<< ... I'm not saying we need to always be safe...we're often too safe. I'd love to see us stretch... I believe the best theatre should provoke, which is not necessarily the same as being offensive. It's interesting to me what most people will watch and accept in a film, yet are afraid to put on the stage. I'd like to explore that as a topic sometime and get the theatre community's feelings about why that is. I remember doing "South Pacific" a few years ago where the decision was made to change every "Damn" to "Darn" in the songs "Nothing Like a Dame" and "Bloody Mary"... it was just odd and unnecessary. I mean, it's Rodgers and Hammerstein! And it's not just language... it just seems in general that if a show is not absolutely squeaky clean and happy, it's dangerous territory for us.No need for apology, Ryan - you raise a very good point. It's a bit of a touchy subject, because community theatre groups regularly make little edits to scripts to try to avoid offending someone in the audience - and certainly our area is a bit more conservative when it comes to language and adult themes on stage.
Anyway, sorry about the soapbox. >>
And we're not the only offenders in that area - I've received copies of scripts that had been used by groups in other states where entire scenes have been crossed out and obviously were not included in the show.
I've certainly seen alterations happen in local shows. Perhaps it's understandable for children's theatre or church shows. Perhaps we worry too much about not offending people in the audience - there's always someone who will get offended over almost anything, even the most innocent innuendo.
Still, you'd think an adult theatre group wouldn't worry about changing "Hell" to "Heck" or "Damn" to "Darn," but I've certainly seen it happen - sometimes just as a production is about to take the stage.
So readers, what do you think? Is a little censorship ok, or should the plays be left in their original form? As Ryan says, you'll certainly see and hear worse things in movies. Should local theatre groups be a little more daring in their presentations? Send us your comments!
70 comments:
I'll weigh in here. Every situation is different, so there is no one solution, but in general if a play is portraying a real life situation where a certain kind of language or behavior would've been commonplace, then we have no right to censor it. For example, the founders of our country we're passionate and earthy men. John Adams used strong words in his writings, so I'm sure he used them in real life. So, for that reason I would not change a word of 1776. South Pacific is about the consequences of war and racism. These are serious subjects. Rodgers and Hammerstein tried to give us an experience of life in that war, albeit using a pretty fantastic genre, the Broadway musical. The characters in South Pacific are sailors. It makes no sense to censor the dialogue. Doing so waters down the audiences experience and the playwrights/composers message. In general, I don't think it's right to change a playwrights words. We have a responsibility as artists to tell the story as written. If we don't like the way the story is told, or it doesn't fit our audience, then find another play that fits your mission. But I also believe that in our society it's really important for theatre to explore real and profound issues, to go places that don't always make people comfortable. We can't make things squeeky clean all the time, because life isn't like that. But you know this is not a new issue. We can't really blame our modern society for it's influences on theatre and other art forms. Just check out Aristophenes and Shakespeare. Their plays are full of double entendres and risque subject matter. I defy anyone to tell me that censoring Shakespeare is the right thing to do.
Denise
I come to this subject from a slightly different perspective as one who is late to his love of the theater. I certainly agree with most of what Ryan and Denise have said, but there are a couple of points that haven't been made.
First, I think there are degrees of offensive content. Denise used '1776' as an example, and that's a good one. However, while the use of "damn" or "hell" in the play may make it more realistic and more accurately reflect the language used by our founders, there is one scene where Jefferson -- in talking about Adams -- says "G**damn the man". Personaly, that offends the heck out of me and adds not one thing to the spirit of the play. The playwrite either (a) didn't know that the use of THAT word would raise the level of offense or (b) added it FOR the shock value. Either way, its an easy call to pull it from the performance, and I'm glad both performances I've been in have chosen (easily) to do so.
The second issue is the contemplation of the audience you are attempting to reach. Anyone that saw Ryan in "Hedrick and the Angry Ich" would understand that they were about to experience a wide variety of potentially shocking scenes. However, a Woodlands resident who comes to see a musical performed by Huntington Outdoor Theater my very well be put off by the language used in, for instance, South Pacific. I see no problems in altering a show such as that for the audience you expect. And, while I know South Pacific is full of sailors and sailors use colorful language, in 'real life' they generally don't break out in lively song and dance numbers so we really don't have to hang our hat on 'realism' in the musical theater.
If a theater company has as one of its missions to push the proverbial envelope, then by all means push. If the goal is to put on good, quality and 'clean' shows, then I see absolutely no problem in altering a play in a manner to keep its soul but allows for everyone to enjoy the production.
By the way, Denise....
We miss you! Come back home! :o)
I'll weigh in with one thought. A primary difference to consider when comparing what we tolerate in movie productions versus live theatre is that movies are rated. This allows an individual to censor themselves what they choose to tolerate (or not). I am not aware of any such system for rating live theatre.
Denise, ditto what Mark said. When are you coming back?
I admit to being really torn on this subject. I'm against censorship in general (being from the "If you don't like the show then change the channel" category), but I also think we have a responsibility to present material that's appropriate to the audience. Like Mark says, it depends on the theatre group - you'd expect a children's theatre to present a family-friendly show, for example. Part of it, too, is the different attitudes in cities like New York and Los Angeles, where no one bats an eye at coarse language that, had I spoken it, would have had my mom reaching for a bar of soap. Such language doesn't play as well in the heartland - although certainly it show up a lot these days on television and in movies. So I guess, since I can see and sympathize with both sides of the argument, this one finds me firmly seated on the fence. How's that for being non-committal?
Oh, and Denise, while you're on your way back, bring that rascally husband of yours along, too. ;-)
Ok…this is going to be a long entry…hang with me a while.
I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s thoughts…I agree with a lot of what has been said. My original comments weren’t directed as much toward the issue of censorship as they were on the thought process that goes into choosing a show to produce, and how much of that decision may be based on the appropriateness of the show.
As I was contributing ideas for Chuck’s poll, I was wondering how many might not even be considered by local groups because they were not all “happy” shows. An example is “Sweeney Todd.” I feel that some of the shows I am most interested in, while they are not necessarily offensive, are never produced locally because they contain either darker themes or material that might warrant a PG or PG13 rating if they were films. I understand that community theatre needs to attract a large audience in order to pay all the bills and make a profit. But I think a misconception is that only time-tested classics and very family-friendly shows will bring in an audience. There’s nothing wrong with those shows in my opinion. I love some of them… but if that’s all that is ever produced, Huntington runs the risk of stagnating and misses out on some great theatre that we are just afraid to take a chance on.
I realize that the dominant community theatre groups in Huntington concentrate on children’s shows and outdoor family based theatre, and I fully understand the limitations of that. Marshall University is it’s own animal, because it doesn’t fully depend on ticket sales or community support to survive, and therefore is able to take on shows that explore more difficult themes. The thing is, MU shows are almost always sold out. So there is an audience in Huntington for those kinds of shows.
I have been at parties talking with fellow thespians and ideas for shows will often come up in conversation. And you can feel the excitement in the air… The theatre community really wants to do these shows!… but when it comes down to actually putting one of these shows onstage, themes involving death, violence, sexual innuendo, language or tragedy in general seem to send up red flags. The thing is, a lot of these fears are sometimes based on a false perception or a distant memory of the shows, and the themes are not as bad as you think you remember.
And then sometimes those family classics that are always produced contain material that may surprise us if we actually think about it. Here are 3 examples off the top of my head:
In Rogers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, Jud Fry lives in a shack papered with pornographic images, and it could be argued that he is a potential rapist. Curly (the hero) goes out to Jud's shed, admires his pornography collection, then tries to persuade Jud (a mentally handicapped person) to commit suicide.
In Rogers and Hammerstein’s Carousel, Billy commits violence against women, and also commits suicide.
The script for “Grease” contains constant adult language and sexual references, including premarital sex and a feared teen pregnancy, teen drinking, mention of a gang bang, finding used condoms in a drainage canal, a song about mooning, and “getting lots of t**” in “Greased Lightning”, a car referred to as a “P***y Wagon”.
All 3 of these shows have been produced locally in recent memory. One of them takes the stage this summer. Of course, a lot of it gets censored or presented in such a way that the audience gets the homogenized version so as not to offend…and some of it is subtle enough that it doesn’t register because the audience chooses to mentally “whitewash” it… but it is there in the original script.
Please don’t get me wrong. I don’t see anything wrong with these shows. I have seen all of them locally, some more than once, and I will be there to see “Oklahoma” at H.O.T. again very soon. I’m just saying that there is the perception that these are family classics and therefore safe, while in reality the scripts contain all of the things I just mentioned above.
And I’m not advocating that we introduce more risky shows just for the sake of including adult content, or that we shouldn’t ever censor shows. There is certainly some responsibility to exercise good judgement and consider your audience. But on the other hand we shouldn’t be so afraid of losing an audience that we are afraid to take on shows that have such potential to actually revitalize an audience base. What will the future audiences want to see onstage? And when do we begin to make that transition locally?
What I love about theatre is that it can present all of the elements of life…happiness, pain, comedy, fear, love, suspense, guilt, passion…and it takes place right in front of us…with real people. When it’s done well, there is a strong connection. For me, the experience is far more immediate and intense than watching TV or movies. This is probably why people are hesitant to put the same content on the local stage that they would accept and enjoy on TV or movies. When you are in public, seeing people you know display the very same behavior and language and going through the very same emotions, it hits you much harder… That should be an asset, and a reason to take on more challenging and emotionally provocative shows.
Love to all
- Ryan Hardiman
Excellent points, Ryan. I think the biggest obstacle to producing the kind of "adult" shows you're talking about is the monkey on the back of all theatre productions: money. Every theatre group is living so close to the financial edge that they're afraid to produce a show that might not be seen as a "crowd-pleaser" - in other words, a show that might not draw a crowd and thus, might lose money.
