Must Avoid...

Frankly, I think a "must avoid" list is a mean-spirited sort of thing.

Sure, there are so many shows, you have to give people some guidance or they'd go mad looking at the epic-sized program.

But everyone works too hard on their shows, even less than stellar ones, to have somebody say, "Whatever you do, run, don't walk, away from the theater showing this turkey."

I don't think this is an occasion where the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.

Use your space to laud more of the positive shows.

If you don't like a show, sure, warn your friends, but in a public forum at least have the courtesy to lend them your silence, rather than brand them as putrid.

After all, not every show is for everyone. Something I'm not too fond of, people could be falling all over themselves to say glowing things about (it's already happened several times this year, in fact). So what does any one person know, anyway?

It's not like we're spending gobs and gobs of money or blowing an entire day or evening on any one show. $10 (and don't forget your button), an hour, 90 minutes tops, and it's over. In most cases, it's over far too soon. In no case has it grievously injured anyone.

Can't we all just get along?

So the only thing on my "must avoid" list, is a "must avoid list."