Value Of Theatre ReduxAs
part of yesterday's
extraor-dinary online discussion of the value that theatre represents, I failed to mention that
I love theatre.
It's fun.
It's exhilarating.
It's magical.
It's three dimensional.
It's the one opportunity where you can come eyeball to eyeball with your favorite actor, or discover a new one before they flit off to television or the movies.
It's a bridge to expanding your imagination.
It's unlike anything else.
It's live.
It's a powerful community unlike any other:
Theater For The Future,
Rat Sass,
Theatre Ideas,
Parabasis,
The Next Stage,
Theatre is Territory,
Freedom Spice In the New Mash-Up World,
Mike Daisey,
An Angry White Guy In Chicago,
Bite & Smile,
That Sounds Cool,
A Rhinestone World,
GreyZelda Land,
On Theatre And Politics,
The Devil Vet,
Play Out The Play,
West End Journal,
Gratuitous Violins,
Adventures In The Endless Pursuit Of Entertainment,
About Last Night,
All About Musicals,
Artsy Schmartsy,
Broadway & Me,
Broadway Undercover,
City Slicker,
Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals,
Full Force Theater Musings,
I'm Ted Green,
Interval Drinks,
Just Shows To Go You,
Man In Chair,
Mid Hudson Valley Theater Blog,
Modern Fabulousity,
Pixeltheatre,
Show Showdown,
Stage Notes,
The Clyde Fitch Report,
The Lunar Gemini,
Theatre Snobbery At Its Finest,
The Playgoer,
The Stephen Mosher Blog,
The Theatergoer,
The Wicked Stage,
Things You'll Learn To Love About Me,
Third Row, Mezzanine,
West End Whingers,
What's Good/What Blows In New York Theatre,
among what I'm certain is many, many more!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:"What Is The 'Value' Of Theatre?" (March 19, 2008)
Labels: Blogs, Special Messages, Theatreforte, Value of Theatre
"What Is The 'Value' Of Theatre?"Did you know that today is the International Value of Live Theatre Day?
Well, not because of any proclamation from the
United Nations or individual governments around the world. It's because Matt Slayer of
Theatreforté has reached around the globe to at least 40 theatre bloggers in Australia, Europe and North America,
asking us to join in solidarity today and write about the value that theatre affords individuals who wouldn't typically identify themselves as theatregoers.
My personal value statement regarding theatre has been posted on my home page ever since I began writing Steve On Broadway (SOB) nearly two years ago. And it's relatively simple:
As someone who has been involved in both politics and public relations, it's no wonder I love watching theatre. Good or bad, it's the raw energy of seeing a live performance that gets my adrenaline pumping. From the moment I saw my very first Broadway show (Annie in London in 1979), I was hooked. Now I see as many as 70 shows each year ranging from soaring musicals to two-hander plays. And these eyes just may be in an audience near you!
Whether you identify yourself as a theatregoer or not, I would bet money that you enjoy being entertained. Right? I mean, who
doesn't? Entertainment is one of life's greatest pleasures.
Most of us have our own favorite television show. Just about everyone can identify their most beloved film. And a sizeable number of us remain mesmerized by a fascinating book. They all entertain and inform us with their storytelling genius, making our lives a little richer for the experience. In that regard, theatre is in the same league.
But the beauty of live theatre is the communal aspect of the shared entertainment experience. Sure, we can sit down to watch television with our friends, and we can certainly enjoy the same movie with an audience of strangers. But live theatre is the one singular opportunity we have to enjoy the telling of a story that evolves from one night to the next, often due to the audience's response to the magic and artistry being performed
live and in front of us.
When I recently saw
August: Osage County for my second time, I had an opportunity afterwards to chat with
Amy Morton,
Rondi Reed and
Mariann Mayberry. Separately, each told me how well my audience responded and helped fuel their performances even further. There's an unbelievable amount of power that resides with the audience that simply doesn't exist in television, movies or books.
There's also the air of danger in seeing a live performance. As much as the cast and crew hope and pray nothing goes wrong, the mere possibility that it could simply takes my breath away. And when something indeed happens, such as a missed cue or a flubbed line or a
flipped wig, well, isn't that what ultimately transforms our unique experience into something all the more memorable?
Sure, live theatre may be one of the oldest forms of entertainment, but it also remains the most vibrant, innovative and daring.
It's why when given a choice, I'll happily make my way to a live performance any day. There's nothing else quite like it on earth.
UPDATE (March 19, 2008, 4:45 p.m. EDT): It should be noted that the following bloggers around the world are participating in this incredible discussion. I invite you to visit their sites as well to learn what they believe the value of theatre is:Theater For The Future,
Rat Sass,
Theatre Ideas,
Parabasis,
The Next Stage,
Theatre is Territory,
Freedom Spice In the New Mash-Up World,
Mike Daisey,
An Angry White Guy In Chicago,
Bite & Smile,
That Sounds Cool,
A Rhinestone World,
GreyZelda Land,
On Theatre And Politics,
The Devil Vet,
Play Out The Play,
West End JournalGratuitous Violins,
Adventures In The Endless Pursuit Of EntertainmentAs I learn of other bloggers posting on this topic, I'll add them to this mini-blog roll.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Blogs, Community Experience, Theatreforte, Value of Theatre