The other obstacle is the lack of an "adult" theatre group outside of Marshall University. The Musical Arts Guild hasn't done a stage show in years, First Stage is a children's theatre, and HOT, ARTS and Fifth Avenue are focusing on family-friendly shows. There's not a group out there - yet - that might be willing to tackle such shows. Danny Ray's "ART" group was probably the last one willing to tackle "risky" shows, and they haven't done a show in, what, two years?
And groups that tackle dark shows will feel pressure. When First Stage did "Les Miserables: School Edition" last year, we heard from those who thought it was too dark and too adult for the children's theatre - even though it had been adapted for young audiences.
But as you say, there has to be room for those kinds of shows - and surely there's an audience hungering for that kind of mature, intelligent shows. Perhaps Huntington needs another theatre group?
I think it is all summed up in one question, "Who is your audience?"
Some theatre groups in this area have built a reputation and audience based on their material and how they choose to do it. Although, there is always room for growth or diversion, an abrupt change would throw the proverbial wrench in the works. The groups that play to the "family friendly" side of things have built their legacy in what they do. Asking them to depart from that would be absurd. That's not what they do.
However, other groups, that tend to push the envelope should be given full right to do such. However, they can't expect the same broad appeal as the other groups. You immediately narrow your audience to by several years in both directions.
Ultimately, if the show has appeal to an audience it will draw crowds no matter the show. Fiddler on the Roof and Hair both drew fantastic crowds, and I think it is safe to say they are on the opposite ends of the spectrum.
If this area was to do a show on the edge, I don't think a group of over anxious picketers are going to be standing outside making a fuss.
Although there is room for it in this area, I don't think HOT or Fifth Avenue is necessarily going to be the first company to present Sweeney Todd or the Best Little Whore House in Texas. Once again, not because they don't love and appreciate the shows, that's just not what they do.
I would actually expect a majority of the local groups' production staffs and casts to be involved if someone would decide to put edgier shows on under a different group.
that's my two cents
I think you're right, Stephen, that each group picks shows for specific reasons. Marshall picks shows that will best teach their students, First Stage does the same for the area's young performers, HOT stages family-friendly shows, and Fifth Avenue and ARTS put on shows that will help them raise money to support their respective theatres. Let's face it, putting on shows is a difficult and expensive job, and it's tough to make a "go" of it. Until a new group pops up that's willing to take chances (and financially able to take those chances), the best outlet for adult shows will continue to be the shows brought in by the Marshall Artists Series, and the ones staged by MU's Dept. of Theatre. It's great that there are so many theatre groups in Huntington, but it's a shame one of them can't tackle the edgier stuff - there should be room for that, too.
Ok, as promised, here's my bit on the censorship issue and local theatre...and this will probably be long. I challenge you to read the whole thing. Chicken if you don't!
I've been involved with local theatre here for a long time. I've since moved to Hollywood and continued on, so I think I can share a few insights into what we're dealing with. I'm also a writer, and can share that point of view as well.
First off, let me state the one glaring problem that no one has mentioned thus far...
1. Censoring, editing or revising ANY show is ILLEGAL without the express written consent of the author or publishing service.
It is against the LAW to even change a WORD of the original script, even a "Damn" to "Darn"; to cut a song out of the libretto; to cut out sections of the script; ANYTHING.
Never forget... the writers are ARTISTS TOO. Not just the people putting on the show. You are producing their ART. They are the ones who have worked so very hard to get published, and it is written just as they WANTED it written. You wouldn't say "I don't like that one sunflower on the right side in van Gogh's Sunflowers painting. I'm going to cover that up, or make it a daisy." Well, I mean, you could, but it wouldn't be right, or LEGAL.
But people do it all the time with the written word, because the people that watch for that stuff can't be everywhere, and many of the shows mentioned previously are done SO often EVERYWHERE, they couldn't really crack down on it even if they wanted to.
So there's that. And to me, that's fairly important.
I tend to agree with what everyone is saying so far, however.
Organizations like HOT have a built in family audience, and therefore should do "family friendly" shows, because that's how they make their money. Although I played Kenickie in Grease with HOT several years ago. Of course, they changed some stuff around to make it more appropriate, but at the end of the day, the show is basically telling girls to have sex because it makes you "cool" and you can "fit in".
Awhile back, before Lang Reynolds became the chair of the MU theatre department, Jeff Elwell put together a season of shows that was nearly unthinkable for this area. They did David Mamet's "American Buffalo" and "Keeley & Du", as well as several others, and those shows are chock full of adult themes and language. Anyone that knows David Mamet knows that he uses the F-word like it's going out of style, and the other show dealt with a coathanger abortion, among other things.
MU STILL had their big crowds. They still made money, though they don't want to admit it, and yet, every season since then has been back to basics. If ANYONE should be doing new and cutting edge work, it should be Marshall. If you're training actors, they need to be trained in not only the classics, but new work as well, regardless of content, because the fact of the matter is, you're supposed to be training them to ACT in the real world, wherever that may lead them, and I promise you that not everyplace in the U.S.A. is so addicted to Rogers & Hammerstein. If you want to be an actor, the last thing you want a casting director to say to you is:
"Well, I see you have plenty of classic, safe shows, but have you ever done anything written since 1975? No Mamet? No Bogosian? No Stoppard? No Lucas? No Durang? No Shepard? You know that's over a 30 year gap in time, right?"
I agree that HOT should keep doing the kinds of shows they do. I agree that First Stage should keep doing what they're doing (although, regardless of how great Les Mis is, do we REALLY need to have kids doing it, ESPECIALLY if you're still going to CUT it up, even though it's the version made specifically FOR kids? -- People complain about dark themes... it's about the FRENCH REVOLUTION! War tends to be...well...DARK! Don't get me wrong. I applaud the fact that you did it, Chuck. It's great music and I have no doubt that the kids learned ALOT doing it, but you see where I'm coming from).
Regardless of what anyone tells you, if you do one show a year in order to pay for your next show the next year, you're going to be stuck doing the "Li'l Abner", "Oklahoma", "Cinderella", "Music Man" dances the rest of your life. BUT, if you are producing theatre as ART, you have to live with the fact that you're CHANGING LIVES instead of MAKING MONEY, whether it's the lives of the people working on the production or the people seeing it. The "starving artist" stereotype is a stereotype for a REASON. Sometimes you have to continually pay the price in order to enlighten the people. A guy in the Bible had the same idea.
Marshall should pave the way for the kind of thing we're talking about, if there's not another group, or a "new" group, to come in and take a season of chances. Marshall should never cater to the idea that they have to do stuff that makes everyone happy. They have a responsibility to prepare their students for the real world of theatre. And at the same time, if they're afraid they're going to lose sponsorships or donations or money in general, then those people need to be put under the microscope, because THEY are the ones holding the students back from learning what they need to be learning.
Let me also clarify that this isn't a rant at the MU School of Theatre. I graduated from Marshall. I was in ALOT of Marshall productions. I learned ALOT from the MUT teachers. But before I finished school with them, I had started in the professional actors training program at Ohio University, a program that consistently did 9 mainstage shows a year and upward of 20 lab shows. Shows like American Buffalo, Angels in America, The Quick-Change Room, Our Country's Good, Red Noses, Speed-the-Plow, Sexual Perversity in Chicago, The Tooth of Crime, Buried Child, etc. And I have to tell you, Athens has the same kind of people Huntington does, and it's only about an hour and half away. Sure, they do their Shakespeare every year, too, and they have a summer theatre that does a musical, as well as some other local theatre groups outside of town that tackle tough subject matter like anything by Neil Simon.
The point is that they do it all, and the people not only respect them for it, but they attend enmasse, and Huntington should be no different.
Honestly, I think the REAL problem with this area is that "theatre" isn't a "grown-up" sport. It's a hobby for people, or it's something that they send their kids to do for a few months each year. Few adults in this area go to see a show because it's new, like they would a movie. It's not something that the businessmen will talk about Monday around the water cooler, discussing the actual issues raised in the show and how important it was for people to see. They will, instead, talk about how cute "little Billy" was, and how proud they were of their friend/relative/housepet.
It shouldn't be that way. Theatre should attract just as much of an audience whether they know anybody in the show or not. People go to the Artist Series shows for status and to sound smart when they say "Oh, yes, I've seen Phantom of the Opera. It was great." Rarely do they go because they REALLY WANT to go. Sure, I'm making generalizations here, but for every 1 person or family that goes to the theatre simply to be swept away by a story, there are 5 people or families that DON'T really want to be there. They'd rather be at home watching CSI.
So, yeah, after fifteen pages, I think I'm done for a bit. I'll hold off on saying how badly it annoys me that people will watch massive amounts of language/violence on television or in the movies and then have the moxie to be upset when someone says "damn" in a play/musical.
I also won't mention that the Bible is full of more violence and sex than most plays.
Still again I won't mention that most people forget that JAWS was PG when it was released. Nor will I talk about how every young girl in the world has seen Pretty Woman (which is rated R, by the way, and tells the story of a hooker finally sleeping her way to the top) and Dirty Dancing (which is rated PG13 and is near FULL of sex and innuendo, not to mention some pretty fine dancin' by Swayze).
Yeah, I won't mention that stuff at all.
I love this place. It's my home. But sometimes you have to walk out of your glass house and pick up your own rock.
Great discussion, Chuck! Keep up the great work! You're really doing a great thing for theatre here in general.
-Mike Murdock
Mike, thanks for writing! You have so many great points in there, I hardly know where to start.
First of all, it's not against the law to change words in a play - but it is a direct violation of the contract the theatre groups signs with the company that holds the rights to the play. So there are potential legal consequences, but the police aren't likely to arrest you on stage. I agree that it's more of a crime against the author of the play than anything else - he or she wrote it that way for a reason, and who is a community theatre director to rewrite someone else's art?
Second, I'm not going to launch into a big defense of Marshall's program over the years - others are better qualified to do that - but I think they've tried in recent years to balance the adult, artsy shows with more mainstream work - which sounds like a good idea to me.
