Monday, March 19, 2007
Can't iPod it. Can't TiVo it. Theater is live. And you get to share it.
Los Angeles Times: "I hear 'The theater is dead' almost as often as 'God is dead.' I hear 'People can't afford to go to the theater.' 'People don't wanna drive!' So why would anyone sit down to write 'Act One, Scene One' — especially in a town where you could make real money writing 'Int. L.A. Starbucks — Day'? Who in their right mind would do it?"
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6 comments:
I think this article is very admirable in its message. It’s nice to see someone protest that the theatre is not dead, and what makes it special is its live aspect. But I disagree with the title a bit, considering there are pirated copies of Broadway musicals and plays floating allover the internet. So, you could potentially have it on your i pod. I mean I don’t, but, just saying.
THERE WAS AN INTERVIEW OF THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THE REALY USEFUL GROUP (I FORGET HIS NAME...) I READ A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. HE MENTIONED THE EFFORT PEOPLE HAVE TO PUT TO GO ALL THE WAY TO THE THEATER IS NOT A WEAKNESS OF THE THEATRE, BUT IT IS THE STRENGTH THAT DISTINGUISHES IT FROM THE OTHER MEDIUM. THE FILM INDUSTRY DID NOT DIE BECAUSE OF THE TELEVISION AND INTERNET. THEATER HAS SURVIVED CENTURIES. SEEING THAT THEATER IS NO WHERE CLOSE TO BEING DEAD ANY TIME SOON.
I agree with what this author is saying because even though there is televised versions of shows and things on the internet because, when looking at a recording, something is lost from that live experience. Perhaps it is the fact that watching it with an audience adds to the emotional effect and causes greater emotion and that human experience isn't something which can be recorded.
This is a great article. I am totally on the side of the Author in regards to wanting to create theatre that makes people argue in the parking lot. I have always been really interested in our government and it's affect on the rest of the world, I would love to get involved in theatre that is determined to make peopel THINK.
The author makes some valid points, but I wouldn't be so quick to knock the increasing amount of technology Americans deal with on a daily basis. As theatre artists, tv and film is a completely different realm in which we can apply our skill set, already tailored, for the most part, for this industry as well. The internet is starting to play a growing role in theatre, from e-mails to advertisements to ticket sales to pirated videos.. we as theatre artists need to become aware of the role of the internet in what we are doing if we stand a fighting chance in the future..x
I think that the idea behind this article is nice, but the only problem I have with it, is that it sounds more like an ad for this playwrite than anything else. "Hey, look at how my play affected people, you should pay me royalties to do it," is about all I really hear coming from her. Maybe if there were some outside examples like, "I say Hamlet and it convinced me not to murder my king brother," (but in a realistic way), then this probably would have been more convincing.
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