It is ABSOLUTELY FREE to have your performances, press releases, and auditions listed here. I update the site daily, do a sweep of all the local newspapers every Thursday, and add the listings for the next month on the 15th of every month. Drop me some e-mail with your comments and press releases. She has been reviewing in Berkshire County, southwestern Vermont, and the New York State capital region since 1997.

Who is Gail? Gail M. Burns is a professional, independent Web critic. She studied theatre at Sarah Lawrence College with Obie Award-winner Shirley Kaplan and Tony Award-winner Wilford Leach. She has been working with young people in the theatre since 1971. The Burns family own and operate the Starlight Stage Youth Theatre in Williamstown, MA, where they make their home. Gail is a direct descendant of King Edward I (also known as Edward Longshanks) of England, 1239-1307, among many, many other people!

Mission Statement GailSez is much more than a platform for Gail’s theatre reviews. My goals in starting the site included encouraging communication among area theatres, providing a central location for audition and performance information, and giving potential ticket-buyers a place to read and compare opinions from area critics. Everyone who attends a theatrical performance has a different experience and opinion. Only by reading a variety of those opinions, and the information presented by the theatre companies themselves, can you come close to understanding the production.

Geographic Area Covered Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden Counties in Massachusetts Bennington, Windham, Windsor and Rutland Counties in Vermont Columbia, Rensselaer, Washington, Warren, Saratoga, Schenectady, Albany, Greene, Montgomery, and Fulton Counties in New York State.

Why GailSez? The original material on this site is strictly my opinion, which is neither better nor worse than anyone else’s. I have an opinion too! Then drop me some e-mail! I have made a conscious decision not to have a section where public comments can be posted, and I do not post information from private e-mails I receive. While I am always happy to correct my stupid mistakes, I will defend my stupid opinions to the death!

Why do you do this? GailSez is a total labor of love and I do it alone, in addition to my regular day job and my life as a wife, mother, friend, and active member of my community. I do not earn any money from it. I do receive free press seats to the shows I review. Each review represents approximately eight hours of work – about two hours of research, two hours driving to and from the venue, two hours attending the show, and two hours writing.

How can you say you love the theatre and write negative reviews? Loving the theatre and being honest in my thoughts about individual productions are two separate things. Whether you believe it or not, I genuinely enter each show with high hopes and I wish all the producers, actors, directors, and designers that I write about the very best.