Third, you asked "do we need to have kids doing Les Miz?" Well, some asked that question before we staged the show. Since the "School Edition" is the only version available to community theatres, and it can only be staged using pre-college students, First Stage was the only game in town. It's based on a literary classic, and even though it is dark and grim in places, it's still an amazing story and one students should certainly be exposed to. Of course, I'm hardly objective about the show - I thought the cast, crew and my fellow directors did an amazing job - it's a show I'm very proud of. But I get your drift - hard to believe anyone could be opposed to it, but there you go.
Finally, you're right that the big problem may just be that people aren't as "tuned in" to live theatre as they are to movies or television. It's an ongoing struggle to educate the public and get them to see past the ticket price and realize what an amazing experience theatre can be. It's a never-ending battle!
Thanks for the comments, Mike - I can't wait to see your show next week!
Right. Copyright law, contract law, etc. I didn't mean to imply that the cops would come and haul people off for changing words or anything, but legal action can certainly be taken. It's the same reason that professional actors get fined for screwing up lines while performing.
Again, I think it's great that you guys did Les Mis. I love the show, and I realize that the School Edition is the only way it can be done right now. It just amazes me that people would argue against the themes of the show. Theatre should always be a learning experience, on some level, for everyone involved, and if they have a "school edition" of the show, it would seem that the work has already been done to bring it to a younger group of actors/audience.
Did anyone complain about CATS? Another great First Stage production, and yet, I could argue that the show has some pretty dark themes in it as well.
And Marshall, well, I'm not complaining too much about them, either, since they're the only "adult" game in town that actually tries. I just think they can do more, and would have a much easier time of it. Even if they just added a few shows to the season to do in the criminally under-used Black Box theatre. Allow students to direct some shows in there. They are graduating with an "acting/directing" degree, after all. Justify that title, I say.
I also don't mean to sound mean-spirited or against the local theatre scene in the area. Far from it. I've done shows with every single one of them, I think, with the exception of First Stage, because they didn't exist when I was that age, and Musical Arts Guild - Children's Theatre hated fat people. HAHA. I'm kidding, of course. I just never auditioned for much of anything until I was out of high school.
See? I'm a pretty jovial guy. But I love a good argument, so post on, posters! (Granted, most of us are on the same side... I sort of wish someone would argue FOR censorship, in general... then we could have some REAL fun!)
-Murdock
Mike, I certainly didn't think your comments were mean-spirited. I think you bring up some excellent points, and I've been enjoying this comment thread - very illuminating!
As to complaints about "Cats," I haven't heard about any, but it wouldn't surprise me if there weren't a few somewhere along the line - as you say, there are some dark elements there. Still, an outstanding show - definitely one of the best ever in Huntington! (Of course, again, I'm prejudiced.)
Hey, First Stage occasionally casts adults in its shows - so one of these days, maybe we could drag you into an appearance and you'll have covered all the local groups! Hey, it could happen!
Crap. Am I really an adult now? I need to rethink some choices I've made lately...
Anyway, BOO TO CENSORSHIP!!
And are you still trying to butter me up for High School Musical? 'Cause I'll probably still be here... :)
Really? Well, have your people call my people - we'll do lunch!
Wow. Reading everyone’s comments has been enlightening and encouraging. It seems that even though we all have somewhat different ideas, One thing we seem to agree on is that there is a hunger for more challenging theatre in Huntington.
I know I have done some controversial shows (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, The Rocky Horror Show, Cabaret, Hair) and because my comments started this discussion, some may get the impression that those are mainly the kinds of shows I’m interested in. I’ve done those shows without apology and without inhibition because they allowed me to learn and stretch as an actor. I am not pursuing a career in theatre, but it is an important part of my life and I do take it seriously, whether I am on the boards or in the audience.
You may be surprised that most of the shows I really want to do aren’t (or shouldn’t be) considered that controversial at all. I embrace a wide variety of shows. (as evidenced by going from “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” straight into “Beauty and the Beast”!)
The shows I submitted to Chuck’s poll were:
1. Man of La Mancha
2. Sweeney Todd
3. The Secret Garden
4. Evita
5. Jekyll & Hyde
6. The Last Five Years
Of those, I wouldn’t consider any of them too touchy for Huntington audiences in general. I was never suggesting that a group like HOT change their formula and stage Sweeney Todd, but I believe they could easily do at least 3 of the above shows and I think any show on this list could be produced with success by other groups in Huntington. It just seems that if a show is not either a time-tested classic or extremely family friendly (or can be edited to make it so), there is a fear that it will not bring in an audience, and I do not agree. I have done a lot of shows in Charleston and Ashland and they have been very well attended (by people from Huntington as well). Some have even been premieres of completely original works, which have had no previous following at all, and they too have been successful. Charleston Light Opera Guild has been in business since 1949, have an audience that ranges from children to older adults, and although they frequently produce old-fashioned shows, they also successfully mount shows like “Chicago”, “Cabaret”, “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas”, “La Cage Aux Folles”, “Into the Woods” “Little Shop of Horrors”, and “Pippin” among others.
I don’t think for a minute that audiences in Charleston or other surrounding areas are any more sophisticated or smarter than people in Huntington. Neither are audiences in Athens, OH who, as Mike pointed out, show up en masse for all kinds of theatre. I think the problem might be a false perception of what audiences will embrace or reject and a fear of losing money. We want a guarantee.
What I want personally, whether as an audience member or an actor, is a unique experience and to walk away with some new perspective. I want to be challenged, and excited, I want to feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. At times I want to laugh my fool head off, and at times I want to be moved to tears, as I was yesterday while listening to “How Could I Ever Know?” from “The Secret Garden” in my car on the way to work. (I had to compose myself before I walked into the office) Maybe there is a line between art and commerce, but I think they can coexist.
I applaud HOT for having the courage to take on a huge show like “Beauty and the Beast”…I applaud First Stage Children’s Theatre for bringing us “Les Miserables” and “Cats. I was so proud of them….my only problem with Les Miz is that I was green with envy…I wanted to be onstage! (Someday the adult version will be available to local theatre….my time is coming.)…but I felt privileged to be in the audience and was inspired by these kids and everyone involved with the show. Bravo!
Thanks for your patience reading another long entry. I just feel strongly about taking steps toward more exciting and challenging theatre in Huntington. Maybe a new group is an answer, although I don’t think it is the only avenue.
Can someone give any insight on what specific shows have been mounted in Huntington that have failed and lost a lot of money? (and why they think it happened?) Maybe we can all look at the facts and work together to find a solution.
-Ryan
I've really been enjoying this discussion - a lot of great suggestions and thoughts going on here. I agree, Ryan, that mature shows can do well here - we just need someone (or a group of someones) to step forward and take on the challenge, either as part of an existing group or by creating a new one.
As to what shows have lost money, that's difficult to say - only the members of the theatre groups know the bottom line. I've heard rumors about shows losing thousands of dollars - in fact, I saw a story about a Charleston group losing $40,000 on a production of "1776." That kind of loss would wipe out most community theatre groups - but most don't operate with budgets that big. I think the main reason shows fail is a lack of publicity. If people don't know a show is being presented, they won't show up and buy tickets. The problem is, advertising is expensive. So you need money to make money, basically. Does anyone else know of shows that bombed and why?
Money seems to be the key factor. Which is sad, because you would think that there would be a ridiculous amount of support for art, in general. But here in "Poverty Hollow"... what can we do? (Sorry... that's a little joke for Ryan - but if you go to see the reading of Clint McElroy's musical, Colis P!, next week, you'll understand, and then, after reading this a second time, you'll get the joke. I'm basically helping Chuck get repeat business here.)
I directed Cabaret here several years back... quite a few, actually, because I wasn't even going to Marshall at the time. We did it at City Hall. I was firmly convinced that we could get an audience in the seats. And we did. We barely broke even. BUT, we didn't have much publicity. No articles in the paper. No Tri-State Theatre blog. Just as many posters and as much word of mouth as we could muster. To THIS DAY, it's STILL the show that I'm the MOST proud of that I've done in this city. People broke their backs for that show. They learned all of the current (at the time) Fosse dances and worked ridiculously hard. I don't doubt for even a SECOND that if there was a theatre group willing to tackle more mature work that the audiences would come.
Before I came back here a few months ago, I had decided to see what it would take to try to establish an honest to gosh professional theatre in Huntington. Even if it was a guest-contract AEA theatre. But there are several things you need to make that work.
1. Money (obviously)
2. A space (and one that is YOURS. One that you could possibly rent out to other groups, but at the end of the day, everyone knows it's the Professional Theatre Company's space, and that's where they do all of their shows.)
3. More people willing to make it happen besides just Mike Murdock
4. A season of shows. A full season. A YEAR ROUND season. If you're going to start a company, start it right. Don't rest on the laurels of doing one show a year in order to pay for the next one. You have to have an entire season planned, which means you have to start at LEAST 6 months early in order to secure the rights to the shows you want to do. And really, you need to plan several seasons in advance.
5. You need a marquee, a good relationship with the local press, and you need to make sure something is going on in the space at all times, whether it be classes, lectures, signings, bands, movies, anything. Everything you do makes money toward doing more stuff.
6. You need to do a Shakespeare Festival (like I could ever pass that up) and a New Works Festival (like Marshall's doing next week!). These are things that spotlight the community, AND allow schools to work with you. Time it right and you've got built in audiences for certain shows because of the education factor.
7. More MONEY.
My problem, really, is finding a space. In a perfect world it would be a setup resembling the Joan C. Edwards Playhouse at Marshall. A Mainstage (though it doesn't have to be as large) and an experimental. Then you can have all SORTS of fun. Bigger shows run on the mainstage, smaller in the experimental. Your season consists of all sorts of different types of shows, running from musicals to straight plays to one-person shows to staged readings to comedy troupes.
