University of Virginia Library

Qualified Judge

A critic, after all, is supposedly
well-versed in his chosen field. He is
a man or woman with an affinity
for the theatre who feels qualified
to make value judgments. He knows
that criticism hurts and, unless he's
a back, he doesn't enjoy cutting
people down. But he also knows
that, in any theatre, situation,
constructive criticism is necessary if
a consistently high standard of
production is to be achieved and
maintained.

As for Jere Real, he got caught
in the middle and, for better or
worse, is no longer in our ranks. His
successor at the Progress is a
woman named Jean Thompson,
whose "matinee matron" image has
made local drama people skeptical
of her ability to write meaningfully
and criticize adequately.

In any event, we wish Mrs.
Thompson luck. She has to prove
herself while writing in the shadow
of a knowledged and perhaps
ill-treated predecessor. She'll have
her first chance this weekend, and
the Charlottesville theatre circle
will be watching with great interest.