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To Read Or Not To Read

The other night actor Christine Lahti asked me if I intended to read my reviews. I said, “Of course, I always read my reviews!” She replied, “Maybe for movies because the work is done. The reviews are after the fact. But this is theater. You’ll read reviews and then have to do the show again. Whether the review is good or bad, the comments, the moments that a reviewer might single out for special notice, will inevitably affect your playing of it. Better reconsider. I put the reviews under my bed in a box and only later pull them out to read.”

Today I asked Samantha and Colin about this. Samantha says she never reads reviews; Colin has no particular position and Moises, who overheard the conversation and chimed in, said he doesn’t read reviews either untill the play is over.

This will be hard for me. My curiousity may get the better of me. Yet I can imagine that if a reviewer really likes or really hates something I do, it has the potential to change my performance a little. Something to think about between now and a week from now. I’ll let you know what I decide…maybe.

I just took a poll of our cast: Don, Susan, Erik all read reviews. Zach said,” why not, you’ll know what they write anyway because people will tell you. Someone once actually sent me a bad review of myself!”

Ted’s daughter Laura, her husband Rutherford Seydel, their three children (who call me grandma) and Bobby kennedy and his wife Mary will all be out there tonight and then after the show we’ll all go to Sardi’s for a benefit reception for a organization for hearing impaired children where I will present Pat Mitchell an award.

I’ll not stay, though, because we have a matinee tomorrow.

See you next time.

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51 Comments

  1. Hey Jane!! I love you and your work! And I’m trying DESPERATELY to get up there and watch the play lol. But yeah about the reviews thing. I’ve worked in a few plays myself and on one particular play we would all get together backstage and order pizza and read all of our reviews together…we would laughed at the bad ones and the good ones. I wont say the bad ones didn’t affect our delivery, because it would always pop up in our head during the performance.

    On another play, I was working with actors who have all worked together on another play recently..so i was the new kid on block and they all had an agreement to not read reviews until after the play was over because it would cast bad luck on us? So i believe it comes down to what you believe. IF you believe they review will affect your performance, then it will. If you don’t believe it will, then it won’t. Good luck tonight!!!

  2. I love that you give us these glimpses behind the scenes. You have interesting things to share and you are generous to share them with us. I think we are all getting a different kind of appreciation for what you do. Thanks!

    I don’t think you have to worry about getting any bad reviews, but I understand that even good ones might influence your acting and be a distraction. Do what you feel comfortable doing.

  3. Hmmm, that’s tricky, but I tend to think that Christine may be right. Although, it really depends on how much you take the reviews into consideration in regards to your performance.

    I can’t imagine 33 Variations getting panned by any critic [based on everything I’ve heard, people seem to enjoy it].

    I probably wouldn’t have enough discipline to retrain myself from reading reviews, especially since the play will be running for several months. I’d just be too curious.

    See you tomorrow night!
    –Amanda

  4. Howlo again, Ms. Fonda! ^..^

    I got a dog-flash of an idea about reading reviews. I wouldn’t read ’em till later, but I would ask a good friend to read ’em for me. Call it curiosity, or call it perfectionism. I’d like to know whether a majority of critics are loving it, or whether something was repeatedly bothering critics.

    If a friend who knows the biz scanned my reviews, I’d feel more relaxed. The parameters of revelation could be pre-agreed upon — so as not to tell me who the critics are and, unless necessary, not to reveal what moments caught their attention. A smart friend wouldn’t count the opinions of arful snooty or mean critics, thereby saving an actor from little barbs.

    I hope this explanation makes furrfect sense. Paw regards, Tilin Corgi (@winecountrydog)

    P.S. – Wet nose kisses to Tulea.

  5. Aww Jane, I’m sure you’ll get wonderful reviews. I hope all the best for you and the play.

    Good luck with everything.

    And god bless…

  6. Omgoodness. I’m not sure if I’d read them or not. One part of me would want to see what they say. The other part says…no way. That’s tough. It’s sort of like wanting to open a present on Christmas Eve. I’m sure they’ll be great regardless of what you choose.

  7. I think (for me) it would be tough to not read a review. Kind of like eating a fortune cookie without looking at the fortune. Might not like what I see, but I would feel compelled.

    On the other hand… if you feel that a review might have the potential to change your performance a little, then unless you are willing to roll with that possibility, why bother reading it.

