Here’s a really dismal look at the future of American Theater. If you want a brighter start to your day, don’t read it. Or perhaps you have bright spots to share. When H and I were younger, we couldn’t afford to go to the theater much. Now we can and have become part of the very machine this article speaks of. Can “our kids” change this? Can we?
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/the-empty-spaces/Content?oid=503829
@mom4bwayboy
Thank you for sharing.
My D is desperately trying to change this, and is why she chose to attend Boston Conservatory in the new Contemporary Theater major.
She is tired of the fact that the only people seeing theater are other actors and old white people. She’s furious that musicals like Hamilton propel the problem (with race) that they claim to solve: with so-called “color blind casting,” but still having ticket prices that are so unavailable and expensive to the people who need a musical like that the most. Something about theatre-going must change, which means the theatre being produced must change, and it’s more than just lowering ticket prices for our favorite national tours.
Regional theatre is HUGELY important to a city’s arts presence and economy, and the willingness to evolve beyond the norm is crucial. I’d like to say that Denver’s (denvercenter.org) does a great job of striking a balance. Sure, the typical national tours come through, but the actual Denver Center Theater Company has an annual playwriting summit, full of staged readings and first-run plays. It actively embraces theater for all colors–especially hispanic-oriented theater since CO has such a large hispanic population (affordability is still a problem), and in addition to producing it’s own run of plays, there is original theatre being created with the Jones Off-Center group and they have a strong, strong education division (I am partial to that, because that is where my D found her love of the stage and stories).
I recently saw “Murder for Two” in Denver, and I thought it was brilliant (still two white guys, but we’ll look past that for a moment). The men in the show were extremely talented and multi-disciplinary. They both had to be accomplished pianists, singers, and actors with a strong proficiency in physical theater. That kind of well-rounded artist made me appreciate the show that much more. It was SO entertaining and easily produced in a smaller, intimate venue. I think the future of theater lies with shows like that–but instead of being “off Broadway/straight from NY” versions, they can be locally derived and produced.
I just read this article. First thing is that the article was published eight years ago, so on the one hand maybe it’s dismal to think that eight years later, this could continue to be a hot topic. On the other hand, as dismal as this article’s outlook is, eight years later, theater hasn’t disappeared in regional areas so maybe its not as dismal as this guy thinks it is.
Three pieces of advice for anyone who decides to read this article:
- Also read the comments on that article. It’s a good discussion to consider the similarities/differences between doing this as a business vs. doing this as art. And there are a lot of pieces to that discussion in the comments.
- Try to find a way to see the documentary 'Dangerous Acts Starring the Unstable Elements of Belarus.' I don't think it's available on HBO Docs right now, but it's brilliant--actors under a dictatorship where their theater is illegal finding a way to do their art, despite having to seek asylum in other countries.
- Subscribe to American Theatre Magazine (Theatre Communications Group). Every month when my daughter's arrives, I scoop it up before she even sees it. There are fantastic articles (typically each month has a theme), and I've learned so much about what is going on across the country in innovative theater.
In the comments discussion, there are definitely lots of good arguments for all our “theater kids” to also be getting a good background in business. Each of them basically needs to learn how to become entrepreneurs and take charge of their own ships.
Wow, depressing
My D has always had an entrepreneurial mindset, so I definitely encourage her to take business courses wherever she can to fulfill gen eds.
I take exception to this comment. Hamilton isn’t trying to solve a problem. It’s written by a Latino, a minority, who wanted to tell the story of America then with America now. It’s not color blind casting at all, but color aware casting. Many minorities have not felt a part of America nor a part of theatre as it has been. They usually don’t see themselves represented in prominent positions in this country or on stage. A number of the actors in the musical have said that for the first time they feel like they are a part of this country. The ticket prices are likely thanks to the theatre owners. As demand has gone up so have the ticket prices because, hey, they can make loads of money. As for the people who need to see the show most, Hamilton: The Musical and The Rockefeller Foundation have partnered up to make sure that 20,000 NYC public school students are able to see the musical and as a result see themselves reflected on stage and therefore perhaps aspire to do something that they thought wasn’t possible because they’ve never seen anyone who looks like them do it before (https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/about-us/news-media/hamilton-the-musical-and-the-rockefeller-foundation-announce-partnership-to-provide-20000-nyc-public-school-students-with-tickets-to-hamilton-on-broadway-with-1-46-million-grant/). Also, the cast has adopted the organization that is now a version of the orphanage founded by Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton. This story brought tears to my eyes. http://www.wsj.com/articles/hamilton-cast-helps-children-in-need-1451442302 Lin-Manuel Miranda is quite aware of the fact that it’s next to impossible to get tickets for his show and certainly the show is financially out of reach for the many residents of his city but he and the cast are doing what they can to give back.
Absolutely @GSOMTMom ! I’ve responded to people in many outlets who have made comments like those you’re responding to.
Amen, @GSOMTMom ! Your thoughts mirrored my own. I could not have said it better!
Lin Manuel Miranda and the Hamilton cast as a whole have shown themselves to be SUPER committed to reaching out to theatergoers in general. The Ham4Ham show alone- look at all of the people (Kelly O’Hara, Lea Salonga, Norm Lewis just as the tip of the iceberg) who they have gotten to volunteer their time and come out and perform for free. I waited in the lottery group 2x while visiting NYC just to see THAT. (I saw the one where the fun home kids were the Hamilton children- ADORABLE) And if you watch the youtube videos (which I highly recommend- search “Schuyler Georges” - you won’t regret it) Lin always says that even if you can’t get a ticket- they want to make sure you get a chance to experience live theater.
They have also offered additional lottery tickets to colleges around the city. My understanding is that there is some sort of rotation- but I am not entirely certain. My D was lucky enough to get to see it (for the second time- we had already laid out the $$ when she was headed back to school for all of us to go) via NYU
None of this is relevant to the original article, which does not paint a rosy picture - but I think Hamilton is the brightest light live theater has seen in a LONG time in terms of getting “mainstream” people interested in musical theater.
Guys, Let’s all remember too that the producing venue for Hamilton was The Public Theatre which stands to glean gazillions of dollars from its original investment in the show, which will in turn, help them produce shows like Eclipsed and other wonderful theatrical fare. In the end, the financial success of Hamilton will fuel other groundbreaking productions at The Public. http://deadline.com/2015/09/hamilton-by-the-numbers-anatomy-of-a-broadway-blockbuster-1201534240/
^^^Speaking of The Public Theater…let’s remember that they are “dedicated to developing an American theater that is accessible and relevant to all people.” And in that vein, every year they offer FREE Shakespeare in the Park at The Delacorte in Central Park. More than five million people have attended these free productions. In recent years, the FREE summer season in the park has included an original musical adaptation of a Shakespearean play under The Public Works program, whereby citizens of NYC get to participate as actors in these productions, alongside professional Equity actors. “PUBLIC WORKS deliberately blurs the line between professional artists and community members, creating theater that is not only for the people, but by and of the people as well.”