In every production, the least convincing performance is the one by the critic attempting the role of Teller-of-the-Truth.
But it’s nothing new to assert that evaluations of productions are subjective. (Though, in my defence, theatre is not particularly interested in novelty. It’s been quipped that Jane Austen wrote not six novels, rather the same novel six times – but the accusation that Austen endlessly returned to the same material loses any sting when compared to an artform in which practitioners routinely present plays that have been produced 100’s of times before. Theatre is an artform in love with repetition. Do that to me one more time, Once is never enough….)
But back to my earlier point: my reluctance to accept a role in which my performance (as Teller-of-the-Truth) will undoubtedly be graded somewhere on the spectrum between foolishly naïve and laughably arrogant.
Of course, I’m happy to double, briefly appearing in that small role of self-important judge. (“Small role!” I hear publicists declare imperiously, “There are no small roles, only small reviewers!”)
But I’ll double that small role of evaluator with a more important one: facilitator of what the artwork offers.
A good play is like a stone thrown into a stagnant pond. When I write about theatre, I’m not especially interested in judging how the stone was thrown; I’m hoping to perpetuate the ripples.
Paul Gilchrist
Image by aceebee from Camberley, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Theatre Red 
When you think about it, there is repetition in all walks of life, irrespective of form. It appears to be the norm, but is it? Most things have a beginning, a middle and an ending and how that plays out depends on its form. Those three phases are interesting in themselves, a natural formula, and in theatre that formula applies too. I guess not everybody will interpret the story the same way. Biased opinion will flourish and it’s the opinions that add colour to the story. 😘
Hey G, yes, it certainly has been suggested that its the repetition itself that makes theatre appear life-like!!!
And in regard to the value of the variety of opinion, I totally agree; an artistic form like theatre that is dependent on a live audience benefits most when that audience is truly ALIVE, in all the wild multiplicity that implies!