Producers do not expect blind adoration by critics, but a little loyal

Question

Producers do not expect blind adoration by critics, but a little loyalty and support for the artists are not too much to ask for. A production that reaches a Broadway stage represents thousands of hours spent by countless individuals with track records of excellence in their fields. Surely such a production is of some worth—and yet, from reading recent reviews, one would be excused to think that all new productions are worthless. Meanwhile, rising real estate and labor costs mean that producers are taking ever-increasing risks to bring major productions to the stage. Inevitably, these increasing costs are shared with audiences in the form of higher ticket prices. Yet why would a consumer who is choosing between a play and a considerably less expensive movie pick the play if that has been proclaimed “soporific” by the press? It is unconscionable that critics should treat so carelessly the art they are supposed to love.It is precisely because the theater critic loves the theater that he must be ruthless in his assessment of it. Every time a critic reviews a stage production, he may be responding to that production, but he is responsible for all theater. Rather than individuals, he must serve the art form. If he upgrades a mediocre production to winning, or lauds a decent one as great, he harms all productions. The Smiths may not pay a king’s ransom for tickets to a show they’ve been warned is bad, but if they do pay a king’s ransom for tickets to a show that has received good notices in the press, but is in fact mediocre, then they may never pay for theater tickets again. Surely producers are not asking that critics should harm the stellar shows of tomorrow by lying to audiences about the lamentable shows of today.

kntombat · Answer

The answer to 1.1 are : inferable(this point is clearly mentioned in the statement by the theatre producer), inferable(this point is clearly mentioned by the theatre critic in his statement). and non-inferable(this point is no more mentioned in the statement by the theatre critic, the critic talks about the consequences of rating a mediocre play as good etc etc and not about the quality of the current plays going on and what he expects for the future.)

The answer to 1.2 is: Option C.(To be honest, I was originally confused between option C and B, but C is clearly mentioned in the statement by the theatre producer and B isn't, it has is more of an indirect inference.)

The answer to 1.3 is: Cannot infer disagreement(Neither the critic nor the theatre producer talk about the quality of the new producers.), Disagree and Cannot infer disagreement(Neither the critic nor the theatre producer talk about the quality of the new producers.)

user1937 · Answer

"Broadway stage represents thousands of hours spent by countless individuals with track records of excellence in their fields. Surely such a production is of some worth"

It says countless hours spent by individuals with track record. So very little hours are spent by individuals with excellent track record, would it still be some worth? We cannot say that. It is the combination of effort and excellence that is mentioned in the statement.

EnglishAgast · Answer

Hi  Sajjad1994  pls could you post the OE? Thank you!

OJA · Answer

The 3rd one was very confusing, could someone please explain ?

siddhantvarma · Answer

I'll take a stab at this. 
We need to pick which topics the Producer and Critic would disagree on. If we can infer that they'd disagree on a topic based on the information given in the passage, we can say they disagree otherwise we'll say " Cannot infer disagreement"

The approach for this should be to locate the relevant section of the passage in each tab and carefully read it, while keeping the broader context in mind. 
Broader context:

Producer:
- Expects loyalty and support by critics for the artists 
- Says any theater production has some worth due to the artists involved (their experience)
- Producers are taking financial risk to put out a show that's costlier than a movie and feel a bad review of a play/theatre would make it easy for the audience to pick movie over a play
- Want critics to treat theater better

Critics:
- Feels they should ruthless in the assessment of a production
- They're responsible for the broader theater community 
- Says their loyalty is to the art and not to the artists so they must evaluate the art keeping the artists aside
- Mentions they don't want to write good reviews for a mediocre/bad theater because it'll be unfair for the audeince and the theater community
- Lays emphasis on being honest in their review

Alright, let's address the topics now:

The degree to which critics love the theater.

"The degree" to which critics love theater is not addressed by anyone. Both producer and critic do mention that critics love theater or are supposed to love it at least, but the degree is nowhere mentioned. Relevant sections of the passage:

Producer:
" It is unconscionable that critics should treat so carelessly the art they are supposed to love."

Critics:
"I t is precisely because the theater critic loves the theater that he must be ruthless in his assessment of it."
 
So the answer to the first topic would be " Cannot infer disagreement"

Where the theater critic’s loyalty lies.

