Thanks. A direct quote might have helped here because I know a lot of those old guard critics (from having lived in NYC and been v-p of a critics' org) and your paraphrase doesn't ring true to my experience. But something could have been lost in translation from the podcast to Medium.

I'd also like to add that I'm the daughter of a director on the straw-hat circuit in the NJ area and the expectations differ for Broadway and respected local-theater critics who may be reviewing wholly or largely amateur casts. Those critics can't get away with slamming show after show. I've worked for two daily newspapers, and neither would have allowed it because it isn't appropriate to apply Broadway standards to such casts and, if they did did, they hear about it.