An analysis of the dramatic criticism of Frank Rich, 1980-1993.
Item
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Title
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An analysis of the dramatic criticism of Frank Rich, 1980-1993.
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Identifier
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AAI9630489
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identifier
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9630489
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Creator
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Masters, James Michael.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Miriam D'Aponte
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Date
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1996
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Theater | Journalism | Biography
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Abstract
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Frank Rich was chief drama critic for the New York Times from 1980-1993. His position, along with the circumstances of the times and the economics of theatre, gave him enormous influence over the theatre and audience's taste, both in New York and across the country. Because that influence will be felt for years to come, it is important to examine Rich's ideas on theatre and criticism. This dissertation explores Rich's interviews, articles and, above all, his reviews in an effort to determine what aesthetic theory, if any, governed his criticism.;Chapter One outlines the reasons such a study is significant and gives a history of how Rich came to the Times, including influences in his youth and early days as a writer that would affect his later criticism. Chapter Two examines Rich's views on the art of criticism, focusing on: his audience, the qualities he asks of a critic, and the substance of a Rich review. Chapter Three analyzes Rich's reviews to see what they tell us about his views on theatre. Here we see Rich's opinions emerge on such subjects as naturalism, the classics, unconventional works, polemic writing, and a writer's "voice." Chapter Four looks at the power of the New York Times critic and at how Rich consolidated and increased that power through a style of reviewing that insisted that plays and theatre are relevant and important. Rich did this by: (1) relating plays to real life; (2) increasing the status of the theatrical arts by repeatedly extolling certain artists; (3) cultivating a voice of authority with his readers; and (4) targeting certain plays and their reviews to show that theatre and criticism are indeed important.;Chapter Five draws conclusions about what Rich felt constituted good theatre and effective criticism, what aesthetic theory lay behind his judgments, and how his legacy has affected criticism and theatre.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
