It was recently announced that Peter Marks, Chief Theater Critic at the Washington Post, will leave his position at the end of the year.
We want to wish Peter well in his future endeavors and thank him for his decades of knowledgeable and thoughtful writing. He offered nuanced theatre criticism with respect, relish, and generosity. His work contributed immensely to the artistic vibrancy of our region and the theatre landscape both here and nationally.
We strongly encourage the Washington Post to continue their legacy of cultural storytelling and informed criticism. The paper of record in our nation’s capital – a top market for theatre in this country – should be at the forefront of arts criticism. With over 65 professional theatre companies and dozens of productions on stage every day in our region, there is a wealth of performance worthy of in-depth coverage.
Robust arts criticism is essential to the health of our industry. A diversity of stories, with vital insights and dynamic voices, deserve to be heard and covered – to both amplify current work and to create an important historical record.
We are in close communication with the theatre community now and in the coming weeks, we will solicit thoughts, feedback, and input on how best to encourage the continuation of robust arts criticism in our region. We will determine concrete action steps and welcome a larger community response. Please let us know if you would like to be updated on this work: https://bit.ly/dctheatrecriticism
-Amy Austin, President & CEO, and the Board of Directors, Theatre Washington