Theatre Review Article- “The Tempest” ELA Sec 2
You can find reviews all over the Web on just about every topic: movies, albums, TV shows, video
games, events, hotels, & restaurants. Reviews are important because we all have limited time and
money. A review is thoughtful commentary and analysis. A review can impact the audience: “I
need to see it!”- “It looks…alright”-“It sounds lame!”
Task: Write a review of “The Tempest” performed by the Montreal Shakespeare Theatre
Company.
Be careful of your bias (prejudice, unfairness). You can criticize the production, but you must be
fair & respectful. You are providing leadership for others. Respect your audience.
Your review article should follow the outline below:
- Headline: Your review article needs a headline. It can be informative, catchy, or playful. The
purpose of a headline is to get your audience to read your article.
- Byline (name of the writer, you) & Dateline (where it occurred, & when the article was written
or published)
- # Of Stars: Up to 5 stars (1 = poor, 5 = exceptional, you could include ½ stars)
Introduction (should include the following information)





Interesting lead sentence
Title, author, & type of play, history
Production company
First impressions
A brief summary
Analysis (2 paragraphs)


Acting- strong or poor (use the actors or characters names), voice, believability, humor,
expressions, interaction with audience, memorable moments.
Technical- setting, costumes, lighting, sound, makeup, special effects, atmosphere,
impactful moments. Use descriptive language to help the reader visualize (5 senses,
thesaurus)
Conclusion & Opinion



Observations about the audience’s reaction
Your final reaction/ impressions
Your overall opinion of the play (judgment with detailed explanation)
Your good copy should be typed and professionally set up: typed in paragraphs in columns (if
possible), include a relevant or creative image.
Be sure to edit your rough work, your good copy should be error free and look professional. You
must validate each of your thoughts. You need to give specific examples.
Theatre Review- C3: Writes a variety of genres for personal & social purposes
Impact:
Ideas
delivered with
voice, to an
audience,
appropriate
language &
word choice.
Organization:
Flow of text,
sentences,
paragraphs, &
transition,
Mechanics:
Punctuation,
spelling,
capitalization,
& grammar.
5- Advanced
4- Strong
3- Developing
2- Partial
1- Minimal
Writing is
professional,
compelling and
insightful. Ideas
show great
understanding.
Voice, language,
and word choice
are exceptional.
Structure is
crafted,
effortlessly leads
reader to where
writer wants them
to go. Flows with
ease &
sophistication.
Polished writing,
consistent
command of
language.
Audience is able
to effortlessly
enjoy the quality
of the text.
Writing is well
thought-out,
engaging, draws
in the reader.
Voice, language,
and word choice
enhance
meaning.
Writing shows
thought and
provides some
insight. Evidence
of intentional
use of voice,
creative word
choice and
language.
Structure
follows a
sequence.
Structure flows
adequately, with
few transitions.
Writing shows
some thought,
but is ordinary.
Little evidence
of voice, and/or
creative
language, and
word choice.
Writing shows
little thought,
underdeveloped.
Voice, language,
and word choice
are inconsistent.
Structure
follows a rough
sequence,
structured with
some difficulty.
Paragraphs need
attention.
Structure is
sketchy,
awkward, and
random. Difficult
to follow.
Paragraphs not
apparent.
Verb tense,
punctuation, &
capitalization
are somewhat
consistent. Some
evidence of
editing & proper
use of grammar.
Verb tense,
punctuation, &
capitalization
inconsistent.
Little evidence if
editing.
Grammar
remains a
problem.
Verb tense is not
consistent,
improper use of
punctuation,
grammar,
capitalization, &
inattention to
spelling makes
meaning unclear.
100 96 94
92 90 88
86 84 82
80 78 76
74 72 70
66 62 60
58 55 52
50 45 40
35 30 25
20 15 10
Structure leads
reader where
writer wants
them to go.
Structure flows
with ease, good
use of
transitions.
Consistent
command of
writing. Writing
enhances the
ideas and
enjoyment of the
text. Few errors.