Saturday, October 10, 2009
Broadway’s Next Finale - Talk-Backs at Shows Like ‘Oleanna’
NYTimes.com: "As it was last spring, Broadway is now virtually glutted with new productions: eight plays and three musicals opening over a 31-day period. And as they did last spring, producers are offering an increasingly common bonus — post-performance talk-backs between audiences and the actors — in hopes of standing out from the crowd and perhaps selling more tickets."
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5 comments:
I think talk backs can be a really great way to interact with your audiences. People want to know how things work and want to have answers to the questions they have left at the end of the night. The last talk back I went to was at Steppenwolf after The Tempest. I was expecting maybe an actor or someone from the artistic team of some kind to come out and answer questions but instead it was the Artistic Director of the theatre which was disappointing. He had trouble answering questions and I found the talk made me more unhappy than I would have been if I hadn't stayed. There are pros and cons to these kind of things but I think it's great that the theatre community is trying to reach out to audiences and give them a little glimpse of the inside of our world.
It's wonderful that these productions are including talk backs. Not only does it intensify interest in a show, but it can also make audience members want to come back and see it again, to apply the new ideas they have. Also it allows for the play's message to be expanded upon, deepening the emotional reaction from the audience.
I wish more shows could have these sort of talk backs, and I think that the format of the talkbacks should definitely be like Oleanna's. I think the purpose of having a talkback is so that the audience can learn a bit about the concepts behind the production and how the process of creating the production. I like that the producers of Oleanna brought in a number of outside people, including a criminal defense lawyer, to help with the discussion because I think that could enhance the audience's experience and understanding of the show. I think talkbacks are important because they make the experience of going to a new show so much more meaningful and educational, and ultimately the audience will connect more with the production team and the ideas behind the show much more than they would by merely watching the performance and then leaving.
This should become a routine part of Broadway productions. They work best with a wide variety of artists contributing to the talk--directors, actors, designers, etc. As long as the artists have prepared and the audience has a strong interest in the performance, each session should be really intriguing and informative. It generates interest and sheds light on pieces.
Talk backs are a wonderful way to generate interest for the production, in particular for a show like Oleanna that creates so much controversy. A record number of couples break up after sitting through a production of "Oleanna" so I'd imagine the talk backs are quite heated and an excellent marketing strategy on the part of the producers.
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