Dear Reader editor,
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I’ve been an avid reader of your paper for years. I’m writing to offer my opinion on the new format your paper introduced on Friday, September 17. I have specifically used your theater section for years as a comprehensive guide to plan my theater outings. I was really disappointed to see that you’ve removed the “Highly Recommended,” “Openings,” and “Closings” columns from your theater section (the “Short List”). Those columns have always made selecting a play much easier based on one of those factors (and were unique to the Reader’s theater section). With the new format, if I’m looking to find a “highly recommended” show, I am forced to comb through all of your listings (which at times can be as many as 100) in search of an “R.” If I’m looking for a show that’s opening, I must decipher the distinction between a small “N,” which represents an opening, and a large “N,” which apparently means it’s been open for at least a week but newly reviewed. And if that’s not confusing enough, there is no indication at all for a show that is closing.
W. Belle Plaine
