Crossing the Footlights: Theatre and the Public

"You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete."
--R. Buckminster Fuller

Admittedly, The Savannah Dramaturgy stole that quote from Theatre Ideas, but it is fitting to our topic nonetheless. Conventional wisdom is that the theatre is dying. Of course, according to that same wisdom, it has been dying for almost four thousand years. It is, in quite simple economic terms, unwieldy. Take into consideration, for example, the resource input, in terms of manpower alone, for a production of Death of a Salesman. Even if, during a three-week run, this piece is a smashing success and fills its 500 seat auditorium, that is still a fraction of the total audience exposure compared to a comparable piece of cinema.

Quite simply, the theatre cannot compete with cinema and television in terms of sheer numbers. The march of technology, along with the need to pay theatrical artists a living wage, has made that impossible. Instead, the theatre must offer a substantial qualitative difference from these other two art forms. While volumes have been written about the specific power of live performance, and this article does not attempt to deny said power, this power is but a fraction of the possible qualitative difference that the theatre can offer to patrons.

The remainder of this difference, in my opinion, is where the concept of local theatres in various cities becomes involved. Theatre companies looking to be truly competitive need to reach out across the footlights and grasp the hands of the community as a whole. Indeed, the community needs to feel somehow involved with the theatre company, to develop a relationship, in order that they may then begin to look out for the welfare of the company.

This locality is the very heart of the qualitative difference between the theatre and film. The average film, while it will reach far more people, stands less of a chance of building a strong relationship with an audience that counts than an organized local theatre company. Films, made wherever taxes are cheapest and shipped to all corners of the Earth, can tend to be impersonal and lack a real connection to the community in which they are filmed. Take, for example, Glory. This piece ostensibly took place, primarily, in Boston. Yet it was filmed right here in Savannah, GA.

Theatre, on the other hand, is forced to be local. Unless one is dealing with a bus or truck tour, theatre is irrevocably rooted to the city in which it is located. And, in order to be their most effective, they must acknowledge and act as if they are beholden to their community. This means, and this may be something of a shock to many thespians, crossing the footlights and living in the community. This can take many forms, from partnership with local business to participation in civic events to simply cutting the locals a deal to ensure they can afford the best.

Benefits from such engagement run two ways. Not only does the community have the advantage of brightly plumaged birds (artists) that help to raise property values and general quality of llife, but also it has access to quality entertainment that is truly their own. One of the louder laments from the critics of the Regional theatre is that these institutions are often maintained as an object of civic pride, as opposed to artistic merit. However, what city would boast a shallow theatre? But the theatre itself also benefits, and not only financially. It has an engaged audience that, if fostered properly, will support the organization in taking certain artistic leaps.

However, all this is only possible if the theatre takes the initiative. Unfortunately, thespians are creatures of immense inertia. Indeed, Frank Rutledge once told his theatre history class, "The reason theatre people do certain things is because that is the way things are done in the theatre." Essentially, one can become so isolated that one becomes detached from the audience. To become so is to forget the most important of the collaborators, the audience. So, The Savannah Dramaturgy reissues its challenge to the city of Savannah and the theatrical community. Link up, all will be the better for it.