So,
did they
like it?

Welcome to Did They Like It?! As the leading review aggregator for live theatre on and off Broadway, and around the world (#HumbleBrag), DTLI? has one mission: to make reviews more accessible and digestible — they should be easy to find, bite-sized for the fan on the go, and most of all, fun!

By using our very own visual rubric and guided by our unbiased and unaffiliated Did They Like It? editorial team — fans can quickly understand the critical response to a show and make informed decisions with just a few clicks.

Here at DTLI?, we believe that diverse perspectives are fundamental to the critical landscape. Our exclusive Critic Cohort, a group of accomplished reviewers that extend beyond the traditional sources for reviews, provide a comprehensive, multi-dimensional look at each show, adding new, vital voices to the conversation.

So whether you’re new to theatre and searching for a must-see, a serious superfan whose Playbill collection is “becoming a problem,” or even an industry insider who wants all the opening night reviews at your fingertips, we’ve got you covered! Thank you for being part of our community, and be sure to sign up to hear about the many developments we have in store! For now, check back in regularly for exclusive offers and news, and be the first to know…Did They Like It?

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Jose Solís

Cohort Director

Jose Solís

Contact

Jose Solís began his career as a critic at age 16 when he launched a film review website while living in Honduras, where he was born. He began writing about theatre while attending college in Costa Rica, and upon moving to NYC in 2012 focused entirely on the stage. His work appears in The New York Times, American Theatre, TDF Stages, Backstage, 3 Views, and America Magazine. In 2020 he was selected as the Floria Lasky Visiting Artist at Hunter College where he will host the Wed@One series, and started the BIPOC Critics Lab, a workshop he created meant to train the cultural critics of the future. The second installment of the Lab will be hosted by the Kennedy Center. He is also the creator and host of Token Theatre Friends, a weekly web series/podcast where he talks to some of the most influential theatre artists working today. See my reviews

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Ana Zambrana

Ana Zambrana

Ana Luz Zambrana (She/her) is a Latinx  actor, director, and critic. She received her BFA in Acting  from the University of Central Florida, training as well at The Atlantic Acting School and BADA. She is a recipient of The KCACTF SDC directing fellowship, and was recently apart of  The Kennedy Center’s  BIPOC Critic Lab lead by Jose Solís. Having grown up as the only Puerto Rican girl in the small town of Sisseton, South Dakota – with her media consumption ranging from Rebelde to The Lizzie McGuire Movie – Ana looks to create and enjoy stories that explore the diasporic experience of a POC in the United States. See my reviews

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Bedatri D.Choudhury

Bedatri D.Choudhury

Bedatri wanted to be a dancer growing up, but ended up writing her first “culture criticism” at age 6 and fell in love with the sweet feeling of seeing her name in print. It was on The Jetsons and it asked where the service class disappeared if robots took over all housework. Whatever it is she writes on, she writes from the intersections of post-colonialism, race, and gender. Her day jobs, too, emerge out of the same intersections. She has managed documentary projects at Doc Society, Working Films, The Gotham Film & Media Institute, Rada Studio, and CAAM, among others. An alumna of the NYFF Critics Academy, Sundance and SXSW Press Inclusion Initiatives, the National Critics’ Institute, and Berlinale Talents, she grew up in India and now lives in New York City. Presently, she is the Managing Editor of Documentary magazine and an Associate Programmer at DOCNYC. She loves dogs and dessert, and is also trying very hard to keep her houseplants alive. See my reviews

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Christian Lewis

Christian Lewis

Christian Lewis (they/them/theirs) is a queer nonbinary freelance theater critic with published pieces in American Theatre, Playbill, Theatermania, Theatrely, and Variety, among others. They are also a member of the Outer Critics Circle. Christian is a co-host of The Critics’ Table on the Broadway Podcast Network. Christian is (far too) active on twitter and can be found @clewisreviews. In addition to all the theater stuff, they have a PhD candidate in English from the CUNY Graduate Center and are a professor at Baruch College. See my reviews

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Juan Michael Porter II

Juan Michael Porter II

Juan Michael Porter II is a Black queer man living with HIV who (probably) knows more about Sailor Moon and ballet than you do. He started dancing after realizing it was the closest he’d ever get to being an actual superhero and spent his performance career tricking people all over the world into paying him to work with them. He became a critic in order to steal jobs from writers who think that reviewing means telling readers how they “should” think. JM crafts his reviews around the art of conversation in service of what he observed. His greatest hope is that readers will leave his writing feeling compelled to see a particular show so that they can decide how they feel about it for themselves. JM is a National Critics Institute fellow, the staff writer of TheBody.com, and spends most evenings dancing naked at home with a giant disco ball. See my reviews

