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Another Anonymous Critic

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers opened at the Empress on Friday. The show was sold out, and the cast received a standing ovation at the end. I made a blog post on the Empress blog to congratulate the cast on a wonderful job. A couple of folks commented on either the blog or on Facebook that echoed my thoughts that the show was the strongest opening we've ever had at the Empress. Then this morning, I found this comment waiting,

The actors were wonderful, the set looked and worked beautifully. The sound
was ok, the lighting has much to be desired. I would give it a 7.

Since I designed the lighting for the show, I can't help but wonder if the anonymous commentor was taking a personal stab at me. And this is not the first time an anonymous commentor has decided to use the Empress Blog as a forum to attack me.

Well, Mr. Commentor, for the record, I agree with you. The lighting for this show leaves a lot to be desired. There were major parts of the lighting that just plain didn't work. I could spend a great deal of time on a self critique of my work or on a lengthy discussion of the challenges of lighting the Empress or the other issues that contributed to this project being less than I would have liked for it to be. And, Mr. Commentor, if you'd care to share any specific thoughts as to how the lighting for this show, or for the Empress in general, could be improved, I would be happy to hear them, anonymously or otherwise. That is perhaps a discussion for another day. I will say that we can use all the help we can get; if you'd like to come in and design lighting for a show, please feel free to volunteer.

The thing that troubles me with this comment is that you would allow whatever animosity you feel toward me to spill over to the hard work and talent of the rest of the cast and crew, or to the Empress in general. If you've got a beef with me, there are many other, more appropriate, ways for you to communicate it to me other than cowardly anonymous attacks that cause collateral harm to others. Such tactics are juvenile and undeserving of respect.
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