encouraging new artists

I went to a conference.

I went to two staged readings of new plays. Each play was the winner for its category, one for adults and one for high school students. The goal of the adult competition was the discovery, development and publicizing of worthy new plays and playwrights. Although a purpose for the high school competition was not given, one might assume similar goals.

For the high school student-playwright, the talk back went like this:

The moderator introduced the playwright after the staged reading. Then, the moderator gave the audience guidelines for response: First, give the playwright feedback about what is working, what you admire and like about the play. Then, give the playwright feedback about questions, what you wanted to know more about in the play. Next, give the playwright feedback about concerns or confusion, areas that you aren't certain about in the play. Finally, the playwright was invited to ask the audience or actors anything she wanted to know about their experiences.

Smart, huh?

Now the adult winner. Note that I said: winner. Award-winning. Selected as the WINNER, right?
The facilitator, also a playwright, first introduced the playwright and quoted a famous playwright (one she quoted frequently, as in "When I was working with Famous Playwright, he said...") as saying: the smartest person in the room is the writer.

Then she said "this is what is working: Good job, actors"

(and, the actors were uneven, but overall okay)

"Great directing"

(A. this was a staged reading- limited directing. B. the directing sucked. It was distracting to say the least about it)

"Now, comments on the play."

And the facilitator went on to state her opinion (liberally sprinkled with "I think we will all agree")- setting the table for the audience- that the play didn't work. That this award- WINNING play had flaws right and left. Mind you, she contradicted herself in her criticisms several times- that the play had no conflict/then the play had a great conflict but it wasn't resolved; that the play didn't tell you enough about something/that the play told you too much about that same something.

Meanwhile, in between belittling the play, she would say, "the play is lovely," "the relationships are lovely."

All while the playwright is sitting ONSTAGE RIGHT NEXT TO THE FACILITATOR, unable to respond to these comments.

When the audience was finally allowed to respond, predictably, they echoed some of the "expert's" opinions.

The WINNING playwright left the session seriously questioning whether or not to continue writing.

This is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG.

I was appalled. Horrified. Angry.

I am grateful that the high school student was not savaged in this way- however, is this any way to treat our best and our brightest? Is this any way to recognize a WINNER?