Show-Score's scoring system uses a full 100 point scale, not dissimilar to Rotten Tomatoes:
91 - 100: Must See!
85 - 90: Excellent
80 - 84: Great
70 - 79: Good
50 - 69: Middling
36 - 49: Unpopular
0 - 35: Terrible
Now, Show-Score's homepage more explicitly explains the score right in the show tile, so members and users understand the score. This scale is reiterated on the "scoring modal" that members use to score a show.
We understand that this is different from the US school grading system, and have created this rubric with intention. Fundamentally, we believe that theatre, like any other artform, is highly subjective and needs a wider, more flexible approach.
- In the US school system, a “good” grade is typically an “A” or a “B”, which corresponds to a score between 80 and 100.
- On Show-Score, “good” (or green) scores fall within a wider range (from 70 - 100).
- Our approach is inspired by how Rotten Tomatoes scores movies. On that site, a movie with a score of 75 or better is “Certified Fresh” (and therefore catches the attention of most fans).
- We do this because we passionately believe that theater demands a wider, and more flexible, scoring approach:
- Because theater is art, not every audience member will love every show.
- Even when one of our members doesn’t like a particular show, we ask him or her to explain who WOULD like that show.
- We purposely broaden the definition of “green” shows to encourage fans to consider shows they might not otherwise notice.
We’ve been delighted to see that our members easily understand our scoring system, and have been taking the time to explain who would (and would not) enjoy a show. We’re confident that the result will be more people seeing more theater, which is our overall objective.