We know that prducers want critics to be loyal to the artists:

" Producers do not expect blind adoration by critics, but a little loyalty and support for the artists are not too much to ask for"

Whereas critics want to be loyal to the art:

" It is precisely because the theater critic loves the theater that he must be ruthless in his assessment of it. Every time a critic reviews a stage production, he may be responding to that production, but he is responsible for all theater. Rather than individuals, he must serve the art form. "

So we can say they both disagree on where the critic's loyaly lies, so answer here would be "Disagree"

The quality of new productions. 
 
Quality of new productions isn't mentioned anywhere that it can be generalised. So answer here would be " Cannot infer disagreement"

napolean92728 · Answer

1. For each of the following statements, select Inferable if the statement is reasonably inferable from the information provided. Otherwise, select Not inferable.

Statement   
   Answer   
   Explanation   
 
    The higher cost of theatrical labor is one of the factors that have led to higher ticket prices for theatrical productions.   
   ✅ Inferable   
   Explicitly mentioned in the producer’s statement.   
 
    The critic would prefer to risk harming a bad production via a negative review in the interest of helping good productions in the future.   
   ✅ Inferable   
   Clearly suggested by the critic’s emphasis on honesty to protect the future of theater.   
 
    The critic laments that at present theatrical productions are of poor quality, but expects them to be of good quality in the future.   
   ❌ Not inferable   
   No evidence is provided for this expectation or sentiment in the critic’s statement.

Statement 1: 
 "The higher cost of theatrical labor is one of the factors that have led to higher ticket prices for theatrical productions." 
✅  Inferable 
 Reasoning: 
From the  producer’s statement :
 
This explicitly mentions labor costs contributing to rising ticket prices, making this  clearly inferable .
 Why other option (Not inferable) is wrong: 
The passage directly provides this link—it's not assumed or speculative.

Statement 2: 
 "The critic would prefer to risk harming a bad production via a negative review in the interest of helping good productions in the future." 
✅  Inferable 
 Reasoning: 
From the  critic’s statement :
 
This shows the critic believes in preserving the integrity of theater as a whole, even if that means giving a harsh review to a bad production. He’s willing to risk the success of poor shows to protect the reputation and future of good ones.
 Why other option (Not inferable) is wrong: 
The critic explicitly says being honest (even if ruthless) is necessary to serve the art form, making this a direct inference.

Statement 3: 
 "The critic laments that at present theatrical productions are of poor quality, but expects them to be of good quality in the future." 
❌  Not inferable 
 Reasoning: 
Nowhere does the critic  lament  current quality or  predict improvement  in future quality. The critic does refer to “mediocre” and “lamentable” shows, but only in context of  not misleading the audience . He does not make  general statements about trends  in quality or express  hope for improvement .
 Why other option (Inferable) is wrong: 
This statement assumes something the critic never actually says—there's no mention of future expectations about quality.

2. Based on the given information, which one of the following can most reason- ably be inferred to be a view held by the producer?

✅  Correct Answer: 
 A theatrical production is likely to be of some worth if it is put together by individuals with track records of excellence in their fields. 
 Why it's correct: 
From the producer’s statement:
 
This directly reflects the idea that the  producer believes  that the involvement of skilled professionals gives a production  inherent value .

❌  Incorrect Options (and why they are wrong): 
1.  Consumers prefer going to the movies to going to the theater. 
 Elimination Reason: 
The producer says:

2.  A good review will make consumers choose the theater over the movies. 
 Elimination Reason: 
This is  plausible  but  not directly stated . The producer implies that  bad reviews hurt theater attendance , but doesn’t explicitly claim the reverse (that  good reviews ensure  people choose theater  over  movies). Too speculative.

4.  Critics should laud decent productions as great. 
 Elimination Reason: 
The producer does  not  ask for dishonesty. He wants “ loyalty and support ” but doesn’t suggest critics  exaggerate praise . This statement  distorts  the producer’s argument.

5.  Critics do not have a responsibility toward the theatrical art form. 
 Elimination Reason: 
Nowhere does the producer say critics have  no responsibility  toward the art form. In fact, the tone of the argument is that critics  do  have a responsibility—but should exercise it with more  support for artists . So this  misrepresents  the producer’s position.

3. For each of the following topics, select Disagree if, based on the producer’s and the critic’s statements, it can be inferred that the producer and the critic would hold opposing views on the topic. Otherwise, select Cannot infer disagreement.

Topic 
 Answer 
 Reasoning 
 
  The degree to which critics love the theater 
 ❌ Cannot infer disagreement 
 Producer never questions the critic’s love for theater. 
 