  8. My opinion probably matters about as much as a dollar-three-eighty, but I’ll cast my vote. Vote “NO” on reading reviews. As my mom says: you’re not doing the show for the people who don’t like it, you’re doing it for the ones that do. Critics are just that: Critical. I have found that when I know what the reviews have been, I don’t necessarily change a performance, but it stays with me. Those cast mates of yours are brave folks, but I suppose that’s what you get for being in show business. It’s not for the faint of heart. Whatever you decide, go easy on yourself!
    HUGS!
    Dawn

  9. I think Christine Lahti likes you a lot. I think Christine Lahti wants she and you to form up a production company called “Zelda Productions”. I think she has a radar drift towards something where Jane Fonda and Christine Lahti would create a sort of magic on the Broadway stage somehow, sometime.
    The white ropes are down for “33 Variations”. The holy Maitre D’ has set it all out for you.

  10. Samantha has tremendous willpower not reading her reviews. I always say I’m not going to read my reviews and then I do. I just think, “It’s out there, people know, so I should know, too.” But of course Christine is right. good comments , especially about specific moments, make me hyper-aware of them, and take me out of the moment. No matter what the press says, good or bad, trust your audience about what’s working. You’ll hear it and feel it from them. And they’re the ones you do it for once opening weekend has passed!

    You’re gonna KNOCK ‘EM DEAD!

  11. I see where you’re coming from, wanting to read the reviews and not at the same time. I think you should go for it! Read them and then don’t let it bother your performance. Jane, you are just so incredibly talented and beautiful its hard to imagine somebody saying really terrible things about the play. It seems that everyone who has seen it fell in love with it. Anyway, the reviews aren’t going to change the minds of your fans, we still love you. I hope to get to New York to see the play. Don’t think too much about the reviews…think more for the fans. I’m curious to see what you say about reading or not reading the reviews and what they say. I promise, I won’t read them until you tell about it first on your blog! =)

    Kelsey.

  12. Interesting conumdrum – to read or not read the reviews. Pros and cons for both, I think.
    Have a great evening and matinee tomorrow!

  13. Reading reviews is so very personal and depends upon how you handle good or bad information about yourself. Critics can be very sharp in their observations. I stopped reading them when they started likeing me, it made me want to please them and no actor can afford that trap.

  14. I am just LOVING your blog!! I saw the show a couple weeks ago, and thought you were excellent. I think the show is intriguing as well.
    I’m sure there’s a BIG difference in how film vs. stage reviews affect you, so I’m glad to hear you’re giving it some thought.
    I always welcome the mixed reviews, but I’m a musical director, not an actor, so it’s easier for me to process the whacks without it hurting my performance. Hang in there….this is a lovely production and your blogs should be published as a volume in the future.
    Glad you’re feeling better!!!

  15. Reviews are always good, even if they are bad.
    At least this way you can get a good nights sleep until tomorrow when the box is opened. You may be surprised by all the good things said by people that really know you. Stop being sensitive, know who you are, and stand tall with that knowledge.

  16. Skip the reviews! You are doing great and look fabulous! Feel good about what you are doing no matter what anyone says. You can always analyze the reviews to death later. I wish I could see your play but I’m in CO. Won’t get to NYC until June. BTW – I have had a blast following you on Twitter. It perks up my day to follow your NYC experiences real-time. Good luck with the performance!

  17. Well, Jane, I saw the show the third night of previews, and it is brilliant, and you are brilliant, so whenever you read the reviews, you should be thrilled. I was touched, excited, moved and inspired. Thank you.

  18. I am a stage manager and I think you should not read the reviews. Just do the play. Enjoy the work. It is just one person’s opinion. Sometimes reviews will affect performances.

  19. That is interesting Jane , I have come to the conclusion that Art is the expression of the Self . The system of management of Arts is one system of motivation for rewards ,a painter paints the writer write and the actor acts. Art is the expression of the self that is the reward. The reviewer can only respond and to what has been created no more or less.

  20. I think that if you really care about the review it is bound to change your performance, and if you don’t then there is no point to read it. Moises is wise and also a good playwright, so it might also interfere with his work. I would follow his lead. You have the daily audience feedback, which always is positive. I remember going to see Tennessee Williams plays before, which were a bit depressing, like the Glass Menagerie – very good but depressing. But that was the character of it. So what meaning would it have to give such an opinion? Still, Jane, you are going to read the reviews anyway!

  21. Hi Jane (if i may call you that),
    i saw the show tonight March 3, 2009 and thought it was fabulous and you and the entire cast was amazing. is it possible to get an autographed picture of you.. my camera froze when you came out tonight (or was it my hands that were frozen). I hope you win a TONY for this part!! best regards and admiration,
    karen kleinman

  22. Since you are a theater “review virgin” I say save them until you have finished the play. As the days pass it will be exciting to think about the mysterious things that you have hidden under your bed. Why let a person’s critique of your work have the potential to ruin your entire day. Don’t let them have that power over you. Life is to short. You are a spectacular actress and an even more spectacular human being. I predict that there will be no bad reviews. I read the story about you in USA Today today. I am still trying to decide if it was easier raising my daughter who is now 27 or her brother who just turned 16. At least I think my daughter likes me now. Much love and good health to you and your family.

