Letters to the Editor

MiamiARTzine.com received nearly 50 e-mails and many more phone calls about the letter that Larry Fields wrote to Mary Damiano, regarding her review of the Most Fabulous Story Ever Told. All of the e-mails and phone calls landed squarely on one side of the issue, including these two e-mails.

An Artistic Director Weighs In

Dear Mary,

Although I’ve heard about the letter to ArtZine from Larry Fields (no idea who he is, thankfully)—I didn’t actually read it until this morning. Needless to say, it’s disgraceful! I am appalled that someone who calls himself a member of the South Florida Theatre Community could conduct himself in such a ridiculous manner. As you know, I’m not one to mince words—but this is totally out of bounds.

I’ve been in theatre for over three decades. Our function is to put up a play and put our necks on the block—so that critics can, on occasion, take a chop. That’s just the way it is. And there’s almost always balance. If we get a bad review for something we are proud of—we will usually get a favorable review for something less deserving.

I don’t know anyone who hasn’t had a bad review. But I’ve NEVER seen an actor/director/writer who had talent, commitment and dedication have a career destroyed by a critic.

I want to apologize to you for having to put up with this rant by an obvious amateur.

Warmest,

Joe

Btw, I liked your terse response to him.

Joseph Adler
Producing Artistic Director
GableStage

A Critic Weighs In

If it’s considered foolish for an artist to respond directly to a critic’s unfavorable review, it’s doubly foolish for a critic to respond to an artist’s response to a critic’s unfavorable review. Critics must have thick skins and respect anyone’s right to have a strong reaction to their criticism.

So forgive me for being triply foolish by weighing in here briefly to comment on Larry Fields’ letter about Mary Damiano. Having worked alongside her and read her work for several years, I feel compelled to say that while we agree sometimes, disagree on others, Mary is an unassailably fine critic with a solid knowledge of the art form, a discerning eye for a show’s strengths and weaknesses, a good analytical mind and a strong writer who communicates clearly. I think most of her colleagues will bear me out on this.

But I saw The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told and I am equally compelled to agree with Mr. Fields that she did not quite capture the quality of the show and his performance. She was far, far too kind.

Bill Hirschman
Freelance Critic

Larry Fields Weighs In

Ms. Damiano,

Larry Fields here again, re-reading what I fired off to you at 4 or 5am on New Years day, something occurred to me: The bulk of what I wrote to you regarding your review of my performance in The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told was not only highly inappropriate but also very out of character. While I stand by my assertion that your review of my performance was written in poor taste, I would like to apologize for coming back with 1000% more nastiness than was dished out to begin with. What I wrote was satisfying for me to write at the time because I was angry and enjoying exercising my bitchy sense of humor and sensibilities, the only problem was I hit the send button. That's the miracle of email; no time for second thoughts. My intention at the time was to, in essence, serve you up some of "your own medicine" by taking it to the extreme, but in hindsight I think it was not only poor judgment but also cruel.

Please let me be clear, I am still in no way a fan of your work (I think that we have similar feelings about each other there) nor am I writing this to you in any kind of hopes that you would ever cover me in a positive light, I am only writing because I feel the need to, in some way, on a human level let you know that I regret the portions of my letter that were aimed at you in a personal sense. Truth is I don't know you personally, all I know of you is your writing, and I made the mistake of crossing the two.

I can take criticism. I have received bad reviews in the past, and I have never, not once written a critic. I accept and understand what a critic's job is. When a critic doesn't like a choice that I have made as an actor, or thinks that I was cast inappropriately in a role, I think that's fair game. I may not agree, but I realize performance is subjective and that as part of working in this business I put myself out there for scrutiny. The difference here was the tone and tenor your review took in dealing with me. I felt that it was written in such a mean-spirited way that it went beyond a critique and veered into an attack. You basically said that I was worthless (not only did you not enjoy my performance in that role, but you go on to proclaim that I can't act, I have no talent, and I don't even make up for it by being in your words "eye candy," in other words I am totally worthless in my job). Reading that kind of review after a couple glasses of champagne on New Years Day, I hit back with freewheeling abandon because I felt like you had crossed a line of professional conduct, so I had no reason to restrain my words. The result was the letter you found in your email. I explain this to you and your readers not to justify my actions, but give you an idea as to why I wrote what I wrote at the time. It's an admitted personality flaw, when I feel attacked my gut reaction is to hit back and hit back hard.

In closing, I hope you take my apology for what it is and realize that I bear no ill-will toward you. I don't care for your style, and I know that you don't care for mine. Those are the breaks. It should be left at that.

--Larry Fields

Editor’s Response

Mr. Fields,
Thank you for your apology. You write off the e-mail to a combination of champagne, New Year’s Eve and exercising your ‘bitchy sense of humor’, and that in hindsight you were cruel and used poor judgment. Fair enough. But that hindsight only seemed to kick in after the second time I phoned you—you hung up on me the first time—and informed you that I was publishing your letter. In the two weeks that passed between your two letters to me, you posted your original e-mail on your MySpace page and on your Facebook page. At press time, both posts were still up. That doesn’t sound to me like someone who’s apologetic about a champagne-fueled, heat-of-the-moment e-mail. So yes, Mr. Fields, I will take your apology, as you suggest, for what it is.

Mary Damiano
Editor

MiamiARTzine.com welcomes letters from readers.  Tell us what you think about something you’ve read or what you’d like to see in the e-zine. Letters should be e-mailed to letters@miamiartzine.com and include name, city, and daytime phone number for verification.  Letters chosen for publication may be edited for style.