Of course, as a "pro" theatre, you have a BIG season, and if you're paying a "company" for a year to be there, they're doing everything. You go to SETC or UPTA auditions, etc., and you get people to do it. And chances are, like in the real world, you're rehearsing two shows a day and performing one at night.
That's REAL theatre, folks. Now, obviously, it wouldn't start out that way. Until you got your legs under you, you would take it a little easier. Use the first couple of years to get your base and your audience, and then continue to get bigger and bigger and bigger.
Give people a reason to come to Marshall to go to school for theatre! Give theatre students a way to earn their internship credits! Give actors a way to start earning Equity points! Once you've made enough money, JOIN the auditions at SETC and UPTA and bring in some great people! More people in Huntington, more stuff gets bought, the city thrives, everybody wins! Have a space where you could drop a screen and have a film festival! Bring in guest artists and playwrights and actors and directors! Use the experimental to have art shows and book signings and bands play! There are SO many possibilities!!
But I'm just one guy. It could happen. And it could happen soon if the right people were behind it. I can talk about it until I'm blue in the face, and most people, when I start in on it, nod in the right places and say "sure, that's a great idea!", but when it comes right down to it, they don't REALLY want to do anything with it. They don't want to get their hands dirty. They don't want to put their money where their mouths are. And I certainly can't do it alone. As much as I would love to be able to, and as much as it may hurt my pride to admit.
So yeah... a new theatre group in town would be a FANTASTIC idea.
Any takers?
-M
The need for a space is a vital one, and right now there are four venues fighting for audiences: the Renaissance Center (old Huntington High School), City Hall's auditorium, MU's Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center and the Keith Albee Theater. Three of those have in-house theatre companies (ARTS, Fifth Avenue Theatre and MU Dept. of Theatre), but I suspect Marshall is the only one with a reasonably secure source of funding (as of this writing). The only one that doesn't play host to a single group is the Keith Albee, but it's just beginning the transformation into a performing arts center. It would be great to see a year-round group with the kind of dedication you're talking about, staging a full season of shows. Perhaps the Keith can be home to that - someday. But you're right, it'll take someone stepping up and taking the reins. Anybody? Bueller? Anybody?
Right. And the only problem with the Keith is that it's a union house. And that doesn't go away, regardless of ownership or who is running it. So regardless of what you do, you have to follow equity rules for the house, have an equity stage manager to run things, etc. I know you're tinkering around with this space for a certain show, according to my long, lost love Amy Browning, so you know where I'm coming from there. Of course, if you were going for a professional equity theatre, it's the perfect place, and, honestly, the venue I wanted the most when I was brainstorming all of the aforementioned ideas.
Who's with me?!?
Well, I'd be with you if I wasn't already on the board of the First Stage Theatre Company. I'll offer you loads of moral support and your own soapbox right here at the Tri-State Theatre blog. Does that help?
Mike: Let's talk next week. You know I'm interested, and I've been brainstorming as well. I have a few ideas, and it sounds like you do, too. I'll see you Wednesday for "Collis P!" rehearsal for sure, but I'll probably be at the cookout Tuesday, too.
-Ryan
Hey, shouldn't I get an agent's fee or something? ;-)
Actually, Chuck, I did mean to thank you not only for your great insight, but also for giving us all a forum to discuss these things. We theatre people are always busy juggling our work, personal lives, and our art. With rare exceptions, we see each other either during rehearsal or after someone else's show. Some of us are on boards for arts groups, but rarely do we ever get the chance to step out of that smaller group and see what the theatre community at large is thinking.
It was a great idea to ask for an informal poll for show suggestions, too. Unless you happen to be on a board, most people never get the chance to give input on what shows they'd like to see.
I've been spreading the word about your blog. Hopefully it can grow even more. If possible, I think it would be ideal to have this in a forum style site with you as moderator, where members could post, and the thread with the most recent activity would automatically move to the top of the list. That way, you wouldn't have to do ALL of the work. This is a great place not only to share ideas, but to stay informed on local shows. I'm so glad you're doing it. Thanks, Chuck!
-Ryan
Aw shucks - I'm blushing!
Thanks for the kind words, Ryan. If this humble blog can help start conversations and generate ideas to improve theatre in our area, then it's well worth it!
I'm waiting for HOT to schedule "The Full Monty".
As a longtime resident of this area I feel like I should add to the discussion. I have no fine arts background whatsoever and am not a thespian by any means - but I think that actually gives some weight to what I have to say.
First, a little more background about me: I'm a late-twenties college educated business professional. I.e., someone with a fair amount of disposable income to spend on things such as theater. I.e., someone that should be a target audience member of anyone wanting to produce a successful community based theater experience. Which leads me to my next point:
Where is the promotion for these shows? I am not talking about the youth theater groups - those are advertised plenty but are marketed more towards the family atmosphere (something I pretty much have no interest in). The only way I found this discussion is after meandering my way over here from a somewhat unrelated article on the hdonline website..at least 4 or 5 clicks away. I am someone that is not well versed in theater and don't have a lot of theater friends - so I am never going to hear of these shows by word of mouth. I would definitely be interested in seeing some more adult oriented shows - and by that I mean thought provoking or a little more difficult to digest than squeaky clean family friendly versions of marginally controversial material to begin with - but I never hear about them. Only by reading this discussion did I learn that Marshall does that sort of thing (and successfully, at that). I suspect there is fair degree of incestuous promotion going on - MU theater promotes to friends of MU theater - sustaining a large, somewhat closed group of MU theater fans. I may be way off base, but hey, that is my opinion of the situation as an outsider.
So I say to you theater folks - I suspect there is a growing crowd of folks not unlike myself who are interested but are simply unaware of what is available to us. Post flyers! Schmooze some newspaper/TV contacts for some media coverage (reading a Dave Lavender article is how I arrived here, btw). Get your word out, make it appealing, and branch out beyond the folks you know are going to be coming to your show anyways. Good luck and I look forward to checking out what you have to offer!
Mark - Don't hold your breath waiting, though you'd be perfect for it!
Scott - Thanks so much for your comments! I think you make some great points - there were lots of great shows I missed before I got involved with theatre because I didn't know they were being staged! Advertising and promotion are difficult obstacles to overcome, because they (for the most part) require spending money, and that's a resource most theatre groups don't have. I know Marshall always buys a big newspaper ad to go along with each show, and most theatre groups do the same - but the ad usually runs for a few days at most, and it's easy to miss an ad that only pops up a few times. I'd be glad to hear any suggestions about better ways to promote local shows.
Full Monty all the way!
I have a lot to say about Scott's post, but I can't do it tonight. I'm too tired to type my regular fifteen page diatribe.
However, it's great to know that there might be more people out there willing to come out to see live theatre shows with more adult subject matter! We might be onto something after all!
And many thanks to all the folks that came out to see Jon Joy's "The Prayer List" at the Jeslyn tonight. We had over 50 people, which, for the publicity we had, was GREAT!
There's still one more chance to catch it (along with a couple of other one-act plays). We'll be doing it at the Clay Center this Sunday at 4 p.m. as part of Charleston's FestivALL. So if you missed it, come check it out!
Thanks again, and more soon.
-M
I'd say we need to talk, boys and girls. Let's use the momentum from
"Prayer List" and the New Works Festival and other projects and see what we can parlay it into. I suggest we call a summit meeting in the next couple of weeks and anyone interested in making such a project work are free to come and offer their two cents worth. Of course Director Chuck, Author Mike, and More-Talent-In-Hi-Little-Finger Ryan may not have the spare time, but as soon as this "Collis P Exclamation Point" things wraps up... I'm just going to be sitting around on my obnoxious and dislked behind. Whaddaya think?
Clint, a meeting of the minds sounds like a great idea! You should set up a meeting sometime soon (after the New Works Fest, natch) and kick some ideas around. Do you have everyone's email addresses? If not, let me know and I'll help make connections so we can see about setting up a time to meet!
I have been reading the posts and I have suggestions on some possible solutions to many of the problems facing our community theatres in Huntington. Scott wrote and brought up some good points from the standpoint of someone who is interested in experiencing live theatre, but either has no interest in the shows currently being offered or finds it hard to get information on what is being produced. Paul Neace also commented (on “a record breaking discussion”) and had some great insight from the standpoint of someone who has been active in theatre for nearly 30 years.
I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I have made some observations that might help.
1. Don’t schedule shows the same weekends as other groups. It seems everyone does a fall show and a spring show. And more often than not they are scheduled right over each other. Not only does this cut down on the talent pool auditioning for shows, but it dilutes everyone’s audience and prevents actors from seeing each other’s shows. I don’t know why this happens. A lot of theatres in our area publicize their seasons well in advance (Marshall University, Charleston Stage Company, Kanawha Players, Charleston Light Opera Guild (to some degree), and it’s not difficult to know these dates, but inevitably, we’ll end up with 5 shows happening the same 2 weekends twice a year, and a dry spell the rest of the year. And then sometimes 3 groups in our region within 90 miles of each other mount the exact same show at the same time or within weeks of each other.
2. Marketing has to be taken much more seriously. I think we can learn a lot from the groups in Charleston. Kanawha Players is a good example. They have a great mailing list (not just of theatre people, but a targeted list they have compiled of people who have attended their shows and people who are liely to be interested) They mail out postcards for audition notices, mail show postcards, send a paper newsletter and email updates every month, have a dedicated website that has their entire season, news, audition and show information. Also, most theatre groups make it possible to buy tickets in advance, either through a website, box office, or at least a phone number with a voice mail that allows patrons to leave a reservation which is taken and confirmed that same day. Sometimes incentives are offered. MU Theatre, Charleston Stage Company and Kanawha Players offer 2 for 1 coupons in the Entertainment books. And this is an important one: If we are to expect good media support, we need to contact them early and often. We can’t wait until days before the show and frantically call the newspaper begging for coverage. There are deadlines and planning involved. We need to announce cast lists as soon as the show is cast, and produce some kind of press kit with show art, synopsis of show, information about the staff and actors along with key phone numbers so the reporter can contact people for interviews or just a quick quote. We need to make it as easy as possible for them to help us. Publicity photos would be a good idea as well, although the newspapers usually prefer to take their own. All of this info needs to be provided early in the process, and we need to follow up often, giving the media plenty of notice , especially as tech week approaches. We can’t adopt the “build it and they will come” approach. We have to be more proactive and can’t be afraid to ask the media and businesses for help. Huntington Outdoor Theatre asks for a LOT. And they get it.
