Further Thoughts on Community-Based Dramaturgy

Recent reports received while I was speaking to some folks who had attended the recent production of Pirates of Penzance at the newly revitalized Asbury Memorial Theatre has recently brought my thoughts back around to the prospect of Community-based dramaturgy.

However, we here at The Savannah Dramaturgy would like to apologize for our recent lack of writing and output. The pressures of a feverish job hunt on the part of the chief editor, along with the duties currently executed in his positionas Temporary Theatre Instructor at AASU, have negatively impacted general output. It is our hope that we can push through this and return to our serviced to the Savannah theatrical community.

Digression aside, one of the most telling points regarding this recent production is the sheer volume of attendance. Informal reports give the attendance at a couple hundred spectators, with a fairly healthy level of ticket sales. The chief question is, at this point, from whence come all of these enthusiastic theatregoers?

It comes down to the difference between accidental and integral audience. These concepts, coming from Richard Schechner's book Performance Theory, can help to explain some of Asbury's level of success. This measure controls, first of all, for artistic quality. Having not seen Pirates it is difficult, if not impossible, for The Savannah Dramaturgy to judge the merits of the performance itself. And the adage of "support local awesome" only comes into play if the performance fills both criteria. So assume, for the purposes of the discussion here, that this production most certainly does fulfill the "local" and "awesome" standard.

But consideration of the nature of the audience itself is where our theatrical community will find the most benefit in this discussion. As illustrated by Schechner, the integral and accidental audience hold only one thing in common. They both come to see the show. As this seems to be one of the biggest challenges faced by budding theatres, it is the one best considered for future health. Quite simply, the accidental audience comes to see the show on something of a lark. They pay for their tickets looking only to be entertained or engaged on some level. They are, at the end of the day, no less important the other audience members, but attracting them is a matter of marketing and market forces in an already busy tourist city.

The second form of audience, the integral audience, comes to see the show out of some form of obligation to the production itself. This is not to indicate any level of active coercion, or lack of interest in the show as entertainment/engagement, but simply the relationship of the audience to the production. The integral audience consists of those who have some form of substantive relationship to the community and project (family members, friends, parishioners, drama critics, etc.). Their attendance can, to a certain level, be assured.

I would submit that the box office success of the Asbury production, as opposed to other productions of comparable quality, may have a great deal to do with this form of audience typing. Asbury's relationship to the Savannah community generally, vis a respected worship congregation, helps to build an integral audience for their productions as there are a number of people external to the performing arts community that have an interest in the success of the production. Similar in impulse is the university summer production that takes care to cast a significant number of local children, knowing that casting little Jimmy will sell at least on ticket to Jimmy's mom, Dad, auntie, and all four grandparents. There is a vested interest, and the seeing of the production becomes an event in itself. Again, this is not to denigrate Asbury's artistic achievement, but to explicate (in part) the healthy attendance.

Such an example should provide effective tutelage to those aspiring thespians in our community. Theatre exists to serve the community around it, and as such one should engage with the community in the attempt to create an integral audience base. Asbury aside, one can also see the beginnings of this in the current vitality of Savannah's Indigo Arts, building interest in the performing arts as an endeavour in itself and key to the good life.

So, thespians, seek to embedd yourselves in the community, as then there will be far more interest in your success. Bowling alone may be the general modus operandi, but it is simply not sustainable.