At Company One Theatre, these social events are built into the mission.
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Company One Has A Social Network All Its Own
At Company One Theatre, these social events are built into the mission.
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4 comments:
What a smart and unique mission for a theatre company. Many theatre companies are incorporating events that are meant to attract people aged 35 and under. However, this company is inviting their audiences of all ages into the room with the artists to not only discuss and observe, but also to socialize and interact with. As some of the patrons described in the article, of all the theatre companies in Boston, this is the one "they are devoted to." This company's structure and the feedback presented in this article may foreshadow the direction many theatre companies should be heading towards. What makes Company One unique, however, is the fact that these social events are an essential part of their mission. While most theatre companies out there are creating work specifically for their audiences, perhaps we need to acknowledge that audiences do not only want to be audiences any more. In our day and age of technology and constant communication through social media, theatre companies are going to start having to incorporate not only enticing advertisements on social media, but also begin implementing human to human interaction between the performers and patrons.
I'm really drawn to this idea. I think that this is such a simple thing in general but I also find it very innovative at the same time. It feels like they're stepping outside of what it means to go out for a night to see a production. It could mean that you sit down, get a playbill, watch the show, and leave. Or it could mean you sit down, get a playbill, watch the show, and then play acting games with the cast. It's honestly quite funny how simple it is yet so effective because it honestly really does make me even more interested in going out and supporting a theatre that does work like this. Not to mention how effective this is as a marketing tool to younger people who have an alternative perspective on how exciting it is to go out to the theatre.
It's unique (although increasingly less so) to see a theater where audience engagement is a central part of their mission rather than an afterthought thrown out in the hope of widening their audience base. The thing is, audience engagement only truly works if it is embedded in the way that the company runs and the production itself. Audiences can tell the difference between a theater focused on the community and a theater focused on drawing the community in. Audience engagement is a funny animal because it needs to appeal to a wide range of people, something that Company One has clearly understood, but each event also needs to be something specific that people can actually connect to, so it cannot just be a general post-performance talkback onstage. Those are fine, and they do work, but they do not appeal to any niche other than theater-goer, and they are increasingly going out of style because they are impersonal and old-fashioned. However, you can't solve every problem with a "bar night with cast", which is the type of event that a lot of theaters are moving towards. Fine too, but it cannot be the only offering either. Basically, you have to offer a bunch of varied opportunities that connect to the performance, the theater and the people attending in varying degrees of active involvement. It's not easy, but making it an important aspect of the organization's work is a great way to ensure that the focus is on creating and nurturing a relationship about theaters in settings that allow some to be more comfortable than in an audience seat, and allow others to step out of their comfort zone into a different type of experience.
I’m so happy to see an article about Company One! I live near Boston, and my friend who just graduated from Emerson for Stage Management worked at Company One on several productions. I saw their shows “Astroboy” and “She Kills Monsters”, and I absolutely loved both productions. Upon first seeing the small size of the theater (verging on black box), and its strange location in a very not-recognizable-as-a-theater building, i was a bit skeptical about what the quality of the show was going to be, but i was totally blown away. “She Kills Monsters” managed to pack a huge action-adventure videogame-fantasy storyline into a small space in a very reasonable amount of time, and they achieved the magical creature effects using puppetry and movable scenery. “Astroboy” was definitely my favorite that I saw, and one of the first shows I’ve seen that, in my opinion, used media in a completely innovative, creative, and effective way, combining with the scenery and actors flawlessly. I think Company One is a great example of a company that is able to be successful in making experimental new productions without crazy huge spectacle or a large amount of space. I hadn’t heard before of the post- show social gatherings the company does, but I think it definitely makes sense in considering the audience they attract and their devotion to interactive experiences. At the production of “Astroboy” I saw, directly after the show they hosted a short talk with the actors and creative team, where they discussed how they achieved some of the crazy well-timed ensemble work and what their rehearsal process was like, which was super interesting as someone who always wants to know what goes on behind the scenes. I think it’s super important, especially at this point in society, for theater companies to make the effort to involve their audiences in their work in unorthodox ways, not just through a proscenium.
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