Sparkle Recognition 2014

As I See It . . Dennis Sparks Once again, I have accumulated what I believe are unique, artistic achievements for the Season (September 1st, 2013 to August 31st, 2014) and awarded each of them a Sparkle Recognition mention in the list of about 100 plays I review in a Season.  But, as you will note, unlike other award lists, I do not pick a “winner,” nor is my list confined to necessarily “5 nominees” in each category.  My list contains as many, or as few, as I deem “special” in some way. I do not believe you can compare, for instance, one actor’s performance in a play against another actor’s role in a totally different part and play.  Nor do I understand why there has to be only 5 nominees in category.  For example, I pick a person for a uniqueness that they seem to have, both as a performer and in the role they are enacting.  That is not to say that there weren’t a wealth of fine artistic jobs done.  There were.  But these particular individuals moved me in special, unforgettable ways. Granted, this is my take alone on the shows this season and, I’m sure you will

note, doesn’t agree with most award lists of “nominees/winners.”  Also it doesn’t encompass all the fine theatres that exist in the Northwest.  All the theatres I do include have invited me to review their shows.  And, being only one person, I can only review so many in a Season. And I do not restrict in any way, the people/companies that I review or are included in my Sparkle list.  The list includes schools, professional theatres, semi-professional, community, et. al. and can be as far North as Longview, WA and as far South as OSF in Ashland, OR.  In my opinion a good performance/production is simply good, no matter its pedigree. I unashamedly admit that I am a supporter of the Arts, having over 40 years myself in all aspects of it.  I attend a production expecting it to be good and, if it falls short, in my opinion, I try to be constructive in my criticism.  Also, you will note in my reviews, that I tend not to spend a lot of time describing the plot but, instead, try to give a flavor of the piece.  And I try to make comparisons to similar venues or historical, philosophical or personal histories of the times to, hopefully, enlighten the audience to what they may be seeing.

My main objective is to encourage the viewer to attend Artistic events and support the Arts.  My blog is now approaching 60,000 hits, which is not too shabby in the two years I have had my blog in existence.  And when theatres/artists put links to my reviews on their sites, it only enhances the readership and, hopefully, your audiences.  In case you’d rather scan the list to find your own company, the theatres (right-hand column) are listed alphabetically.  So, without any further exposition, may we have the envelope please . . . Click link below to see complete list Sparkle Recognition 2014