Dear Washington Post

Below is an email I sent to the Editorial Team of the Washington Post, as per TheatreWashington's Call to Action, regarding the Post's decision to no longer review Professional Companies providing Theatre for Young Audiences. 

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​To whom it may concern,

Today I write to you on behalf of two thriving professional theatre companies ​in our area: Imagination Stage and Adventure Theatre MTC.

It has been brought to my attention that The Washington Post no longer writes reviews for Theatre for Young Audiences productions. I find this very troubling.

By making the choice not to publish reviews for TYA productions, your institution sends a very powerful message to the public: Children are not a valuable, legitimate, discerning audience, and the pieces of theatre created with this audience in mind are not worth your time and not to be taken seriously. 

As a Classroom Teacher turned Teaching Artist and Theatre professional, I am here to tell you that this needs to change. Providing quality reviews for TYA productions gives them the publicity and quality time they deserve.

Why do they deserve it?

To be brief, theatre has always been a crucial aspect of community development and civilization itself. From Ancient Greece to Elizabethan England, from Medieval Cycle Plays to Modern Drama, theatre as been at the heart of society, used to impart wisdom, teach valuable lessons, and ask tough questions. Beyond mere entertainment value, Theatre accomplishes the following:

• Provokes thoughtful, intelligent discourse
• Encourages action for social injustice
• Teaches morality, ethics, and empathy
• Presents tough issues in an easy-to-discern platform
• Facilitate Community involvement 

Audiences, young and old, benefit from witnessing the human condition through the live, visceral experience of theatre. Children who attend live theatre performances are better able to understand their emotions and social interactions, becoming positive members of society. 

Please reconsider your choice to not review TYA. 


​Respectfully yours, 
Michele D. Vicino, M.A.T.E.