk about the topic you bring up — because people are thanking you, in their own way, for being interesting.
Don’t defend yourself. Its lame. Your opinion is your opinion and you already said it once. Defending it is saying it again, like it wasn’t well done the first time. But you did a fine job the first time.
The mantra I say to myself when I get mean comments: Everyone has their opinion. Be grateful people are reading yours.
Penelope