As theatre critic of the New York Times, Ben Brantley is the most powerful theatre critic in America. He says that stories of Broadway’s decline over the years have been overblown. “The so-called golden era of Broadway was actually pretty short-lived. We are always lamenting its decline and saying it is no good now, but I don’t necessarily think that is anything new. Theater in general is certainly less glamorous then when I first came to New York as a kid, but I am also looking at it through adult eyes. I sit through some bad stuff, but when I get to sit through some of the good stuff, it is still rewarding like nothing else.”