CMU School of Drama


Saturday, December 07, 2013

The next generation is finding new places to do theater.

The Producer's Perspective: Site specific and environmental theater has always been a “thing.” (I was one of the few that got to see Jonathan “Rent” Larson’s site specific JP Morgan Saves The Nation which was performed on the steps of a big bank downtown.)
But is it me, or do much higher profile productions seem to be finding their way into new and interesting spaces? And do more productions in traditional spaces seem to be using the spaces non-traditionally?

5 comments:

Doci Mou said...

I'd be curious to see a more formal study or data on this. On the one hand, it makes perfect sense that younger artists view art differently than the older generation and choose to reflect that in their creations. On the other hand, it also makes perfect sense that a younger audience seeks more unique representations of art that caters to what they experience. Maybe the digital world and the idea of technology has something to do with it, but I think what is more likely the case is that technology simply allows a more rapid dissipation of ideas. Ideas travel more quickly across the industry. And if something new gets rave reviews, its concept is bound to be copied elsewhere.

Theatre's always been a rather whimsical world. Maybe the younger generation is redefining that, and by definition, redefining the expectations of theatre as well.

Trent Taylor said...

Ive seen some cool productions in alternative spaces, but I dont really think that this is where the main part of the industry is going and i think it gets old pretty fast. Where I would like to see the industry go, is more the style of cirque du soleil and disney, where the designers are not just designing a show to be put into a theatre, but also designing the theatre itself. I find that this creates a truly immersive experience for the audience and really transports them to another world of the show, similarly to how the alternative space type theatre does, but in a much more high class way.

ZoeW said...

Non-traditional spaces are the wave of the future! Young people are always on their computers or phones and so they can be constantly immersed with flat entertainment. So when we go to the theater we want something that is more than the fourth wall we want to be inside of the action, we want to be the characters. Also young people who go to the theater are not going to see a show, they are going for an experience. They want something that they can tweet about something unique that they can't experience any other way and that's why shows that are interactive and unique do so well.

ZoeW said...

Non-traditional spaces are the wave of the future! Young people are always on their computers or phones and so they can be constantly immersed with flat entertainment. So when we go to the theater we want something that is more than the fourth wall we want to be inside of the action, we want to be the characters. Also young people who go to the theater are not going to see a show, they are going for an experience. They want something that they can tweet about something unique that they can't experience any other way and that's why shows that are interactive and unique do so well.

Cat Meyendorff said...

I agree with Zoe. I think that young people now are so used to instant gratification with their entertainment. I can watch any of thousands of movies or tv shows on Netflix whenever I want to, and I can find any song I want in a matter of seconds. It might be a generalization, but I really think that people of my generation have a much shorter attention span and if something doesn't grab our attention within the first few minutes, it never will. I think that that is part of what makes non-traditional spaces so popular now; it's an immediate point of interest for an audience member, rather than sitting in a proescenium theatre, waiting for the curtain to go up.