The Theater: A Complete Story

The stage at “Mo” is merely a platform, actors, lighting, and an audience. Theater is a human and artistic experience, a story told before you in its entirety, with all its details, characters, and dialogues. It is difficult to judge a theatrical production based on a fragmented scene or a clip that has gone viral on social media.

Anyone wishing to critique a scene should view it within its proper context, listen to the dialogue preceding and following it, understand what the character intended, why they said those words, and how the scene concluded. Sometimes, a single sentence, when extracted from its context, takes on a completely different meaning than it does within the work.

The problem today is that some people latch onto a tweet, a short clip, or a “Reel” that has spread on social media, and then pass judgment on an entire play. In some cases, this even leads to criticizing the authorities that approved the production and calling for its suspension, despite the fact that these critics have never actually seen the performance!

Attend the theater, watch the full production, and then critique it as you wish. No one will tell you not to criticize, nor does anyone ask you to praise the play or agree with everything in it. But criticizing a play you have not seen, and basing your stance on a circulating clip or rumor, is not artistic criticism. It is a judgment on something you have neither experienced nor witnessed. Go to the theater, sit among the audience, listen to the dialogues, and see the complete picture. Then, share your opinion. Theater is a living experience that cannot be understood through a smartphone screen. Respecting it begins with respecting the complete story.