Saturday, October 22, 2011
Blue
2AMt: I suspect that, for many working in the arts, the weekday matinee is no man’s land. I’m not suggesting that we don’t operate them, or deal with them, but I do wonder the last time any of you have had occasion to attend one as a member of the audience. After all, we’re usually too busy working in the arts to go to a Wednesday matinee, and it’s probably something we instinctively avoid, given the opportunity. Why? I suspect it is because of our ingrained aversion to the blue hairs.
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4 comments:
I have to say that before this article I hadnt ever heard the term "Blue" for those that are elderly and specifically attend matinees. I knew that it was a term for the elderly, but I hadnt heard of it solely referring to theatre. In that respect I completely agree with the author, in that, it is not at all fair to adhere stigmas to those who are our seniors. He is right in that most of that demographic attend these performances because they love what we do, for the art of it. In that case these are people who went and saw theatre 50 years ago. How awesome would that have been? And then to be the ones that can treat them to the work now, I can only imagine how it can be amazing and disappointing at the same time. What would be even cooler is that if some of those patrons were apart of the biz way back when and knew what idiosyncrasies to look for in the way that theatre has changed over the course of 50 years. So no, I dont think that people should look down on their audience for being older. In a way they should respect them even more, because they were probably attending theatre and developing a love for it, before we were born.
Saying that the audience is older is just another way of complaining that they're different. When the complaints are about something a person has no control of like age it's not all that far from complaining about race, religion, or many other things. If an older audience needs extra accommodations then perhaps that's something to be concerned with, or if they as a group are disruptive during the performance then that's also something to deal with, but when you're there to watch what goes on in front of you on the stage instead of what's happening in the seats next to you, as long as they don't disrupt the performance for you then why would it matter who they are?
Unless an audience is actively disrupting a performance, there's never really any reason to complain about an audience. I could care less who I'm sitting next to in the theater. Having weekday matinees in addition to regular performance times allows for a wider range of people to see a show which is always positive, as the show can reach and have an effect on more people. The elderly are just a section of society like any other. Having different demographics in any audience certainly can change the reception of a show, but that's to be expected and is not a negative factor. It is part of a performer's job to connect with the audience, and there's no reason a whole group of society should be cut out from that. Unfortunatley, I've heard these sorts of agist complaints in the theater before, and frankly I find them intolerable. I hope to go to the theater for as long as possible and there's no reason to disrespect older patrons.
I have heard some people complain that seniors tend to be traditionalists and lack appreciation for some of the more modern productions. However, I have trouble believing that the generation that brought so many cutting edge productions to light in the 1960's are the same people that tend to be critical of new things now. I think the stigma exists not in the audience, but only in the minds of those who want to look for a reason to complain. If we do our jobs well, the audience will appreciate the work, no matter what their age. Theater in my mind involves bringing people together, not alienating any one segment of our society.
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