Directed by Chris Jones, chief theatre critic and Sunday arts-and-culture columnist of the Chicago Tribune, the institute will feature visiting faculty that include Peter Marks of the Washington Post, Michael Riedel of the New York Post, William Grimes of the New York Times, Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune, Hedy Weiss of the Chicago Sun-Times and Linda Winer of Newsday.

Critics fellows will study the writing of theatre, movie, and restaurant reviews, as well as the role of narrative journalism, social-media dilemmas and other changes in the field.

Fellows will journey to review shows at major New England theatres, see movies and dine in restaurants. 

A campus-wide talk back, held July 5, was attended by many participants at the ongoing National Theater Conference. Titled "Necessary Evil, or the Devil Incarnate?", the event was moderated by Jones, with featured guest Riedel. During the talk, Riedel shed light on the Broadway personalities he had clashed with over the course of his career, including writers, producers and directors.

“Our new funding from the McCormick Foundation, a foundation with a long-standing commitment to the future of arts journalism has allowed us to do a good deal more this year,” Jones said in a statement. “The Fellows will have been working with some of America’s outstanding arts writers.” For more information on the National Critics Institute, visit theoneill.org.