  23. i’d say enjoy this glow of performing, and then, after you’ve come down from it, and it’s all in the past, then read the reviews, like 2 months later, but not now, unless you really really want to

  24. Mary Louise Parker was asked about reviews of Hedda Gabler: Do you feel the reviews were unfair or off-point? Ms Parker replied: Well I only read one, and I wouldn’t have read that one except I was getting texts at 7 in the morning saying, “Fuck him, I hate Ben Brantley!” Then people started sending me presents to [make me feel better]. I figured at that point I really needed to see the review. So I read it and, yeah, that was kind of a mistake. It would have been better to have someone say, “It’s really horrible. Don’t read it!”
    See interview at: http://www.broadway.com/Mary-Louise-Parker/broadway_news/5022500

  25. Reviews: To read or not to read – that is the question! How facinating reading your thoughts on this.

    I’m keen to know what process you go through after a performance.

    (maybe i need to some reading of my own – and go back through your previous blogs!)

    I guess if I drill down what I’m really asking is… how do you manage your internal dialogue after you perform?

    I love how centered you are – or more to the point your ability to encourage yourself back to being centered. You can hear this in your interviews and in your writing… life doesn’t always go as you plan; performances don’t always play the way you want them to – but you seem to have this incredible ability of moving yourself back to your center. I’m encouraged by this – tell us more!

  26. Hi
    Being an actor too, I always find I play differently when the press is there. They make me nervous because I’m somehow doing it for them which isn’t the point at all. I act for myself primarily because any other way of living would be second best. I literally live on a different plane on stage. So I don’t do it for the press. Whenever I or the play gets a bad review then I put it down to the fact that we were aware they were there. Very human. It won’t change my performance.
    Me, the character and the play come first, then the audience (including press) is invited into my (our) world and it’s a bonus if they enjoy it. 🙂 Sounds egotistical but there you are. And it works. Have received many European acting awards.
    Bottom line: read or not to read – it’s your world we’re entering into every night and it’s our problem if we like it or not.
    By the way, love the blog.
    A fan from Europe xx

  27. i doubt the reviews are going to be bad. this play has masterpiece written all over it. go ahead and read the reviews. they will all be glowing ones. bask in the limelight. you deserve it. it’s been too long since your star has shined!

  28. Jane I really injoy reading your day to day it keeps me in touch,miss u lots.I’m planing on comeimg up to see the play and do a turn around, just haven’t figured out when yet. LOL
    Tommy

  29. Bette Davis told me she never read reviews, especially of her work on stage.
    “If they’re good, you’ll hear about them,” she said with a shrug. “If they’re bad, you’ll hear about them sooner.”
    Words to live by, maybe?

    best wishes,
    george a.

    P.S.: Maybe stay at Sardi’s just long enough for a taste of cannelloni. Theirs is still the best.

  30. Ms. Fonda and the play and other actors will be very pleased with their reviews I believe. The play is very intellegent, yet emotional, the subject and conflicts compelling. Ms Fonda has the most melodious and rich voice, looks fantastic, is very present and warm…except with that poor daughter. It was a wonderful evening in the theatre. Thank you for coming back to Broadway and enjoy!

  31. Jane,
    I suggest you just read the last sentence to satisfy your curiosity and save the rest for later, after the play closes. Remember it’s not only critics attending this week but fans as well. Enjoy the run!

  32. Dear Jane: I am a lifelong New Yorker, and walked by the theater right before the show began last night. Your picture atop the marquee, the lovely crowd standing outside, the glow of the lights — the sophistication and loveliness was breathtaking. Made me wish you were standing with me to see the love and appreciation this city has for you. I can’t wait to come see the play and be “in the moment” myself. Sending you love and good luck. You are a VERY important role model for women. — Carolyn

  33. Jane,

    Reviews can be bittersweet,but remember who dictates the shows success. The Proformers,audience,writer/director etc!
    Although a reviewer may deter some,in my opinion, the majority will base their decision on the cast, and storyline. As for the performers,they deserve recognition for all the blood/sweat/tears that a production requires.Feedback yes, damaging blows NO!
    I think we already know what you will decide. You always continue to perfect your ctaft,and the audiences have only Rave reviews.
    Bravo to you ALL!

