Knowing Good From Bad

After reading the litany of excuses in “Guests Didn’t Flock to L.A. ‘Wedding’ ” (Theater Notes, by Don Shirley, March 18), I can better explain what killed “Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding”: negative word-of-mouth. No talent. No script. A director and cast who thought that yelling, arguing and fighting were substitutes for meaningful dialogue and emotional drama.

As if that weren’t enough, the ticket prices rivaled Music Center productions, and the cafeteria-style food would qualify for worst dinner theater ever award.

There have been numerous times when we have had to wait months for available tickets to various small-theater productions. To say that “Tony n’ Tina” failed because Los Angelenos are not sophisticated theater-goers is to insult every smaller theater that presents professional-quality productions.

We know bad theater when we see it, and the word goes out. There is a lot of competition in our City of Angels. We may not be New York--but we are entertainment.

BARBARA DeKOVNER-MAYER HARRIS

Encino