Standing ovation

Dear Elyse,
My boyfriend is an aspiring actor. I have seen him perform and he is absolutely deplorable. In fact, I almost want to leave and hide in the bathroom he is so darn awful. He always asks me, "How did I do?" Should I be honest. Yours,
The Inevitable Thumbs Down

Dear The Inevitable Thumbs Down,
I guess you should either make friends with the toilet paper or tell him how bad he is and then book an express flight out of the country and join the witness protection program. Or how about a more feasible solution? Actors are a very sensitive breed. For most of their career, they will endure rejection.Some are better at handling it than others. You are not a casting director, an agent, a director, or an acting teacher. Therefore, it is not your duty to criticize your boyfriend's acting skills. In addition, while you may have your own preferences, you are not trained in judging actors. Therefore, I suggest not sharing your assessment with your boyfriend. If he lacks talent, there are plenty of people present who will tell him. Instead, find one small aspect of your boyfriend's acting that was semi- passable and tell him that you liked that. Or tell him a general quality about the show that you enjoyed. Be encouraging but genuine. If the underlying issue is that you don't respect your boyfriend, delve deeper. See if there other qualities about your boyfriend that you admire. If not .....
Yours,
Elyse