Critical View

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Twin Cities director Peter Rothstein speaks to Critical View students
Photo Credit: Mark Vancleave

The Critical View student reviewer program gives high school students the opportunity to attend touring Broadway productions and write reviews. Critical View is part of a larger curriculum that teaches communication skills and enhances critical thinking and creative response. As part of this program, students receive study guides and press kits before the show, enjoy a complimentary dinner at a downtown restaurant and learn from experts including local theatre critics, playwrights and actors who discuss topics from lighting design to choreography.

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Goals

  • To provide high school students who may have limited resources the opportunity to develop an appreciation for live theatre
  • To provide a unique and engaging forum for student learning outside of the classroom
  • To develop and enhance critical thinking, self-expression and analytical writing skills

Elements of the Program

  • Participants see up to ten live theatre performances, often touring Broadway productions, at the State, Orpheum or Pantages Theatres and write reviews
  • Pre-show dinner in downtown Minneapolis with a preparatory discussion facilitated by Critical View program manager
  • Opportunity to review press materials provided to the professional media
  • Post-show visits and student reviews assessed by our program manager
  • Student reviews posted on the Hennepin Theatre Trust website and in the theatre
  • Special discussions led by guest artists, directors and/or professional theatre critics

What participants are saying:

“I LOVE Critical View so much! Going to see all of those plays was so amazing. I really appreciate what the program has done for me.”
-Diamond Billinger, Critical View student

“Fiddler on the Roof is one of the best performances I have seen this year, tied with Wicked and Spring Awakening. There is no one better than Chaim Topol to tell the classic story of family hardship and change.”
-Sara Sommers,  Critical View student

“I have loved Rent ever since I saw the movie. Being able to see the stage version with two of the original cast members was beyond amazing. It was so much fun and definitely an experience I’ll always remember.”
-Alicia Battle, Critical View student