3. While we’re on the subject of asking, what about grants? I’m not sure of the details or what might be available, but I know a lot of theatre groups write grant requests. Money is a major issue that has been referred to during this discussion. This may even open up a way to possibly securing a space to perform. Kanawha Players aquired a church recently, and are in the process of converting it and making it their permanent home. I have no idea how they managed it, but I doubt they just bought a space outright on their ticket sales alone. Just food for thought. The WV dept of tourism offers help if you meet certain requirements as well.
4. Make it easy on people to purchase tickets. Nothing wrong with selling tix at the door, but sometimes people will put out posters or flyers with incomplete or vague info about how to buy tickets. No prices, a phone number where no one answers or calls you back, locations listed without a street address… all of these things can add up to no sale. People are less likely to make the effort if we don’t make it easy on them.
5. Finally, the topic we’ve been discussing… If we keep doing more of the same and don’t tackle anything new or challenging, how do we hope to attract new audience members or even keep the ones we have? I am relatively new to theatre, yet in the past 10 years, I have seen some of these shows 2 or 3 times. And it’s not always because I really want to. If a local group mounts what they think will be a crowd pleasing sure-fire hit on the basis that it drew a crowd before, and it doesn’t do the business they expected, It need not be a reason to want to play it even more safe for your next show. It may be a signal that we need to try something new. Theatre used to be a much more prominent arena for entertainment. now we have hundreds of channels of TV, any movie we desire at our fingertips on DVD. Home theatres, Ipods, video games, and a neverending stream of content on the internet. I really think we're missing the boat if we don't adapt and show people how amazing and unique the live theatre experience can be.
Chuck, Mike, Clint and all other intereseted parties: I’m totally up for getting together soon and seeing what we can do.
Ryan, there's a lot of gold in those comments! When I get more time I'd like to comment on your ideas - I'm planning to break these comments out onto the main page of the blog, to try to keep the discussion going. I think we're onto something here.
OK, folks, strap yourselves in... this is going to be LONG.
Let's go ahead and realize that MONEY and a DEDICATED SPACE are the two major sticking points, and move on from there.
My ultimate, original plan was this...
...the idea of starting a new theatre company (and yes, Huntington NEEDS one more...), that produces YEAR-ROUND shows, ranging from musicals to straight plays, readings to festivals.
The new theatre company NEEDS to be a PROFESSIONAL theatre company, wherein "professional" means "people get paid". THAT'S the big thing that's lacking in this area. The Greenbrier should NOT be the only game in town for professional work, especially when there are so many talented writers, directors, actors, producers, costumers, designers and technicians HERE... in a COLLEGE TOWN. And when quite a few people who CLAIM to support the ARTS do, in fact, have a lot of money to BURN.
Now go with me on this...
It doesn't have to be an Equity house... YET. We can strive toward that... but the biggest way we will get taken seriously, AND the biggest way to differentiate between US and THE REST is if we pay people to work for us.
Why is that so important? It's simple. Everyone has always talked about it, from Helen at HOT to the now semi-defunct Musical Arts Guild. Is it a HUGE undertaking? Of course... but what great idea isn't?
Here's the rub: a "professional" theatre environment would bring commerce to the area, just like sporting events do. Hired actors from all over the place = more families and friends coming to the area, which means hotel rooms, food, knick-knacks, you name it. The same for any other artist working on a show of ours.
What it ALSO does is allow us to work hand-in-hand with Marshall University. The students in the theatre program, over the last year, have had an "internship" addition to their theatre practicum. That's why 80% of their students are gone this summer, and we've had to beg and plead friends and family to work/read for the New Works Festival, etc.
If we had a professional theatre company, we could parlay that to MU. No doubt a full season of shows would consist of several shows during the Summer months, and perhaps a festival as well, and we would have a "built-in" cast & crew infrastructure.
Also, a professional theatre lends itself to participation in the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC), the United Professional Theatre Auditions (UPTA), as well as many other opportunities to bring in fresh talent to the area. At the same time, some of them might find what they've been looking for in Huntington, or at Marshall. Everyone is scratching each other's backs.
Further, in all honesty, we're creating JOBS. Giving people a REASON to stick around this place. With it comes a sense of responsibility, AND we're creating ART at the same time.
Another reason it NEEDS to be a pro theatre, is simply because ANYONE with a few bucks can put up a show. I've done it with Cabaret. Jon Joy puts up his shows with his own money all the time, just to get it out there. Others have done it as well. That's why whatever we do needs to be a cut above the norm. Not only does no one do a year-round season besides Marshall, but no one pays anyone either. Automatically our production values go UP because we're paying people to work. It's a REAL job, just like theatre SHOULD be.
With that comes the responsibility to use our space and resources to bring new things to the community at large. New Works Festivals, guest speakers, Film Festivals, Playwright workshops, musical cabarets, comedy shows, Shakespeare (or any other famous playwright) festivals, acting / directing / dancing / singing schools, and more.
There are limitless ways to make money to fund other projects. It's the perfect idea for aspiring writers in the area like myself, Jon and Clint... it's exactly how New York off-off-Broadway works... they get a new play, workshop it for months, and finally mount the production. We could do that with a new show every season.
And start from the beginning, complete with theatre company t-shirts, mugs, pens and other swag to sell at the theatre. Have food and drink available to buy at intermission to shows. Charge for the classes. Charge for the submissions to festivals (with some of that going toward prize money for various winners in various categories).
As far as paying interns, we all know they really don't make any money. If they live around here, we don't pay for housing. If they don't live here, we cut a deal with the dorms or a hotel somewhere. Same with food and the dining halls or restaurants in town that want to play with us.
Make deals with the Herald-Dispatch, the Ironton Tribune, the Wayne County News, the Parthenon, the Charleston Gazette, the Charleston Daily Mail, the Ashland Independent and HuntingtonNews.Net (and others) to promote the HECK out of our shows. Make deals for a years worth of publicity (advertisements, etc.). The same with t.v. and radio stations. Even go so far as to have something for the theatre on Public Access. Lord knows it's not being used for anything else.
Let HOT and 5th Ave. and ART and First Stage do their family stuff. It saves us the trouble. Because, I can promise you, the family stuff that WE do won't be anything that would compete with their stuff. They can HAVE their Rogers & Hammerstein. I can guarantee you that we aren't going to be doing Oklahoma, Hello Dolly or Cinderella in the near future... if ever. We'll take the stuff that, for whatever reason, people won't do... Man of La Mancha, Pippin, JCS, Brigadoon, The Fantasticks, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Cabaret, Chicago, Children of Eden, etc. And that's just the musicals. Don't get me started on why no one has done such crowd pleasers as Harvey, The Nerd, What The Butler Saw, Noises Off, Lend Me A Tenor, et al. (and yes, I know MU did a couple of the ones I mentioned well on a decade ago.)
Anyway, you get my point.
Grants are a BIG DEAL. And I know NOTHING about getting them. We would need someone who is willing to write grant proposals for EVERYTHING and ANYTHING we could even POSSIBLY get. Because I have no doubt that we could actually get ALOT of money that way. But we need someone that is dedicated SOLELY to that.
It CAN be done, gentlefolk. It's as easy as people putting their money and time where their mouthes often are. Right now we have some pretty powerful people willing to get this kind of thing moving, and with everyone else that we know, there MUST be some people out there willing to throw start-up money at a professional theatre company. Because I honestly believe that if we had enough for the first full season, we would plunge through it and never look back again. It would EASILY maintain itself, and, more than likely, continue to grow bigger and bigger, to where we COULD become a LORT theatre and be able to have Equity cast members, and/or give Equity points for the people working on/in the shows. I don't doubt it, even for a moment.
And the crowds are there. And this is where I'll touch on what Scott said... he is the perfect example of what is untapped in this area. People are WILLING to see new things. They WANT to see adult-oriented material. They WILL buy tickets and ENJOY shows they haven't seen before. If one guy who stumbled upon this board at random is an indication, I don't doubt that there are HUNDREDS more like him. Certainly if we can get the University students involved. We have to take advantage of EVERYTHING around us.
We want it... and the people want it. And we have the talent to make it happen. We just have to actually DO IT. We've ALL talked about it FOREVER. It's time to stick to our guns and DO SOMETHING about it. Everyone always talks a good show, and then it eventually disappears into a cloud of good intentions and it's forgotten about until someone brings it up a year or so later.
Please.
Don't let that happen this time. We're really on to something, and I KNOW we are the people that can make this work.
As you can see, I've been thinking about this long before this discussion started. I know in my heart that it would be an AMAZING success.
Thanks for the time, Chuck.
-M
Ryan's comment #1 is one of my theatre pet peeves. But, to solve it, ALL the groups have to cooperate and check their egos at the proverbial door and that hasn't always been the case.
Good ideas and comments all around.
Mike - As to your idea of paying everyone, I think you're absolutely right (although it may take some time to get that payment up beyond a token amount). Money is obviously the biggest challenge to putting on a show, and the toughest job is to find a source that's not already being tapped by existing groups like Marshall, HOT or the Keith Albee.
Mark - the problem of scheduling shows against each other is a pet peeve many of us share, but there are reasons why that happens. I'll be talking about that in an upcoming post.
