Curtains
What does the downfall of a New York Times critic say about… something?
The battle lines in the Isherwood–Brantley turf war were familiar to anyone even mildly interested in New York theater. They had carved out their respective beats: Brantley would handle London plays and all the big Broadway shows, while Isherwood stalked regional theaters. If a play he had reviewed transferred to Broadway, he would follow it there. But Brantley always had first pick…. To make matters worse, last year Isherwood asked culture editor Danielle Mattoon for a promotion to co-chief theater critic, an arrangement the art and movie critics share. He was turned down and wound up storming out of the office.
Are you someone who is even mildly interested in New York theater? Or the New York Times? Workers’ rights in the face of increasing electronic surveillance by management? Whatever! This piece on the termination of drama critic Charles Isherwood is the kind of gossipy media reporting that no one does anymore and that some of us, mostly old people, remember fondly from an era back before everything was terrible all the time. It’s great because it’s all about people who hate themselves and each other and none of them are you. Enjoy!