Monday, November 12, 2012
Howard Sherman: Repairing The Arts, After The Storm
huffingtonpost.com: Life and safety are most important. A place to live comes next. Then jobs, business, livelihoods. In the wake of the storm that just slammed New Jersey and New York, these are the priorities, first and foremost.
But it's my nature to turn to thoughts theatrical, and there's no question that every manner of live performance in the affected areas will feel a strong and lingering impact in the days and weeks -- perhaps months -- to come. Even venues that were spared any direct damage from the storm will have to grapple with having artists, staffs and audiences cut off from theatres for days; the minds of ticketholders and potential ticket buyers are not focused on their next evening out, but instead on the priorities of my first paragraph.
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8 comments:
Ive never thought about making my own veneers before. It doesnt seem too difficult from what they are saying, but Im sure practice and taking your time really help. Taking your time and testing everything is always a good rule of thumb, but really would matter in this case. Its interesting that they tell you to make sure you remember the grain direction. I wouldnt expect it to be that hard to remember the grain direction or that it would be that difficult to notice.
I know that it takes a lot to close down Broadway, but at the same time I believe that NYC was underwater and in really crappy and dangerous shape. The quote "the show must go on" I do not believe accounts for the lives of the audience members! As for reopening Broadway and off Broadway for me that was always the sign that the city was back in action. Broadway especially looses A LOT of money when they can not open. Shows that sell for hundreds of dollars a ticket are often sold out, I can not imagine having to deal with that chaos. Especially because downtown new york was totally flooded. The East Village (were a lot of off-off Broadway spaces are) was completely blocked off, not to mention impossible to get to by public transportation.
Yes, the industry is suffering in the areas hit by the storm. Employees can't come to work, electricity is/was out in some area, etc. But that's happening all across the board. Yes, broadway shutting down is a big deal, but so were all the other major companies that shut down because of the storm. It's just part of the aftermath of a disaster such as this. This article mentions that people aren't wanting to come out to the theatre right now. That may be true, but once everyone's top priorities are in order, what will they want to do to distract themselves from the unforgiving natural world we live in? Duh, they'll want to be entertained, to have a happy ending for once. They'll come to the theatre!
The last paragraph of this article is bothersome to me. I know that for the most part, the author is arguing that the internet community is being too harsh on the fact that Broadway is closed down due to the hurricane, and that everyone needs to be more sensitive to the very real safety issues and the damaging effects of the closing that everyone has to deal with. So then why does it close on such a false note? "Let's also look to the arts to help us rebuild." He should have stuck with his original point which is that these spaces need to totally reconfigure themselves before they can even invite an audience to come back. Theaters that are able to are already giving back, we don't need to be urging the arts to help rebuild. The Public in NY is holding free performances for victims as are many other capable venues around the city. But first let's concentrate on getting the theaters to a place where they are not going to be physically dangerous to attend.
This article really opened my eyes to all the serious repercussions from the recent storms in New Jersey and New York. To think of all the people out of work and how many others have been effected is mind boggling. Then you have to think about all the people that have planned trips to New York. Plane tickets bought, hotels booked, show tickets purchased, are all losses for these people. Of course the safety and lives of all involved are the most important things, but on a personal note, I tend to think like the author. I don't want Broadway and all the other arts to suffer. I think if we all think about this and try hard to support the arts in the midsts of all this tragedy, we will be back on track sooner than later.
Taking the time and money to go to an arts event can do wonders for a person. I think people should take the time and spend money out in the arts even after the storm. Yes, people need to repair their homes, but two hours of escaping from what just happened will be good for anybody's mental well being. In addition the arts are not just used for human to find and define aesthetics but as a way for use to communicate. You never know that, what may seem to be a simple comedy, could in the end give you hope and look forwards to the future.
It saddens me to know that this storm has potential to hurt the theatre business. It's difficult to deal with these disasters and even think about going to see a show. Being from Florida, I experience hurricanes every so often and I know that the damages caused by them really affect your daily routines and any other event you plan on going to. I hope that people will be able to get help soon enough that their personal problems are somewhat resolved and I hope that businesses, including the theatre businesses, will be able to get back on their feet in the near future.
It is rather overwhelming to think of all of the money lost every night Broadway is dark. Not only is there the cost of all of the combined ticketsales, there are many other charges such as rental fees and salaries, and lost sources of revenue from concessions and merchandise sales. With Sandy, many theatres have not only lost money on missed performances, but they have also accrued damages to equipment and property that must be fixed. Broadway rarely goes dark. In recent history it has only closed for two days after 9/11, two days over hurricane Irene, and now three days for hurricane Sandy. Any internet criticism of Broadway’s closure must be woefully misinformed about the gravity of the situation. It would be a serious health and safety hazard for the actors, crew, and audience alike to keep Broadway lit. That being said, the re-opening of Broadway is important as it is an integral symbol of NYC that is vital to maintaining a sense of normalcy.
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