Poop Shute

I heard a story on NPR this afternoon. It was part of a great series they're doing on regional theatre in the U.S.

They had a lot of great and interesting things to say, but there were a few things I took issue with.

A major question was put forward that has been troubling us in theatre for quite a long time. That question being the conflict between art and business. As artists we all want to create ground-breaking, cutting edge work, but unfortunately we operate in a business that has more customers who would rather watch the same meaningless fluff-drivel over and over than be challenged. So, how do you balance the two? How do you keep an eye on revenue and do good work?

There really is not a satifactory answer yet. Everybody tries different combinations of the two at varying levels with varying levels of success. Some theatres are complete crap, just selling people the same two dozen or so musicals and Neil Simon plays every season. And some do incredible work, but get little notice and little money. And many more are somewhere in the middle.

So NPR discussed it a bit and moved on. Fair enough. No point in beating a dead... or dying horse.

Then some guy called in and sparked a discussion of how the language of the stage is different from the language of the screens (tv and film). They talked about how the language of the stage is more poetic, metaphorical, lyrical, etc. etc. and the language of the screens is more literal.
YES! That's it right there! There is the root of the problem we just mentioned. Now, let's just connect it back...

They went on further to say that theatre audiences choose theatre over tv and film because they want that difference, that "heightened reality." Yes, so close...
The caller continued on to assert that these audiences appreciate being pushed and challenged by what they are shown, and are more intelligent than many theatre producers give them credit for. That is all.
Damn. Almost, but not quite.

He was right there, but just didn't make the connection. Yes, what he described is correct about these people. Dedicated theatre-goers do want that stuff and do enjoy it. And yes, theatre language is different, and heightened. BUT the majority of the population do not enjoy it nor will the choose it over the screens. If the average Joe does want that then explain to me why HITCH was such a box office success? Or explain to me why they are coming out with XXX SEQUAL for crying out loud? Starring ICE CUBE?!?! The answer is because that is what brings in the money. That is what sells today.

This language difference they discuss is actually part of what turns many people off to the theatre in the first place. The Hitch fans and XXX viewers of the world are not likely to be the same people who will enjoy the gripping drama of Chekov, or the lofty verbiage of Shakespeare or the clever worldplay and satire of Tom Stoppard. And they are in the majority.

This is why generally good theatre fails to bring in revenue because by and large people want escapism, they don't want plays that force them to confront harsh realities like AIDS, or racism or death. They would rather shell out $20 or more for a ticket to CABARET or
STARLIGHT EXPRESS rather than EQUUS or NORMAL HEART.

Yes, of course, there are exceptions to the rule, like WIT and ANGELS IN AMERICA but they defy the trends, so forget about it.

I don't know how to fix it, or if that is even possible, but that is the problem as I see it. People have developed an exclusive taste for empty entertainment and have come to expect it because of the ready supply 24/7 from their televisions, and internet connections, and movie theatres, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if we continue to see more musical adaptations of pop-culture hit the stage. Maybe the long awaited GI Joe Musical, or better yet a Musical version of PHILADELPHIA. Yeah, that'd be great. Really great.

Great like a being locked in a cage with a bag full of angry ferrets.