  Where the theater critic’s loyalty lies 
 ✅ Disagree 
 Producer wants loyalty to artists; critic insists on loyalty to the art form. 
 
  The quality of new productions 
 ❌ Cannot infer disagreement 
 Neither party makes a sweeping claim; no definite contradiction in views is evident.

Topic 1: The degree to which critics love the theater. 
✅  Cannot infer disagreement 
 Reasoning: 
 
 The  critic  says:

The  producer  critiques the  behavior of critics , calling it  careless , but  never directly questions whether critics love the theater .  
So, while the producer is frustrated by critics’ negativity, there's  no clear evidence  that he  denies their love  for the theater.
➡️  No direct disagreement stated or implied.

Topic 2: Where the theater critic’s loyalty lies. 
✅  Disagree 
 Reasoning: 
 
 The  producer  says critics should show "a little loyalty and support for the artists." 
 The  critic  says:

This shows a  direct conflict :
 
 The  producer  wants  loyalty to the people/artists . 
 The  critic  insists on  loyalty to the art form , not individual productions.  
➡️  Clear disagreement  on where a critic’s loyalty should lie.

Topic 3: The quality of new productions. 
✅  Cannot infer disagreement 
 Reasoning: 
 
 The  producer  defends productions by saying they are the work of people with "track records of excellence." 
 The  critic  refers to  some  productions as "mediocre" or "lamentable."  
However:
 
 The  producer does not claim all productions are high quality , only that they deserve some respect and support. 
 The  critic does not say all productions are bad , only that  some  are and should be reviewed honestly.  
➡️ There's  no direct disagreement  about the  overall quality  of new productions.

AnuK2222 · Answer

I think Q3 st2 wording is a bit confusing/unclear it says "where the critic's loyalty lies" but the passage compares where both groups (producers and critics) believe the critic's loyalty SHOULD lie. If the st was worded as "where they believe the critic's loyalty should lie" makes sense for them to disagree...

RiyaJ0032 · Answer

for Q3)C)

The producer is not happy with negative reviews for all new productions, as evident from these lines "  from reading recent reviews, one would be excused to think that all new productions are worthless", which means he believes not all new productions are worthless despite negative reviews for same

the negative reviews are given by whom? the critics ofcourse

this means as per critics, because they gave negative reviews, the quality of new productions (Since all of them received negative reviews by critics) is not great

but as per producer there are some new productions (who have reached Broadway) that are not infact worthless

hence cant we infer disagreement

can some expert please share their insights

thankyou

@KarishmaB 
 @martymurray 
 @egmat

Producers do not expect blind adoration by critics, but a little loyal

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

Inferable	Not inferable
		The higher cost of theatrical labor is one of the factors that have led to higher ticket prices for theatrical productions.
		The critic would prefer to risk harming a bad production via a negative review in the interest of helping good productions in the future.
		The critic laments that at present theatrical productions are of poor quality, but expects them to be of good quality in the future.

	Consumers prefer going to the movies to going to the theater.
	A good review will make consumers choose the theater over the movies.
	A theatrical production is likely to be of some worth if it is put together by individuals with track records of excellence in their fields.
	Critics should laud decent productions as great.
	Critics do not have a responsibility toward the theatrical art form.

Disagree	Cannot infer disagreement
		The degree to which critics love the theater.
		Where the theater critic’s loyalty lies.
		The quality of new productions.

Statement	Answer	Explanation
The higher cost of theatrical labor is one of the factors that have led to higher ticket prices for theatrical productions.	✅ Inferable	Explicitly mentioned in the producer’s statement.
The critic would prefer to risk harming a bad production via a negative review in the interest of helping good productions in the future.	✅ Inferable	Clearly suggested by the critic’s emphasis on honesty to protect the future of theater.
The critic laments that at present theatrical productions are of poor quality, but expects them to be of good quality in the future.	❌ Not inferable	No evidence is provided for this expectation or sentiment in the critic’s statement.

Topic	Answer	Reasoning
The degree to which critics love the theater	❌ Cannot infer disagreement	Producer never questions the critic’s love for theater.
Where the theater critic’s loyalty lies	✅ Disagree	Producer wants loyalty to artists; critic insists on loyalty to the art form.
The quality of new productions	❌ Cannot infer disagreement	Neither party makes a sweeping claim; no definite contradiction in views is evident.

GMAT Multi-Source Reasoning (MSR) Questions

Producers do not expect blind adoration by critics, but a little loyal

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards