Q&A for How to Write a Play Review

A paragraph is usually between five and seven sentences, but it really depends on your content. Switch paragraphs every time you switch topics (i.e. when you start talking about a different aspect of the play).

If you're writing a personal review from yourself, then you can use first person terms. If you're just writing an objective, generalized review, you should avoid first person terms.

Just use the name of the play and "review," or use the author's name, such as "Shakespeare's greatest play yet, a review."

You write that the play was not enjoyable, and you have to justify this with evidence, emotive words, and logic.

It should be enough for people with no time to read the actual review to know what at least one critic thought of it, so they can form their opinion to go see it or not. At the same time, it should invite even those busy people to read the actual review. "Beautiful twists, but one actor slipped up" is a good example. They'll know the story has some nice plot twists, and be curious as to who slipped up and how.

By writing a play review, you are able to help the author/producer and actors with constructive criticism. You are also able to tell other people whether they should watch the play or not.

Of course. It is a review and therefore it should refer to your personal opinion; however, make sure you state why it was unfair. Give reasons for your criticism. If you think it was unfair that you were not given in a part in the play, however, keep that to yourself. It has nothing to do with whether the play was good or not.

Yes, that is one of the pivotal parts of the review. See step 7 in the article. The acting would be covered in the "performance" section of the essay.

It's ethical if you make it clear in the review that you attended a staged reading. You'll not be able to provide your reader with as much pertinent information as if you had attended a full production.

As explained above, a play review is meant to be a discussion of the whole experience of viewing the play performance. It would be hard to do that after merely reading the play.

Use past tense, since the performance (presumably) has already taken place. If you are writing a synopsis instead of a review, you could use present tense.

Go to nytimes.com/reviews/theater.

It could be important to those involved in the production of a play or to people considering whether to attend an upcoming performance.

To end the play review follow step 9. Basically, give your reaction towards the play, why you do or don’t like it, and provide an ending sentence of something like “I recommend you to watch this because I enjoyed this” or "I don’t recommend people like me to watch this as you may not enjoy it.”

Use past tense because when you are writing a review, it means you or anyone else has already watched it.