Make or Break Theatre recap
Theatre that Works Recap
Hey everyone! Thank you so much for your thoughtful responses on my post. I asked about theatres that are bridging that gap between self-segregation and the communities that perhaps need theatre the most. Indeed, no theatre is an island and most that attempt to operate that way are quickly shown the exit stage left pursued by creditors. We know the realities; we live in a country that under funds and under appreciates the arts with sometimes callous determination. Every year the budget is passed we can almost count on less in the coffers- so how do we address this need for more encompassing theatre without tangible and far reaching federal assistance? Well it turns out it's pretty damn tough- but there are some exceptions. I thought I'd compile what everyone submitted on one page for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy and thanks again!
Mark shows us a theatre in Chicago that was operating on some progressive principles that seemed to work for a while....
Oracle Theatre in Chicago billed itself as “public access theatre” and their slogan was “free art for all.” They put on shows ranging from reworkings of the classics to new scripts (with a company ethos as such, it should come as no surprise that their seasons tended to favor socialist point of view) During five years on Chicago I never once saw a show Oracle, so hot was the ticket. Here’s how they worked:
Less than a year ago, Oracle announced a new vision for its business: to revitalize the hunger for cultural experiences in our community. We began expanding our programming beyond theatre arts, and we started strategizing a better model for our non-profit business. With our roots firmly planted in live performance, Oracle Productions redefines itself as a Public Arts Organization committed to making cultural experiences available to everyone.
There is, however, a bit of a race barrier that is unaddressed here. Heather Dumas of Ohio University's master's thesis had a sample size of 800 and only 10 were people of color. There is also a sub-culture element that goes into the Renaissance Faire which should be acknowledged; some people flock not so much for the spectacle but more to let their freak flag fly... so to speak.
Hey everyone! Thank you so much for your thoughtful responses on my post. I asked about theatres that are bridging that gap between self-segregation and the communities that perhaps need theatre the most. Indeed, no theatre is an island and most that attempt to operate that way are quickly shown the exit stage left pursued by creditors. We know the realities; we live in a country that under funds and under appreciates the arts with sometimes callous determination. Every year the budget is passed we can almost count on less in the coffers- so how do we address this need for more encompassing theatre without tangible and far reaching federal assistance? Well it turns out it's pretty damn tough- but there are some exceptions. I thought I'd compile what everyone submitted on one page for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy and thanks again!
Mark shows us a theatre in Chicago that was operating on some progressive principles that seemed to work for a while....
Oracle Theatre in Chicago billed itself as “public access theatre” and their slogan was “free art for all.” They put on shows ranging from reworkings of the classics to new scripts (with a company ethos as such, it should come as no surprise that their seasons tended to favor socialist point of view) During five years on Chicago I never once saw a show Oracle, so hot was the ticket. Here’s how they worked:
Less than a year ago, Oracle announced a new vision for its business: to revitalize the hunger for cultural experiences in our community. We began expanding our programming beyond theatre arts, and we started strategizing a better model for our non-profit business. With our roots firmly planted in live performance, Oracle Productions redefines itself as a Public Arts Organization committed to making cultural experiences available to everyone.
Now if you go to their website, you’ll see that they closed their doors in 2016. They were in business for a full six years, and, in my estimation, that makes a considerable case for the servicability of their business model: this art for all notion, with its whiff of utopian egalitarianism, was up and running for awhile, so it's at least possible. During the six years of Public Access Theatre (2010-2016), they served 47,623 people. So I don’t see the fact that they closed their doors in 2016 as a “nay” vote against their overall ethos, but rather an indication that what they got up to is worth studying for like endeavors.
Dharmik points out an example of casting on the spectrum for Curious Incident....
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime! I remember reading the book during my Freshman year of high school. Soon afterward it became a Broadway show. I wasn't at all familiar with the show and had always assumed that the lead was actually autistic or had Asperger's syndrome. That is until Andrea pointed out to me this morning that a "normie" was cast as the lead.
This morning, we were discussing how the lead in our version of the play should cast someone who is on the spectrum and Andrea pointed out that it was actually another company that set that precedent. She also noted that the real question is whether we will stick with the precedent or go back. So to answer Austin's question; Swine Palace.
In all honesty though, Indiana Rep is the first to cast a person on the spectrum for the lead in TCIOTDITN. Shockingly, this show opened LAST YEAR, while my naive ass was thinking - "yeah, they totally cast an autistic dude on Broadway."
I found an interesting quote from Mickey Rowe, "I’ve had to be an actor my whole life to pass as neurotypical. Being an actor comes naturally to me. I use scripting in my daily life.” This is so profoundly interesting and sad at the same time. Interesting because it makes me wonder how many people (autistic or not) pretend to be "neurotypical" when they are not and can pass? It's sad because we live in a society that makes people believe there is only one way to live a full life.
Emily discusses the immersive positives of Rennaisance faires and their tendency to make money hand over armor plated fist....
