BANGLES and baubles and the New Rating System (Which Appears to Be More Confusing than The Old One)

The San Francisco Theater Blog has changed its ratings system, though no mention has been made of it yet. The idea is that most plays fall between the stars, which is fun to say but hard to work out. For example, a four star play and a three and a half star play are very close, but yet Three and a Half Stars means GO SEE THIS PLAY while Four Stars means GO SEE THIS PLAY AND IF YOU DON'T WE'LL BREAK YOUR LEGS. The new system does away with half stars and substitutes BANGLES of PRAISE or baubles of despair. BANGLES add, and baubles subtract. Get it?

I don't either. Anyway, we'll see how long this lasts. The first show to carry the new rating is Sarah Ruhl's "Dead Man's Cell Phone," which opened Saturday at San Francisco Playhouse and is really terrific, but flawed, but ingenious, but self indulgent, but funny as hell, but might have hit harder, but. In the old days it would have probably been Three and a Half Stars with a BANGLE of Praise but now it earns Three Stars with Two BANGLES of PRAISE.

It could have made Four Stars with a bauble of despair, but there weren't any baubles of despair.

You can read the San Francisco Theater Blog review here, but better yet go see this wonderful show and rate it yourself. Help us out here.