KCACTF Region III Festival XLIV
January 3-7, 2012 - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
O'Neill Critics Institute (OCI) – A NEW DIRECTION!
Added January 3, 2012
The Critics Institute is at the beginning of a shift in focus and subsequently it has the new title of The Institute of Theatre Journalism and Advocacy. As technology brings us a myriad of ways to communicate, the Institute will explore new ways of responding to the theatrical event beyond traditional written criticism.
This year's group of nine scholars will be participating in a series of seminars focusing on the transitional nature of theatre criticism in our technological world. As part of their experience at the festival, the group of critics will participate in seminars and will have the honor of being mentored by professional theatre critic, Damien Jaques, who will give direct feedback on their responses to the shows being viewed.
The student critics will be required to attend shows and respond to them. They will be writing within a deadline that replicates the time constraints under which critics write. Cuttings from the critiques and quotes from verbal responses will be displayed for public perusal in the main lobby of Krannert Center as sort of a graffiti wall. I invite you to take a few minutes and read the varied thoughts and responses the students will be posting.
I am honored to once again be Region III's Coordinator of the Critic's Institute and look forward to exploring the new directions of The Institute of Theatre Journalism and Advocacy with our group of student scholars!
Jane Purse-Wiedenhoeft