Straying from the other dusicussion entitled "A Record Breaking Discussion" and joining the varsity team here, I need to disagree with Chuck in his response to my post regarding needing someone with a nest egg.
Harkening back to ART for a moment (since that was the last of the local companies that was bold enough to attempt the whole gamut of theatre), we had some amazingly talented people on our board. Not just actors, but creative in many ways. Setting Danny's dictatorial attitude aside (he knows I love him), the 2 biggest problems were finances and apathy. Finances are much more of an issue than I think anyone is willing to admit. Being on the board of 5th Ave. has given me a whole new appreciation of what it costs to produce a show. I don't have prove it to Chuck or Clint or Michael or anyone that's attempted it. Every item has to be considered (from sound to design to costumes to set to props to publicity to, oh yeah - salaries) and, believe it or not, businesses aren't lining up willing to donate their resources to local theatre. But the most troublesome part of what eventually brought down ART was the apathy. I can't tell you how many times Danny was building those sets by himself, painiting the flats by himself, hauling set pieces by himself, etc. He would plead for help and, more often than not, got nothing. Again, part of it was Danny being Danny (again, love him) but part of it was also "I have another commitment" from those involved. If I heard one more "diva" (which is not gender specific) claim they were too busy to do anything other than act, I may be wearing an orange jump suit by now. I would beseech anyone that makes an attempt at starting a local theatre company to ensure all parties involved are going to give their time, effort, blood, sweat, and tears to make it successful.
It can't be a one person show, literally and/or figuratively. It needs to be something that, using Kanawha Players as an example again, the theatre goers come to expect as a routine. A 4-6 show schedule decided upon annually and publicized with little to no variation.
I'll also disagree with Ryan in that, if this is done, you can't always comply with the other companies in town. You can make the attempt but always working around the other companies' schedules will be close to impossible. "We can't do a show from May-July because it will conflict with HOT" can't be acceptable every year. I'm on the board of HOT and love it dearly, but we don't have a corner on the talent pool.
I'm very passionate about this and may be too much so to become too involved. Maybe that 'C' I got for "playing well with others" in the 4th grade should've tipped me off.
I'm looking forward to the Festival this weekend
Paul, you'll get no argument from me over the need for money to put on a show - obviously, you can't do a show without dough (sorry). However, I'm not so sure you need someone with deep pockets - most local groups started small and built from there, living on the gate. Strength in numbers and all that.
As to the need for volunteers, you're absolutely right - the show can't happen without help behind the scenes. One of the two shows I've directed for groups other than First Stage had a major problem - only a few people were doing all the construction and costumes, and volunteers were scarce. I call it "the church syndrome" - where one or two people do all the work, get burned out for lack of help and finally walk away. That's where the children's theatre is amazing - you have lots of people ready and willing to help! Well, usually. ;-)
Chuck, obviously this requires a great deal more discussion, preferrably on a f2f basis. I can make my point and you can make yours and Ryan his and Michael his and so on and so forth ad infinitum, but until we sit down and have a meeting of the minds, this isn't going to resolved easily, if then.
The one overwhelming agreement that we can all come to is that it needs to happen. And with the passion and creativity that I feel all parties concerned can put into this, if it's not successful it won't be due to a lack of effort.
God bless you for this forum.
I second, third and fourth everything Paul just said. Even the blessing of Chuck's forum.
So we need to set a LONG lunch (or dinner) meeting after the festival is o'er, take an afternoon or evening or both combined, and talk 'til we're out of ideas.
Chuck, myself, Clint, Paul, Ryan... anyone else?
-M
P.S. And, because I'm shameless... "Serious Business" goes up tonight (Friday) at Marshall for the festival. Bring your earmuffs for the language and your sense of humor!
This issue actually came up last night at the New Works Festival. In the question and answer period a lady asked why the playwrights felt it was necessary to use "such Crude language". The lady was obviously sincere in her concerns. The truth is, our responsibility as artists, is to make sure than potential audience members have an idea of the kind of presentation they will be seeing. When Huntington Outdoor Theatre presents "Oklahoma" later this month, I seriously doubt if Curly is going to drop the f-bomb in the middle of "Oh What a Beautiful Morning". But I don't think it's such a great leap of logic to assume that a play about soldiers in the middle of the war will contain strang language. If we do our job and give a general idea what the audience can expect, then they have the ultimate power...they can choose to NOT attend if they feel the content will make them uncomfortable.
I think Clint's right - the best thing is probably to let the audience know what to expect. The recent production of "The Prayer List" had a sign out front warning that the play contained "Harsh language" (or words to that effect). Seems like a good solution to me!
I'm 100% behind that. I'm not really into tricking people into coming to a show.
I wouldn't, for instance, produce American Buffalo and put "a family-friendly comedy" on the posters.
The posters for the New Works Fest HAVE a warning about the language on them.
The newspaper articles, however, didn't mention it. But then again, the H-D didn't even bother to contact anyone for the story. Which is why half of the information in their first shot at it was true and the other half was plain fabrication.
People swear. That's the way of the world. We even swear when we talk about the amount of swearing in things. Some people even swear MORE than the way a character might be written.
"The Prayer List", I believe, had a sign that said "This play contains adult themes and adult language". I imagine we should put one of those up for my show tonight. Just to make sure we scare the REST of the people away.
And Collis P! should have a sign that says "Warning: Exclamation Points and significant use of the word 'Jackass'".
I think if the posters have it on there, and there's a sign at the door for the people that don't read posters, and the newspaper reports the fact as it should, that's all you can do.
Otherwise, you're having box office personnel questioning every ticket they sell. "This play has adult language and graphic donkey porn - are you SURE you want to buy a ticket?" That's a bit ridiculous. If you advertise it correctly, there should be no other concern.
Sorry. I had to post something over post 42, because we couldn't just end with the answer to Life, The Universe and Everything.
-M
Wow, Mike gives us a "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" reference. I couldn't be happier!
For "That Championship Season" that I referred to earlier, we were faced with the prospect of really offending some of the elder statesepeople that attended every Community Players production ever produced. So we became pro-active instead of re-active and simply assigned an 'R' rating to the production. Much to our surprise we didn't get one public complaint about the language or adult theme contained within.
Plus, as has been discussed previously, people aren't going to attend "Oklahoma" and expect to hear or see anything shocking. And on the flip side, you aren't going to have too many residing Bishops attend "The Laramie Project" especially if the producers of each production are doing their respective jobs and properly publicizing the content/theme of each.
It's always been my humble opinion that the products of censorship are only a problem when abused or hidden.
Chuck: I’m looking forward to hearing your comments on the issue of scheduling local shows on top of each other. While I agree with Paul that it’s not always possible (or desirable) to avoid having shows run in the same general time period, (May to July, to quote his example) What I was referring to is scheduling shows on the same EXACT weekends, as was the case when ARTS and MU Theatre produced “Fiddler” and “Hair” completely overlapping each other last October, or this past spring, when no fewer than 4 Huntington shows ( “Nunsense”, “The Music Man”, “Driving Miss Daisy” and “The Guys”) ran in a ten day period from April 20 to 30. Add 2 Charleston shows and one from Ashland and you have SEVEN shows in a 10 day period. I was only able to see two of the seven, and if I had been involved in one of the shows, It’s likely I would have been able to see NONE.
I have been doing some research to look at the patterns of types of shows being presented in our region and the schedules of Huntington, Charleston and Ashland groups. It’s shaping up to be pretty interesting, and I’ll share when I’m finished. There may be legitimate reasons for the erratic scheduling of which I’m unaware (Hey, I’m no expert at producing theatre, and I’m here to learn too) But there are GAPING holes in the calendar. Months where NOTHING is happening ANYWHERE, and then there are 2 weekends when there are 7 shows riding piggyback. This seems to happen mainly in April, October, and November-December (for Christmas Shows) I’m concentrating on local theatre within a 40 mile radius from Huntington, but add all of the Clay Center Broadway Series and Marshall Artist Series shows, and we end up with a handful of months where everything is going on at once. I don’t see how that can not have an effect on audience attendance.
And I know for a FACT that when too many shows are scheduled at the same time, it cuts down on the talent pool. There are loads of talented people in our area. And no one theatre company has a claim on all the talent, but, for example, sometime in the late spring / summer of 2006, before ARTS finally decided to do “Fiddler”as their fall money-maker, they tried to produce “The Fantasticks”… They had auditions and callbacks, and had some really good people , but couldn’t cast the two fathers because “Oliver!” was in production, and people were involved with “Thoroughly Modern Millie”, and “1776” as well. They didn’t have older men to play the fathers. I’m not saying that they shouldn’t have tried, or that one theatre company should be able to have first dibs while others should have to adapt…I’m just saying that a limited talent pool is a valid issue when too many things are mounted at once. I don’t think it’s a matter of there being a shortage of talented actors in our area, but some shows require more of certain “types” that may be already committed if shows run close to each other.
I just think we’re limiting ourselves by piling on top of each other during certain times and leaving some months totally untapped. This is only one of the issues. There are a lot of things we can do to make positive changes, increase our audiences, and make our efforts count.
This is all just how I see it. I’m not out to prove my points…I would just like to do my part to help solve our problems, and I’m open to everyone’s opinions and expertise. I’m looking forward to all of us meeting soon. My schedule is free after the New Works Festival and Independence Day celebrations wrap up!
-Ryan
Overlapping schedules is definitely a problem we have all faced. Between Huntington and Ashland, I believe we had 7 shows going on at christmas time.
Not only are you diluting the talent pool for actors but tech crews and orchestra members as well.
From a tech perspective, I have noticed that a good majority of the work is done by a small number of people. There are a few people ie. costumers, set builders, and the like, that you tend to see at every show in town. With these overlapping shows, you see these people being forced to make decisions of what show they would rather work with or who asked first. I'm relatively new to this whole thing, but I've already seen this scenario play out several times.
