NJACT appreciates the commitment and dedication of its reviewers. Here are a few tips help make the review experience more and efficient and effective. If you are a reviewer who has a tip you'd like to pass along to other reviewers, please share it in the new NJACT Theater Forums.

• Re-read the Review Criteria Before the Show.
  As a reviewer, there's a lot you need to look for, and keeping it all in mind is half the battle. We recommend you re-read the review criteria found in the Review Process Manual before leaving to go to the theater. This will help keep you focused on what to look for. This is especially important given the many changes that have been made for the 2009-2010 season.



• Take Notes!
  Many people ask us: "Should I take notes?" Officially, it's up to the reviewer. Some reviewers take notes during the performance; others jot down notes after the performance. Still many others don't take notes at all. We recommend you do take notes and do so in whatever fashion you find comfortable. First, it will help you prepare a more meaningful review. Second, from time to time, NJACT will call weeks or months later to ask questions about a review you submitted. It would help to have notes to refresh your memory. Some reviewers use a note book. If you choose to do this, we suggest you keep it small and unobtrusive. Some reviewers make their notes directly onto their program. If you choose this method, be sure to get an extra copy of the program so you can keep the copy with your notes and submit the extra, clean copy to NJACT.



• Submit Your Review Right Away
  This isn't just policy, it actually makes good sense. All reviewers have been guilty at one time or another of sitting down to write their review months after the show closed. That is usually when they discover that they don't have all the information they need to complete the review, or can't remember the performance well enough to give proper credit to the supporting actors in the show. Trust us when we say, it is easier to write a review hours or days after you see a show, than it is to write one weeks or months later. Don't fall into this trap!



• Be Prepared With Directions and the Phone Number of the Theater
  Make sure you have the address and the phone number of the theater you are going to in case you get lost or have an accident on the way to the theater. Also, if you have never been to the theater before, make sure you know about how long it will take to get there and give yourself plenty of time. Keep in mind that if you are late and miss any part of the show, your review will not be valid.



• Review the Program Before the Show
  Arrive early and review the program thoroughly. Make sure that all the names and credits you need to complete your review are clear and included in the program. If something is missing (e.g., no costume designer is listed), you should speak to someone on the production staff. Try to get this information before the show starts if possible; otherwise, people may read something into the question. If you can't get this information before the show, be sure to get it after or at intermission, and definitely before you leave the theater. It is sometimes very difficult to get this kind of information days after the fact.



• Review At Different Theaters
  Review at theaters where you haven’t been before. Many reviewers say that it is very interesting and exciting to visit new theaters and see the work other theater companies are doing. Often, they are pleasantly surprised by what they find. Also, try to review shows that you are not familiar with so you have no preconceived ideas of how they should be performed. As long as you are choosing shows that are in a genre you have experience with, picking a show you've never seen before will help you be objective.



• Be Polite but Professional When Asked for Your Opinion on a Show
  It is inevitable. As a reviewer you'll see enough shows that at some point someone will ask, “How did you like our show?" It may well be an innocent, conversational question. Perhaps (probably likely) they don't know you are with NJACT, but such a question can easily get a reviewer into trouble. Your best option is to show up, see the show and leave without much socializing. After all, you are not supposed to be reviewing friends, so you shouldn't know many people at the show. But the theater world is small so, it will eventually happen that you run into friends and they ask your opinion. So if someone should ask you your opinion about a show you've just seen on behalf of NJACT, we highly recommend that you keep your answer polite, professional, brief and non-judgmental. In short, say nothing that can be interpreted as a preview of your review. You might say something like, "I'm reviewing the show tonight for the Perry Awards, so I really can't comment, but congratulations on a fine evening."
  
  
  




 

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