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Ran Xia

Ran Xia

Ran Xia is a Shanghai born, Brooklyn based playwright, director, and audio designer. Resident director at the Tank, Beatrice Terry Resident 2021-2022 at the Drama League. She will be directing Orlando (by Sarah Ruhl) at Barnard and is a commissioned playwright at Vanderbilt University this fall. Ran has deep admiration for axolotls, sloths, and goats. She’s also probably worse at bowling than you are. In 2020 Ran made it her business to one day surpass grandpa Joe as the No.1 fan of Amtrak after travelling across the country from NYC to Portland OR and back. See my reviews

Everyone’s a critic… and that’s just how we like it.

We created the Did They Like It? Critic Cohort to amplify underrepresented voices outside of the critical mainstream and provide our users with a broader, more diverse perspective. After a rigorous application process — picture an intense training montage set to “Eye of the Tiger” — this group of critics was chosen for a one-year term. Managed by an unbiased, independent Critic Cohort Director, Jose Solís, our Cohort will provide critical analysis of theatre, as well as features and editorial content.

How do we decide if they liked it? Our DTLI? Editorial Team (aka “The Thumb Squad”) reads the full reviews so you don’t have to.

Determining if a review is a thumbs up, thumbs down, or somewhere in between is a thorough process. (Do not attempt without a BA in Theatre.) In all seriousness, we care deeply for our subscribers and the theatre community at large. We’re proud to be a trusted source AND an open book. Here’s how it all plays out.

About Our Editorial Team aka “The Thumb Squad”

Our Editorial Team is made up of the most qualified theatre nerds — the kind who will obsess over the reviews so you don’t have to. They relish dissecting every element of a critique. Our curators carefully read the reviews, note the proper thumb reaction and choose a pull quote to reflect each critic’s stance. In an industry where everyone knows everyone, we make sure that none of the curators assigned to a show are involved in the production in any way. And no, producers do not get the final say nor can alterations be made for the sake of advertising.

All Critics Are Equal

On our site, all critic reviews are weighted the same. For example, our Cohort reviews are given the same attribution as your favorite legacy mastheads. We believe all critics’ voices are equal.

Determining Individual Reviews

Thumbs Up aka “They Loved It””

In order for a review to be deemed a “Thumbs Up” (aka “They Loved It”), approximately 70% of the review has to be considered favorable, positive or (if the critics are feeling extra) ecstatic. That said, no show is perfect, so the review can still include critiques and less than favorable feedback. Our team asks themselves: is the critic recommending this show to audience members? If the answer is “yes,” that’s a review worth texting your ex about!

On-the-Fence aka “It’s Complicated”

Like my relationship status, theatrical reviews can be complicated AF. Some shows ride the line between “must-see” and “it’s gonna be a no from me.” These types of shows are why the On-the-Fence (aka “It’s Complicated”) category exists. In order for a review to be labeled “On-the-Fence,” less than 70% of the review is either overwhelmingly positive or mostly negative. Our team asks themselves: does the critic consider the show a success in some areas but still in need of improvement? Think of it like the shrug emoji of reviews!

Thumbs Down aka “It Wasn’t For Them”

The truth is, the critics can’t love everything, and a “Thumbs Down” is a necessary part of our rating system. Just like a “Thumbs Up,” a “Thumbs Down” (aka “It Wasn’t For Them”) review is approximately 70% of less-than-good feedback and negative critiques. Our team asks themselves: does the critic consider this show ok to skip? But don’t cry for them, Argentina… Today’s “Thumbs Down” could be a total crowd-pleaser or tomorrow’s cult classic. And even though it wasn’t for them, it could still be for you!

Determining a Show’s Critic Consensus

Theatre kids are notoriously bad at math. Sure, they can tell you exactly how many minutes there are in a year (525,600 obvs), but their skills usually end there. That’s why we created a point system to most accurately determine a show’s overall critical response. Our “Thumb Squad” uses the following metrics (and their iPhone calculators):

All the reviews are tallied up, and then an average score is calculated.