This is the state of the industry, isn't it? Well, no. Over the past couple of years, alongside the blossoming of creative and digital content, a steady shift in show production is taking place. Forced initially by pinched budgets, the opportunities for rethinking the design, material flow and aesthetics of production are inspiring a whole new approach.
5 comments:
This is a really great article, and a wonderful followup to the article "Broadway Expands Its Green Practices to Theaters Across the U.S." This is a delineation of very feasibly, very accessible ways to make a significant contribution to the "greening" of theatre. Very simple strategies that make enormous amounts of difference. While not all of these techniques can be utilized in the vast array of productions, at least a few are well within the reach of most performances. Even a play that is produced in the woods can benefit from the reuse of sets and costumes. And, of course, while you have a captive audience, just about any performance can foster change by speaking to their audience about conservation. Recycle your programs, at the very (very) least.
I'm all for green arts, but I don't think that these tips are a good idea. Most of these tips are not very specific for theatre. I think that they will all be very green when used in theatres, but I don't think it will be very good for the theatres. Almost all of these ten tips are more expensive then the alternatives. This is a real problem for theatre. Although some theatre is very profitable, most is not. For example small city theatres and regional theatres are non profits and don't make enough money to start with. Most of their income is not from sales, but from donations. I would find it hard to ask for donations to do theatre and then not be able to do as much theatre as I could with the money I was given, because I was buying more expensive materials. Or even worse I can imagine a theatre trying out these tips and spending far more money then they can make and thus going bankrupt. Being green is a very important thing, but we must not just jump in to it with out caution.
Yay for Sholeh Johnston’s concise and non-intimidating list of how to feasibly implement effective environmental sustainability measures! I would add make beverage container recycling a no-brainer. (While this is not listed in the article, the downloadable Sustainable Production Guide from Julie’s Bicycle does address this.) How many times have I attended an event where there was no place to deposit the plastic cups, water bottles, etcetera except into the trash? How hard would it be to have a separate container for recycling? This one particular example is such an easy solve, and for that reason drives me crazy when the simple gesture is not implemented. (I have often simply taken said beverage container home with me to recycle myself, or my guilt for not doing so.)
I basically disagree with Akiva’s comments. Some of Johnston’s tips may be more expensive, but most of what is suggested simply requires awareness, planning, and creative thinking.
Green theater seems to be a very tricky subject. How do you make something cheap, while at the same time making it green. I think definitely for our school setting, there are a lot of steps we could take to make our shows more sustainable...but out in the industry it is harder and much more expensive to act on these notions. I think there are more steps that the theater building itself could do to make the overall show experience and setting more green. These thoughts go as far back to the design of the theater and finding ways to make the building itself more sustainable. I think architects can think about how to make the building itself more sustainable (ie solar panels, recycling, etc). Overall, there are so many steps to think about when trying to make a show more sustainable.
This article doesn't tell us what we don't already know.
There are lot's of ways that this industry can become more sustainable, but the majority of them are expensive and/or unfamiliar.
The issue is that theatre is about getting things done fast and cheap, with good results. Experimenting with new materials is perhaps something that we can do at the university level and maybe in regional theatre, but the majority of commercial shop environments are pretty set in their ways, and know how to work well with the materials that they have.
The other major issue is that there is no real incentive for theaters to switch to more sustainable practices and materials. Very few incentives exist, and most green materials are either more expensive or inferior to their less sustainable counterpart.
Theatre will become more sustainable, but I don't think this green movement is going to hit us for another few years. I am looking forward to it.
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