This makes absolutley no sense... You post as Rohana, sign as Michael and make reference to a review which does not appear in the thread, nor (as far as I can see) anywhere on this site! Confused.

"Please Explain?"

Absit invidia (and DFT )

Jeff Watkins
SN Profile
Photographer
Community Spirit

Okay. I tried to post it in my name but it wouldn't allow me to because the pages is registered in my name. So i used a mates email to post it, and then used my name. Now i am breaking my balls setting up a new theatre company to produce new Aussie plays, and this is our first. Already on the third night we have a Queensland Theatre man wanting to take the play up to Queensland, and tour it there, which is great, but because we are new we can't get any main reviewers to the show, which is fine, i understand that, they are busy and they don't know us. But then this guy turns up, i sat behind him, he laughed all the way through it, then despite the audiences loving it, he states in his one review that its an insult that it has made its way to a Melbourne stage. I felt that this wasn't a review but a personal attack. So angry i just posted this in hope of annoying the w@^&k*r. Sorry if you're offended.

Michael Griffith

I am not offended. Reading your post without the context is simply not very useful. Additionally, if you are posting without logging in, you shouldn't have any problems using any name you want. Maybe a link the review might help.

Personally, I think posting the comment in direct reponse to the Review would be better. I'd say it is likely that ""Peter" does not even see this site. I could be wrong there of course.

Best of luck setting up your company. Not an easy venture at the best of times.

Absit invidia (and DFT )

Jeff Watkins
SN Profile
Photographer
Community Spirit

Michael, I can appreciate your disappointment and frustration, no doubt heightened by having your heart and soul invested in this production. BUT........

I am sure you know bad reviews happen and biased reviews driven by personal agendas also happen. Frequently unjustified, frequently undeserved.

And the best way to handle them? One of 2 ways:
1. DO NOTHING; the sooner the review dies, the better. Don't keep it alive by drawing attention to it. It can only give it greater credibility and longevity.

2. If it's on a public type forum like this one, that allows for comments, then a simple "Dear Mr Reviewer. Thank you for you input. I am disappointed that you did not enjoy our production. We have had very positive feedback from others. Thank you for taking the time to give us your opinion. Yours sincerely, The Director/Producer/etc."

Although, again the danger is that you are keeping the review alive and giving it too much attention.

THE BIGGEST MISTAKE YOU CAN MAKE is to respond by getting personal and impugning the character of the reviewer. It doesn't matter how personal he got or you perceived him to be getting. Doesn't matter whether his review is constructive, credible, petty or malicious.

The moment you personally attack him, then you become the overly-sensitive tantrumming director/producer/artist who has to resort to name calling in the absence of having something constructive to say. And this in itself then lends further credibility to the negative review.

Your scathing little outburst frankly left me thinking you were a bit of, well,... an immature prat. You gave us a version of "...I know you are, but what am I?...." And by the by, you are well on the road to defamation as far as that post goes. And of course, I now dying to read Peter's review.

Now, neither of things is desirable from your point of view I'm sure. And you are responsible for both.

If you are really serious about making a success of your company, you need to accept that far worse than the likes of 'Peter' is likely to be thrown your way. And it is how you handle these situations that will be instrumental in your success or failure. People will judge your company based on what they think of you as it's 'face'.

If I were you, I'd be deleting the defamatory comments you have made here about 'Peter' (and anywhere else you've made them if that's the case).

Sooner you let it go, the sooner your target audiences will. And it is never a good idea to make enemies of anyone in this business. Karma is a b***h and will inevitably come back to bite you on the butt.