A play review is a subjective and educated response to a piece of theater. The reviewer should have a strong background in theatre so their opinion is informed and credible. Though this is not a requirement for writing a good play review.  The review should also give potential audience members a sense of the play. It should let readers know if spending their hard-earned money on a ticket to the production will be money well spent. Noting that you thought the play was “good” or “bad” will not create a strong play review. Instead, you should be specific in your critique and have a thoughtful analysis of the production. Your opinion on the play should be supported by a discussion of the production elements and how they worked together as a whole. The review should also describe the situation or plot of the play without giving too information to the reader. Avoid spoiling any plot twists or turns for potential audience members in your review. The standard play review contains five paragraphs. There are other approaches you can use, such as comparing two plays in one review or writing longer reviews for one play. But traditionally, a play review will analyze several elements of the production in five paragraphs, including:  Paragraph 1: Your introductory paragraph should describe what you saw on stage. You should also give context for the play, such as the playwright or composer of the play and where the play is being staged. Paragraph 2: Briefly summarize the plot of the play. Paragraph 3: Discuss the acting and directing. React to the performers playing the characters in the play. Paragraph 4: Describe the design elements of the production, such as the lighting, sound, costumes, make up, and set and props. Paragraph 5: React to the play as a whole. Would you recommend the play to potential audience members? You can also include a recommendation, like a star rating or a thumbs up/thumbs down. Do a google search of local plays in your city that have reviews online. Pick up a newspaper and check the Arts & Culture section for play reviews. You can also access example reviews online. Read the review(s) and ask yourself:  How does the reviewer structure her review? Does the review follow the traditional structure, with an introduction in paragraph 1, a plot summary in paragraph 2, a discussion of acting and directing in paragraph 3, a discussion of the production elements in paragraph 4, and an overall critique in paragraph 5? Compare two reviews of the same play. How do the reviews compare and contrast? Are they structured differently or have different critiques of the play? Is the reviewer overly critical of the play? Does their analysis seem well supported by scenes in the play, or a discussion of design elements of the play? How does the reviewer wrap up the review? Is there a recommendation at the end of the article, such as a star rating or a thumbs up/thumbs down? If you are reviewing a popular play, like “Hamlet” or “The Little Shop of Horrors”, you should be able to find a hard copy of the play. Newer or more obscure plays may be harder to find in hard copy. Reading the play will help you get familiar with the subject matter and how it appears on the page before you see the production live.  Note the stage directions, the setting notes, and the line breaks or pauses in the dialogue. Pick out any problematic points in the play that you might want to watch for during the production. For example, if you’re going to see Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, you may make a note of ways the director might stage the pivotal Ophelia drowning scene. Or if you are going to a musical like “The Little Shop of Horrors”, you might note how the director will transition from the song numbers to the dialogue in the production. Your instructor may also ask you to pay particular attention to certain elements, like the lighting or the costumes, so make sure you are prepared to recognize them. You don’t want to do too much research around the production as it may influence your viewing experience. But you should have a sense of the context of the production; which theater company is putting it on, who is directing the play, and what liberties, if any, have they taken with the original content. For example, you may be seeing a version of “Hamlet” that is set in contemporary times and integrates technology in the production. Or you may be seeing a production of “The Little Shop of Horrors” that is set in a record store, rather than a theater. This setting change will change the context of the play, and you should then note how the setting choice is used in the production in your review.
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One-sentence summary -- Understand the purpose of a play review. Look at the traditional structure of a play review. Read and analyze review examples. Read the play you are going to review, if possible. Get a sense of the context of the production.


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One-sentence summary --
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