The end of the theater season prompts its chroniclers to reflect on the best of what they saw. The Rogue Critic is pleased to announce the extension of the summertime Season In Review series.
Below, the SIR FAQs.

Which theaters will get a SIR, and what will the SIR include?

Each theater listed in "Theaters and Companies" at the right of this page will eventually have a dedicated SIR post. At the inspired suggestion of Barton Bund during my Encore Live! podcast episode, I have revised the project to span several summers, covering a fraction of the theater each year.

Each SIR discusses shows I reviewed, productions and staged readings I saw but didn’t review, and noteworthy business issues such as venue changes. SIRs will not address announced schedules and casting of upcoming seasons.

The six SIRs covering the 2009–2010 series are as follows:
Magenta Giraffe Theatre Company
Matrix Theatre Company
Blackbird Theatre
Breathe Art Theatre Project
Hilberry Theatre
Tipping Point Theatre


How do you define the “season”?

For my purposes, the season begins on or around the first of September, in parallel with the fall-to-spring schedules of many theaters.


How will you choose which SIRs to write in a given year, and the order in which they are published?

My highly scientific method involves identically sized folded strips of paper and a drinking glass. Theaters with a SIR already published will not be included in the pool.

NB: Logistically, a theater cannot be eligible for SIR selection until the opening of its final production of the season. Therefore, theaters whose seasons conclude in the spring are eligible earlier than those whose productions extend through the summer.


Will you also be recognizing individual performances and designs with conventional awards, in the vein of the Wilde Awards, the Pulsars, and the Thespies?

The SIRs were originally intended to take the place of awards. Conventional awards were not given for the 2009–2010 season; this may change in future seasons.


I do not like the SIRs for several logical reasons, which I would like to explain to you. Furthermore, I have helpful suggestions for how they can be improved or replaced.

I respect this reasonable feedback. Do send your well-constructed argument to roguecritic@gmail.com.