Lower Income Groups and Statistics and Stuff
I found some interesting statistics on who attends the Ren Faire that might not be able to shell out the money for a Broadway show. Dedde Barber's master's thesis for Texas Tech states:
"Lower income respondents were more involved with the Renaissance Festival/Faire atmosphere and culture than those at middle and high incomes... low-income respondents attached more importance to dress in Renaissance/other attire than the other two income groups. In addition, low income respondents gave higher importance rating to the motivation to laugh and feel better about oneself than the other two income groups."The evidence Barber collected suggests that this step around self-segregation works well not only in terms of enthusiasm but also in terms of it being a "family tradition" in some cases (great in terms of the business model aspect Austin referred to). That is to say, people have a tendency to interact and come back for more. This table from yet another master's thesis (this one from Justin A. Gross) surprised me with how into the Ren Faire the people surveyed seemed to get.
There is, however, a bit of a race barrier that is unaddressed here. Heather Dumas of Ohio University's master's thesis had a sample size of 800 and only 10 were people of color. There is also a sub-culture element that goes into the Renaissance Faire which should be acknowledged; some people flock not so much for the spectacle but more to let their freak flag fly... so to speak.
Erica discusses the importance of having affordable access to theatre and takes us across the pond...where they subsidize theatre on a national scale :)
(in talking about a recent and celebrated production of Julius Caesar)
I was also struck by how diverse the audience was, namely by how many young people were present in the audience. As a young person living in New York City, I only ever made it to Broadway productions of this quality if there was a special ticket offer available- be that a rush ticket or some other discount. After checking the shows website, I discovered that tickets to this production, this extremely professional, high level production – chalk full of famous actors from James Bond, Game of Thrones, and the Walking Dead and beautifully and expensively produced– had tickets for sale - and from what I can tell they were actual tickets, not "limited view" or some other "bad" option - starting at $20. Woah. Say what you will but making theatre more universal and ultimately more powerful starts with broadening its availability to people. $100 a ticket is not reasonable or feasible for the average American. $20 a ticket is. The importance of making theatre more widely accessible is best summed up by New York Times writer Charles Isherwood who wrote a piece entitled “The Culture Project and Plays That Make a Difference” in September of 2006. Isherwood writes that what makes political theatre different than the news cycles seen on TV is that “it’s human to human, and when the subject is of immediate political significance it can be harder to dismiss as propaganda or dry journalism.” In a world where the sheer amount of news constantly forced down our throats can be so mind-numbing and, as Austin pointed out, make our problems seem insurmountable leading to a powerful sense of apathy, it is important to remember...
Sarah discusses a local theatre company (Southern Rep) that has found out that one secret to longevity is a successful education outreach model.
Following the line of community outreach, this theatre also has a healthy number of arts education programs. Their “School To Stage Pipeline” gives theatre opportunities to children aged 4-18, enabling them to participate in and get conversant with theatre behind, on, and in front of the stage. Southern Rep offers summer camps, after school programs, acting classes for teens and adults, as well as a student matinee program, all of which are founded on a dedication to inclusivity, diversity and social change. A particularly exciting program that they have is “Yo Nola”. “Southern Rep’s YONOLA is a free, weekly in-school intensive for underserved and low-income children in the Tremé-Lafitte neighborhood of New Orleans.” During this program, they invite theatre professionals to teach fifth graders the ins and outs of creating professional theatre, and the course culminates in original student driven productions. This focus on the youth is very close to my heart as a product of a third world country. I have seen the impact of youth programs such as these back home, and I do not doubt for a second that the children who are involved will grow in confidence, self-esteem and self-identity.
Lisa discusses a NYC theatre company (Flea Theatre) that uses creative initiatives to fill their coffers and sustain their mission...
A small amount of tickets are sold at $15. Once sold, the prices go up incrementally depending on when you buy them, and all seats are general admission so getting there early gets you a better seat. All these rules bend when you buy a VIP ticket for significantly more. This way, more theatre goers get seats, showing up early is rewarded, and still those theater-goers who want a specific guaranteed seat, they can pay considerably more for it.
2) They partner on projects with members and the full company of Epic Players, a neuro-inclusive theatre company https://www.epicplayersnyc.org/our-story
Classes are offered to the public for $15 per class and actors who audition and are accepted into the company can attend Epic Players classes for free. These classes hone skills in On-Camera, Musical Theatre, Finding Your Narative, and EPIC plays community ensemble. https://www.epicplayersnyc.org/classes-1
3) “Come raise a joyful hell with us!” Perhaps this is common now and I missed the 8-ball, but their donations page takes old school giving rewarded with a name in a program (that will most likely get thrown away before the night is through), and mashed it up with a GoFundMe page to make giving more rewarding, interactive and fun.http://theflea.org/for-audiences/support/
4) New York Deaf Theatre will present MAPLE & VINE May 11-27, 2018, using a combination of American Sign Language, spoken English, and English Captioning. The cast and production team features a diverse group of Deaf and hearing artists. http://theflea.org/shows/nydt-maple-vine/
5) “Just a decade ago New York City boasted over 100 viable spaces for small companies to produce their work – now there are less than 25. Anchor Partners is our response.” http://theflea.org/for-artists/anchor-partners/
Thanks again everyone!
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