Trying to Communicate

The purpose of language is to communicate with other beings who speak the same one we do. Without language we are forced to use other methods, such as facial expressions, hand gestures and body movement. Language is by far  the easiest. Which is why it pisses me off when I come across writing that uses rare words I don't know, when known ones are readily available and will achieve a more inclusive result.

For example, in today's Wall Street Journal a theater reviewer discusses a new Broadway play, possibly to encourage people to rush out and purchase tickets before the show closes. You'd think he'd go for the common denominator, since the totality of theater-goers range in education. 

Instead I, a former newspaper writer and editor raised on Scrabble (like all Jewish children) and in possession of an extensive vocabulary as a result of a good education, much reading and years of playing word games and crossword puzzles, had to dictionary-check three words just in the article's opening two paragraphs. This annoyed me no end and made me doubt the opinion of Mr. Charles Isherwood, the paper's theater critic. 

I guess we're supposed to be in awe of his vast knowledge of esoteric words and not care that his sentences may be unintelligible and thus his intended meaning lost. This, to me is dumb. Say what you mean, goddammit! And in plain English! (Unless you are French or Spanish or German or whatever, you get my point.) What else does a writer aspire to besides communicating with his/her readers?