Another major problem with the overlapping shows is that the biggest fans and supporters of theatre in this area are those who do theatre. We love to load up our cars with friends and family and go catch a show with people we know and have worked with. However, with the exception of a final dress or a school show, there is no chance for us to catch a show when they overlap.
I know this a bit off the main topic but perhaps an extension of this discussion will help prod "the powers that be" into really considering the consequences of these schedule conflicts.
stephen
ps. if you want to make a bulletin/discussion board happen, let me know, i know a little bit about that sort of thing
Stephen, I agree, overlapping shows are a real problem - I'm going to talk more about it in a post later today (hopefully).
As to a message board, I like the idea, but I do want to drive as much traffic to this site as possible - I figure the more the traffic, the more the theatre community will get attention (and coverage) in the newspaper.
You know, I don't even have a problem with shows that are "family friendly." Bring on the family friendly. Let's talk about the shows that just KEEP HAPPENING.
I mean, no offense to anybody who have decided to tackle these shows - they are cash cows and should be done for the income - but there are a few shows that have been done far too many times in the area: Wizard of Oz, Cinderella, Rocky Horror, Godspell, The Music Man, Annie, West Side Story, The Sound of Music, to name a few - really, any musical that has been made into a film. I mean, they're all good shows in their own right, but I'm just sick of seeing the same shows done so frequently.
Who cares about profanity? Yeah, it's entertaining, but honestly, I just want to see more shows that the area hasn't seen before. Let's see some more obscure one acts, more dramas, more comedies, more musicals that aren't done too often. I mean, Marshall is always up for putting on a great play, but what about the rest of the community?
We can't just stop the boat at the standards and the ones that will make money. I mean, who doesn't want to see "High School Musical?" But then again, who didn't see that coming - it's a show that the kids will love that will make money due to its immense popularity. But come on (sorry dad)! Can't we find something with some dust on its cover?
So yes, start a new group. Professional, adults only, it doesn't matter. Just pull out something that hasn't been reused at least half a dozen times.
Evan, Shouldn't you be writing over at the "Blog: the Video Game" site? I think you're in agreement with most of the people who've commented here - they'd all like to see some different shows taking the stage. I think you do have to stage popular shows, not just to make money, but because the general audience out there wants to see them - but it would be nice to have more variety on stage. And as for "High School Musical" making money... from your mouth to God's ears, pal!
Hey Paul! You old email address doesn't work anymore. Send me your new address at TheMinskers@aol.com. Thanks!
Evan: I'm right with you, sir. That shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Honestly, with so many great shows available and out there, why does everyone feel the need to rehash stuff? It's like one group gets a good idea, and then the rest say, "Yeah! That IS a good idea!" and it rolls down the hill, collecting other theatre groups with it before it explodes in one HOT SEXY weekend in July... for ALL of the groups... at the SAME time.
I would have thought that this would be avoidable, simply from MTI or any of the other places they get the rights to the shows from. But either people are being judicious with how far away they are from each other, they don't report the info, the cities of Ashland, Huntington and Charleston ARE, in fact, far enough away to not matter, or the company just wants to roll in its money bin, and could care less about oversaturization of a certain show in a certain area.
To make more sense for people who don't know what I'm talking about: You can't do a David Mamet show (ANY David Mamet show) within 150 miles of another David Mamet show (again, ANY David Mamet show), and not if the show has been done in that 150 mile radius in the last year. I realize that for most shows they don't have the same rules, but there are some. (And take it from a guy who has talked to Mamet on the phone, it ain't easy to get his permission to overstep those boundries).
Stephen: I agree with you, as well, and even commented as such on Chuck's newer post about overlapping, before I even read your comment here. Other people in other shows are the people that are nearly guaranteed to see YOUR show, regardless of what you put up. Why alienate them?
Chuck: I don't have Paul's email address.
I’ve been thinking about making a post for awhile, so I might as well just do it.
Most of what I have to say is just agreeing with everyone else. I grew up doing theatre in Huntington and that was fun and I think that I received a lot of basic experience that has enabled me to move on to other things. I did find myself drifting toward Charleston more and more however because of the nature of the material. I agree with Ryan in that doing the shows with “darker” subject matter are the ones from which I have grown the most. In Charleston I was able to do A Little Night Music a challenging, rarely done Sondheim show, and Pippin which allowed me to focus intensely on ensemble work and stylistic dance, as well as many other shows, and as I ventured out of the state when my family moved to Pittsburgh, I was cast as Sally Bowles in Cabaret which was the most challenging and rewarding theatre experience of my life. I felt so exhausted, and accomplished every night after that show which is a much different feeling than how I felt after doing a musical in Huntington with A Happily Ever After Ending. Not that I didn’t enjoy those shows, and they weren’t good experiences, however; looking back on it, I feel like growing up with them and being in musicals constantly with the happily ever after ending gave me a false view of reality.
Going to school for theatre at Columbia College in Chicago (where Evan goes now )
was one of the best decisions of my life. We didn’t really have a campus, it is just a bunch of random buildings in the middle of downtown Chicago. So not only did I get a well-rounded education, I was immersed into a vibrant,vibrant theatre world. At Columbia, I realized that I was in a whole different ballgame. One of my assignments was to go out on the street and do a Performance Art piece about something I felt passionately about… another assignment was to do an improvisational body movement piece on the bridge to the Metra station. When I was handed my first scene, in my mind I was thinking “You want me to say…What??!”After all, I was just a good little girl from West Virginia. And had Huntington not have censored its productions all of those times aforementioned, maybe I wouldn’t have been so shocked about what some of my professors were encouraging me to say. I quickly got over it, because it wasn’t for shock value, it was for the authenticity of the characters and setting.
I agree with Mike that a new theatre group needs to form in order to produce the shows that you want to do.
The theatre should not be about making money. It should be about creating art and reaching out to the minds of the audience. But if money is such an issue, maybe instead of trying to get a full house at City Hall or another big house for an “experimental” show, aim for a more intimate setting, that doesn’t require hundreds of people for a sell out. There are so many times that I went to a show in Chicago where there were only thirty or forty seats, but they got filled. It is a much better feeling to look out and see a full house on the small side than a huge house that is less than half empty. I have a feeling that a lot of the shows that want to be produced would benefit from the small setting. There are a lot of shows out there that could be produced on a very small budget that don’t require elaborate sets and costumes. One that comes to mind is The Last Five Years.I love black box theatres for this reason. You can put the audience anywhere you want them. The atmosphere of the theatre in which a show is held has just as much affect on the audience as the content of the show.
Or maybe the trick is to do something that is a “crowd pleaser” to make money so that you can allow yourself to explore new things and it would be ok if you didn’t quite meet the mark to break even. That seems to be the philosophy of The Charleston Light Opera Guild. They have been successful for a LOT of years. Or just be honest and hold a fundraiser show to create funds for a new theatre group. There was a guy in PA who held a one man show to raise money because he wanted to take acting classes in New York, and people went and were supportive and he ended up being able to go.
What about different types of theatre? Has anyone thought about Sketch Comedy? I know there are a lot of funny people in Huntington, and there is a big following of sketch comedy all across the country. And you write your own material…and you don’t have to have a big budget. I’m not really familiar with Funnybone but maybe they would allow performances on nights that they didn’t have guest artists… I don’t know maybe there is no interest for that.
I think that people are too afraid to fail. Life is an audition. Sometimes you get the part and sometimes you don’t…but no matter what happens…you must keep on going and struggle through all of the choreographers and vocal coaches and casting directors and eventually if you don’t give up, you will pull yourself through despite all of the rejections that you have encountered to get to where you are…and whether or not you become famous, you will become your own “star” because you know what you have been through to get to your status in life. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in the theatre is that you have to allow yourself and be willing to fail and be bad in order to be great.
Am I the only one that used to put on plays and performances for my neighbors in my backyard? People came. Maybe out of pity because I was a little kid, but I don't know why it has to be different now. If you want to perform something badly enough, and if there is passion behind it..DO IT! Do it in the streets, in the aisles at Wal-Mart, or on the escalators to the Marquee cinemas. I don't live there anymore, but it would be great to see people that I care about doing something that they really, really love and feel passionate about. I support you guys. And if I had money to donate, I would...maybe someday :)
So good to hear from you, Whitney - another of our local theatre "graduates" who has moved on to the big city! You make some great points, although I'm not sure a new group has the option of not worrying about money - but hopefully, with careful management, it can quickly reach the point where it can tackle edgy, adult topics without worrying about going broke.
Wow, Whitney. Thank you so much for that. I love hearing that kind of passion for theatre... I completely agree.
If we want something to happen, we don't necessarily have to sit around and wait on a big theatre company to finally announce auditions for a show that appeals to us. Some of the best things I've ever seen have been the result of inspired people with some guts and the desire to create something special, no matter how little money they have behind them.
I saw Michael Cerveris in "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" for the first time off-broadway in 1999. The venue was a small run-down hotel lounge...there were maybe 50-100 seats, none of which matched. They had very basic lights and sound system... The set up was total shoestring...but the show was amazing!... it had more impact than ANY of the other 7 multi- million dollar shows I saw during my visit.
I'm not saying you can produce a show for nothing, but it's more possible than we think to make things happen with dedication, creativity and an open mind.
Great post, Whitney! And thank you for it.
Alot of your ideas are the exact ideas that I would love to bring up to a serious group of like-minded people in the area. You know... at like a lunch meeting or something... CLEAR YOUR SCHEDULES! *wink*
Brief rundown follows:
99-seat special contract 3/4 round theatre (which has a maximum capacity of somewhere in the neighborhood of 130 seats, if memory serves)
Big enough for a full-scale musical and any play under the sun.
1 Rehearsal room (preferably two)
a lobby, a gift shop, a marquee, a reception area w/ bar
1 "scene shop" area
1 production office
decent parking
6 shows the inaugural season, at least one being a musical, perhaps 2 (first and last)
People:
1. Grant writer
2. Theatre/building Manager
3. Business Manager
4. Treasurer
5. PR Manager
6. Lawyer
There are a million ways to make money on the theatre once you have a dedicated space. Literally. I can write myself blind telling you additional ways to make money.
