Comments on: Review: Camp Freedom!/Black Sheep Productions

By: cody15

cody15 — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 20:53:06 +0000

I agree with the other two comments. I have seen both of these plays. Camp Freedom is a slightly different beast from Empire, but that is what makes it so good. Freedom is very timely and thought provoking, and yet very serious and heavy handed since the world is indeed collapsing before our eyes. They are two different plays, so it’s unfair for Metz to say one is better than the other. In her review, she doesn’t even mention the actors by name referring to one actor as “a guy.” The actors deserve the accolades, too. I realize as a critic one is able to form their own opinion, but when one person’s opinion (and pretty narrow-minded at best) hurts someone’s feelings and hurts the possibility of something succeeding, well maybe it’s time to be a more informed critic.

By: cparsons

cparsons — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:50:43 +0000

I was very surprised to read this review. My husband and I did see EMPIRE, based on Ms. Metz’s glowing rave in the Tribune, and we loved it, which is why we rushed out to see CAMP FREEDOM! during previews. While this show is a very different animal from EMPIRE and perhaps not quite as sharp, overall I have to agree with Leon: we laughed ourselves silly! The writing is smart, funny and touching and the entire cast is stellar, especially Noah Simon as Agent Mahoney and Christopher M. Walsh as Cheney. We are going back with friends in a couple of weeks.

By: leonfaustbone

leonfaustbone — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 05:49:37 +0000

First off, I didn’t see Empire, but I do see a lot of theatre, and I really liked this show. After reading this review, I can’t help but think that Ms. Metz clearly set herself up for disappointment. Compare the company’s “coming out of nowhere” status that they held with Empire, a status void of expectation, with the now astronomical “crush” status Metz forced upon their shoulders. Camp Freedom is consistently hilarious and, at times, even moving. The biggest oversight in Metz’s review is her failure to mention the cast at all! The entire ensemble is fantastic; great comedic performances across the board. And this blindspot is to me proof-positive of the preoccupied and predestined perception of a professional critic who failed to show up with an open mind.