You might think theater critics are just people with bad dispositions who dream up nasty things to say about actors trying their level best to entertain people. But you’d be wrong. Many critics are big fans who love theater — some of them even have legitimate artistic skills and contribute to the world of performance. A good example is local freelance writer Mark Sterner, an occasional critic of theater in CityBeat. As it happens, he’s also a costume designer and you have the chance to see some of his work on display at Sitwell’s Coffee House this month.
His eclectic show, Critic As Practitioner: Costume Designs by Mark Sterner, includes designs for an African version of Oedipus Rex, a space opera interpretation of Stravinsky’s The Firebird, and designs for actors performing in works by Anton Chekhov, Thornton Wilder and George Bernard Shaw. Through Dec. 31. Get details here.