Create either a corporation or non-profit organization for the theatre, so that when people donate, they get a tax break. Sell stock, which can be done even if it's non-profit (just ask cemetery boards).
Make use of the stage 6 nights a week. Keep one day completely dark. When a show isn't going on, have something else in there, whether it's sketch comedy, stand-up, open mic, bands, classes or even karaoke. The possibilities are endless. Allow the greater Huntington area to know that there is SOMETHING going on at the theatre EVERY day, and it's a viable option for entertainment of all kinds.
Have a screen and projector and show old movies that people would love to see 30 feet high that they have never had the chance to enjoy.
It's amazing what you can do in a small space. And through word of mouth and halfway decent advertising, using the papers, t.v., Marshall, etc., if we build it, they will come. (It's now a motto).
I've done this before, folks. I ran my own theatre in Hollywood (yeah, the real one), for a year. We had very good success as well, but what ended up killing us was renting the space. We rebuilt the entire place, put new floors in the lobby, hung new electrics, et al, but it wasn't ours. And when the landlord decided he had a better offer, we lost it. And paying $3000 a month was never a good idea in the first place, just for rent. But that was HOLLYWOOD. And I DID it. Doing it here shouldn't be NEARLY as hard.
And with the talent and support system we have here, we could REALLY make a difference to this area. More students at Marshall because they want to come to a school that's located near a professional, year-round theatre; more people traveling to the area to see shows from all over, buying stuff, staying in hotels, eating food...
It's as simple as buckling up and DOING IT.
I. Will. Make. This. Happen. Now, who else wants to play, too?
-M
Mike, I think your plan is right on the money. The trick is, of course, finding a place to make it happen.
Come on dad, you've watched enough "Flip This House" to know that a simple gut rehab process could do wonders for a place. One big room with a small cheaply built stage would take some commitment and quite a few bags full of money, but it could feasibly happen.
I agree with Mike. Make it a concert venue and a house for open mics and karaoke and cheap movies on the down time and a home for one acts and some great local theater and you're in. Just make it available every night and serve some sort of food and you're in.
Intimate setting - it's the perfect idea.
You're suggesting we Flip A House? I think you need to Flip Your Bedroom, amigo - it looks like a grenade went off in there! (What can I say - that's my boy! Well, one of 'em.)
Hey, it's my thing. I'm not a cleaner, so what.
Anyway, I'd just like to see Huntington find a nice way to get a group started that will push the envelope. Not in a controversial way, necessarily, but at least in a different way.
I thought Whitney made some really great observations. Ones she could not have made, had she stayed here. This is a young lady that came up through every kind of theatre offered in this area, I mean she literaly grew up in it and yet, she goes somewhere else and finds a whole new world, that she didn't even know existed. The same old run of the mill musicals that are the only fare offered in "our Town" does little to stretch the limits of imaginations or move one out of their comfort zone. People here do not go to theatre to be exposed to new ideas or for the intellectual stimulation. They go, as Mr. Murdock so eloquently stated, to see their relative/friend/house pet and not to have to think. Good theatre is much more than that.
It was recently noted that West Virginia is the least like the United States in terms of the diversity of its' people. Therefore if the people of our area can't be presented with new ideas or thoughts from different cultures and backgrounds, the only avenue left to embrace diversity, is in our art. Like minded people, have like minded thoughts and therefore, nothing too much new or original arises from their interactions. Diversity and being forced to think about things that are presented, is a way to stimulate the populace in new ways of thinking and in growing acceptance.
I agree that a new theatre would not need 1,000 seats. If we could fill 150 to 200 on a regular basis, I think it would produce a positive outcome. As mentioned by others, have continuous events being held there to keep people coming so that it becomes one of the things you look to for something to do. I would think the Marshall population, especially, would be starved for something interesting to do here, that goes beyond eating or a movie.
Forgetting about Evans bedroom problem, it was mentioned about flipping a house. I don't know about that, but about 5 of us just flipped an old building to make a beautiful dance studio. There are quite a few vacant old buildings in this town and I would think a dozen or so that are interested in this, could make short work of it. The ambience from an older building, would only add to the experience.
I believe we have the raw materials to work with, I think it is now just a matter of commitment.
TommyS
Tommy, you're absolutely right - but that commitment is the toughest part. It's one thing to offer time and sweat equity - and another to come up with cold hard cash. Not impossible - just difficult.
Agreed. And thank you for saying so, Tommy. And you're absolutely right, Chuck.
Everyone is always much more inclined to offer labor of some sort (i.e. sure, I'll do costumes, or build sets, or paint walls or change a burnt out Ratcliff building into a 200 seat theatre....), than to actually pony up any "real" money to make it happen.
Don't get me wrong. It's a tough decision. It's hard to give generously of something other than a person's time. And I'm not knocking that "time" either. That's VERY valuable as well. But what we're looking to do would require a hearty combination of both.
But here's what I know. What I'm 100% certain about. Starting off correctly, with the money, a building, a staff and a passion, would carry us. After the first year, the place would pay for itself, barring natural (or unnatural) disasters and the like. From my business plan, we would have the possibility of literally TRIPLING the 1st year's budget with income. You might not think that's possible, but I promise you, the 1st year would EASILY pay for year number 2 and possibly year number 3, and that's not counting advanced revenue for year number 2 at ALL.
I'm not flashing in the pan here, folks. I'm willing to make this my JOB. I'm willing to make this not only a reality, but my life.
I don't expect everyone to have that same passion. But I DO expect my friends, family, fellow theatre people, and business people; people I respect, to step up and stand against the firing squad with me.
The quicker folks realize that this can REALLY happen, the quicker it WILL happen.
-M
Mike.....DO IT! Take a deep breath and jump. Put together a group of like minded souls who will focus on only this and make it happen! I offer any kind of support I possibly can....I have gotten pretty da....daRNed good at renovation and construction and I happen to have my own tool belt. The idea of house flipping Evan suggested is perfect, we just did it and I am amazed at what a small budget and huge amount of passion can do. This is an idea whose time has come and it might just take, the prodigal son come home from his journey, to head it up and make it happen. I feel without a doubt that if you get it going, it will be successful. There are ways of generating funds for such a project but it has to start somewhere...IM thinking it starts with you my friend:) From the looks of the comments on this particular blog you already have a nice squadron to take those bullets with you and IM sure there are many more out there. Jump!
Tommy, I really agree with what you had to say.
Mike, I'm inspired every time I read one of your posts. This can really happen, and with so many committed people on board I believe it will.
I think that it would be crazy if people didn't agree to stand beside Mike. He is willing to devote his life to this...
He is making me question my own current artistic path.
Something really exciting is about to happen to theatre in Huntington. I can feel it.
It is pulling at my heart strings and making me think of the possiblities of going back there. Who knows maybe someday it will offer something for people like me who had to go to other places to fulfill their artistic cravings.
Like I said, I support you. And I would love to be of any help if I can.
Perhaps we question the idea of censorship because we are afraid to offend or push away a prospective viewing audience. I'm sure that if you weren't trying to attract the same supporting (paying) audience to support the "cause", censorship as it is for this discussion may not be neccessary. Finding a supporting receptive audience for edgy material may be difficult in the general tri-state area.
My idea is to take advantage of a potential opportunity after the Table Game vote takes place on August 11th in Kanawaha County. If the Table Game Issue is approved by Kanawaha County voters, an demanding audience, unique to the area, will present itself. The draw of tourists to the Gaming Center will allow the opportunity of a thriving theatre that will have a potentially edgier and more accepting audience of risque material.
Perhaps finding a location near the track and building or transforming a building near the track into a performing arts center could provide such an opportunity to become a reality. Sure, you'd drive 20-40 minutes further, but you would have REAL theatre opportunity with a tolerant audience. I'd make the drive. Tell me if I'm off base here.
Dave, I think the idea certainly has merit, but I'm not sure there's much crossover between the crowd looking to gamble and the crowd wanting to see a show. I think something like that could work in a complex of entertainment and gambling opportunities - lots of shows are running all the time in Vegas, of course. But what do I know - it might work!
I want to add a comment regarding promotion to this thread as it relates to what Scott was talking about on the other thread.
Being in the situation of both on the board of a theater organization and a manager of an advertising medium, I have a unique perspective on this subject.
Advertising ain't cheap...I could leave it at that, but I'll elaborate. Unless it's public broadcasting, like Rachel suggested, every advertising medium is a business. Television, newspaper, billboards, direct mail, flyers, posters, merchandise (such as pens, buttons, etc.), and the one nearest and dearest to my heart, radio. All of these businesses have one thing in common, their main source of revenue - the lifeblood that keeps their doors open, their lights lit, their employees paid, and their product, um, producing, is advertising. Advertising is a full 1/3 of any business model. If your customers/the public don't know who you are, what you do, and how to contact you, you're doing a disservice to them...and doing that isn't an inexpensive thing. You have to identify your customer base, learn their habits, and speak directly to them in language they understand. Well, I could on with Advertising 101 ad infinitum, but I digress...
You know what this blog does? It advertises all the goings-on in the local theater community. It's a free service paid for by the advertising that the Herald Dispatch generates. If the HD loses a large % of its advertising revenue stream for whatever reason, this blog will disappear.
It's all about $ and so is this theater company that we're discussing. If those of us that are discussing the creation of this entity don't have a good, rational, workable, sensible business model, it's going to be as successful as a Lindsay Lohan rehab stint.
Sorry to get off of topic here but it seems to be where the majority of the interested parties congregate, which is the purpose behind any advertising message.
Paul, some excellent comments, and scary ones, too. This blog could disappear? Don't even suggest such a thing! What would I do with all that free time? I shudder to think.
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