Another L.A. theater critic gets the ax
Culture Monster just got word that longtime Los Angeles theater and arts critic Jim Farber was let go today.
Farber, whose wrote for the Daily Breeze for nearly 16 years, said the news came as a surprise to him since he reviewed and wrote nearly all features on classical music, opera and fine art, in addition to coverage of the stage.
“We’ve all got a target printed on our backs,” he said. “We arts writers –- at least in print –- are a dying breed.”
As part of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, Farber's byline would appear on occasion in the Breeze’s sister papers, includingthe Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, San Gabriel Valley Tribune and Pasadena Star-News.
Farber’s dismissal comes on the heels of the layoff of Steven Leigh Morris as theater editor and critic at the LA Weekly. His job was eliminated last Friday.
--Lisa Fung
P.S. It also did not matter to management that last March I broke the biggest story in the history of the paper when I interviewed Geraldine Ferraro about the presidential campaign and she made her now infamous comment about race and the race. Oh well.
Posted by: Jim Farber | January 12, 2009 at 08:00 PM
Keep you head up Jim. I read your articles every chance i got. You are a great writer and i hope something good would come of this... Peace!!
Posted by: Fellow Reader | January 12, 2009 at 09:03 PM
Jim,
Arts in the Los Angeles area will be poorer for your absence. Thanks for your good work and good will.
Posted by: Scott Duncan | January 12, 2009 at 10:46 PM
Jim,
Arts in the Los Angeles area will be poorer for your absence. Thanks for your good work and good will.
Posted by: Scott Duncan | January 13, 2009 at 06:14 AM
it was a pleasure working with you, farbs. the writing's on the wall for me, too.
Posted by: corey levitan | January 13, 2009 at 06:15 AM
See you online, Jim? As the newspapers lay off their performing and visual arts writers, we readers are getting our arts news online. Perhaps this sort of cost cutting is hastening the demise of print.
Posted by: Larry Murray | January 13, 2009 at 09:57 AM
We have enjoyed reading your columns and reviews for many years. The continuing firing of critics underscores the current belief arts aren't important to our society. What a shame. Very best in the future!
Posted by: Arts Fan | January 13, 2009 at 09:58 AM
Biggest story in the history of the paper?
Posted by: Biggie Smalls | January 13, 2009 at 10:55 AM
>
thanks, mr. reader, for not only stating the obvious, but for helping to precipitate our demise while boasting about doing so.
companies pay about 1/5th the rate for advertising exposure online as they do in print. so i hope you enjoy the online arts news you get scribbled by 22-year-old interns and high-school bloggers who think monet was a song by billy idol.
oh, and remember to say hi when farber and i greet you at wal-mart.
Posted by: corey levitan | January 13, 2009 at 12:39 PM
So sorry to see another domino in the arts world go down. The Times has reduced it's arts staff, Broadway is on the brink, the arts are being cut from the second largest school district in the nation, now locally the Weekly and the Breeze cut their theatre writers. It is clear that sports pages will remain and that arts coverage will continue to go. Maybe we artists should start sporting numbered jerseys and sponsoring tailgating parties before performances? How else can today's artists help soothe people in this recession? What do we do when the media no longer covers the arts?
Jay McAdams
Executive Director
24th Street Theatre
Los Angeles
Posted by: Jay McAdams | January 13, 2009 at 03:37 PM
If any of the deposed critics have the urge to keep writing they are welcome on my site Stagehappenings,com. This is a terrible week for theatre
Posted by: robert MACHRAY | January 15, 2009 at 10:30 PM