  34. Dear Ms. Fonda,
    I am a big fan of yours, and find your blog very entertaining to follow. I coincidentally had recently written about you on my blog:
    http://bartboehlert.blogspot.com/2009/02/prayer-for-today.html
    Good luck with the play,
    Bart Boehlert

  35. hello, this is probably way off the subject, but…i have always admired you as a strong independant woman and i loved your book. I just won 2nd place in my first ever essay contest. i always had dreams and fantasies of being a writer but have always been so sure that i am not. well the deadline came and went and event though i had writtent the essay, i did not send it. then i got the email on the extension of the deadline and decided it was a sign and sent it and got 2nd place. i am still spinning! what pearls do you have for someone like me who at 55 (and still alive! ha ha!) begins to think that maybe writing is a possibility…i have ideas for childrens stories, my own story, etc, what do you think? i realize you may not have time to answer, but i thought i could write anyway and see what comes of it. again, you are awesome, i look forward to all your movies and anything that you may be appearing on. i loved you on the view. thanks, sincerely in peace, margo – spinning gramma of 9 in calif. – as for the reviews, read them and take them with a box of salt, as my teacher used to say, they are just a persons opinion and you know how those change with our moods and what not…take care and thanks for all that you have done and still do.

  36. Ms. Fonda…
    do not worry about the critics! I have seen all your films, etc…you have never delivered anything but a fantastic, professional, and relevant performance…
    I consider you a national treasure! I have written before, as I have meet you twice in Thomasville, GA., and sent a suggestion about a film remake that I think would be perfect for you, now.
    I worked in a local little theatre group for years….finally appeaaring as Editor Webb in Our Town….the most frightening thing I have ever done….how do you do it?
    Please keep up your wonderful performing….and all your causes…most people do not know all that you contribute!
    Just a great fan !
    James Adams
    Pelham, GA

  37. Interesting discussion. Not being an the field I can only appreciate what it is like to everyday be open to critism. I think there is value to be had from critisim, but more often than not, I choose to go see somethng with my own eyes, and get a sense of the performance. I don’t want someone to tell me what I should or should not like. You are a professional of your craft. You cast are professionals as well. I woulld say that you are more likely than not your own harshes critics. My sense would be to read these reviews after. Perhaps after the performance there may be some merits to revist, to learn from this experience and the reviews may be a tool at that time. I find there are those in the media that love to put down individuals such as yourself that have a name. Perhaps, by finding fault with someone that has had great success it somehow elevates their egos. That is my only fear. I would say, let your audience be your guide of how it is going, as utimately these people will show their approval with their pocket books. In a time of economic restrain, if you end up having a good turn out and the show is able to continue, I would say you have all done very well. I know that critics like to think they know more that someone such as myself a mere audience member, but the truth is we in the audience know more than we are given credit for. I love it when an actor takes me on a voyage with a character, I forget who they are, and I only know who this character is. So if you can do that with this character, you are indeed a success.

  38. Hello from Scotland, Jane! Really interesting blogs, we suppose the advantage of reading your reviews would be findng out where or where not to change your performance, but then again should select opinions affect what you do?

    Looking forward to the next blog, if we can get to New York before the end of the shows run, we’ll definitely be there! The Two Brians xx

  39. That is a tough decision about the reviews. I agree with Zach that people will tell you anyway though.
    I hope the Sardi’s benefit went well. Take care. Thanks so much for blogging!
    Love, Laura

  40. A review is like applause. Theatre is an interactive event.
    An actor wants the give and take that theatre provides, as does the audience and critics. Theatre is alive and living. Film may catch a single moment and memorialize it forever. But no two moments in life are precisley the same. Only those present in the moment that theatre provides can expereince life as it is lived. A reviewer is just another participant in the event. The actor offers the life the audience and critic wants to experience. Lke everywhere else in life, those who like, will follow. Those who don’t, won’t. Count the critics in the house. The odds remain in favor of the one who creates life. Go, girl!

  41. If you can take the review and use it to make your self better than all means, But my thoughts are you can’t please everyone and if you know you did thre best you are able to then there is no one else to worry about. Really aren’t we our own worst critic. If you sleep well at night then all is good.

  42. I’ve never wanted to go to New York, because of traffic and crowds.

    But, I’m now thinking about it, just to see your play.

  43. DO. NOT. READ.

  44. Tuck them under the bed. Not all theater criticism is constructive and you are bound to be more affected by a review that missed the point then an insightful one.

  45. Just keep posting! Your blog is Awesome!

  46. Here’s why I don’t read them until the play comes down: I once received a rave review for a performance of a particularly difficult character I was interpreting. I heard about the review and read it. It was, indeed, quite favorable BUT: the imagery the critic used to describe what I was doing absolutely did not jibe with what I had going on in my head…and I felt very strange every night after that, wondering if I was communicating my intent…wondering, wondering, wondering. I say wait.

  47. Pingback: Work in the theatre? A poll: Do you read reviews of your work? — Greenroom

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