To the Editor:
On May 4th, Hank Leukart, a member of the Dartmouth Senior Staff, wrote a piece headlined "Performances impress, Sondheim disappoints in 'Into the Woods.'" Mr. Leukart's piece told us nothing about the musical but plenty about Mr. Leukart. Under his gloating headline he cobbles together a number of entirely absurd barbs. He begins by comparing the Dartmouth production to the Broadway original of some 15 years ago, thereby setting the bar too high. This is a college production and therefore should be judged accordingly. When one considers the fact that the cast and crew had roughly five weeks to make 'Into the Woods' a reality, it is a small wonder that they succeeded -- and succeed they did! The problem with Mr. Leukart's review is that it is unbalanced. His focus is on minute details and premiere jitters, instead of on the bigger picture. This nit-picking leaves one with the distinct impression that he has an agenda all his own.
Indeed, the night's performance had its share of problems, as Mr. Leukart points out, but that is to be expected. Last night's performance was also a smashing success, and that fact should be acknowledged. Mr. Leukart's vast sneer-fest will only discourage prospective spectators from a truly wonderful spectacle. The review finally takes on a new dimension of nastiness when it denounces Phil Garran '50, a man all of 76 years old, as the "only major disappointment in the cast." Mr. Garran's effort should be commended, not jeered at. In conclusion, while I agree with many of Mr. Leukart's observations, I do not agree with the way he chose to phrase his criticism. Critics such as Mr. Leukart do little good for the theatrical business and they can inflict immense damage on productions and performers alike. Clearly, that is not the task of the critic!
