Thursday, January 21, 2016
What if every DC tourist saw a play?
2AMt: This post may skate on the edge of self-promotion, because I am going to be drawing attention to a brief e-book I’ve co-authored; but I have a good story to tell about how this book is an example of the kind of unconventional theatre promotion we need more of. This is much more a “Steal this idea!” pitch than a “Buy my book!” pitch.
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6 comments:
This business model definitely should be applied to beyond just the DC theatre scene. In general, regional theatres need to apply themselves in a way that make them must-see tourist destinations. Whether it's just getting their name out there to these guidebooks, or whatever it is they need to do to up their promotion, it's about time that theatres get recognized as important destinations in all major cities across the U.S. I think it's an absolutely brilliant idea for someone within the theatre scene to be writing the guidebook in the first place, because it makes it so much easier to include that self promotion when you're the one who is literally writing the guidebook for tourists. I also didn't really know that guidebooks were going up in popularity. I guess it makes sense, as people are becoming less interested in tourist spots and are becoming more interested in the local favorites, but that idea is definitely something to hang out to and something to pay attention to the next time I travel.
This reminds me of the article last week about opening up theater festivals to a broader audience, because it represents the idea that theater is not just for cultured art-lovers but can be part of a fun evening. To me, this idea makes so much sense because it breaks down the barriers that some people think separate them from theater because they're not cultured enough. By presenting it as a normal, enjoyable activity rather than one reserved for people who "like that kind of thing"-- the elusive elite theater-goers-- I think it changes the general attitude toward theater as a whole. Breaking down stigmas begins with normalizing the stigmatized thing, and this guide presents theater-going as a normal datenight activity. I'm interested to see how this plays out in the DC area, and hopefully other regions will adopt this idea as well. I think if enough people start thinking about theater this way, not only will attendance go up but the general attitude towards performing arts could change.
I very much agree with this article. Being from the D.C. area, I have grown up on the excellent regional theatre that is offered there. However, I often see that many people don’t realize the number and professionalism of theatre's in D.C. One point that the author brings up is that people often look for things to do at night because what D.C is famous for (museums, national monuments) often close before night time really sets in. So I hope that it becomes a thing for tourists to see a show at night. This also brings to light how there are many other cities where the theatre industry thrives other than in New York City. The most well known, I feel, is Chicago, but there are many others as well. Theatre can easily become a thing that people do and see in their hometowns, not just that one broadway show when people visit New York.
Though I do question some of the very bold assumptions about non-traditional theatre goers made by the article, I am inclined to agree. My favorite quote from this piece, “The worthiness speaks to the audience we have. The enjoyability may need to be shown to the audiences we want.” This really gets to the core of why I think theatre audiences are shrinking and long-term patronage is dying (both literally and figuratively). A huge cultural divide exists between the baby-boomer generation, which regularly attends theatre, and the millennial generation, which seeks gratification and pleasure. Utilizing “enjoyability” in a directed attempt to bring this younger generation into the theatre seems very apt and logical. I think there might be an element of ‘preachiness’ to the dogma of ‘how important this piece is to theatre’ versus a more relatable and enjoyable; ‘you can do this as an intermediary activity between dinner and drinks, and you might enjoy it because of this.’ The millennial generation does not want to be told what is good for them, or what they should be doing, or what is culturally significant. They want to experience life and find these things for themselves. Experiences are what they desire, and this approach provides for a nighttime experience that is not clubbing or partying.
This article raises a variety of good, valid points pertaining to not only DC theatre culture, but theatre culture as a whole. One of the dangers that comes with many of the arts is that potential audience members are daunted by the insular nature of the so called "art world". Then there is the catch-22 of someone new to the theatre scene wanting (of course) to see something good, but not knowing yet how to evaluate something as good. I think this book and organization's movement to normalize going to the theatre, and remove some of the walls put up by the assumption of high brow condescension towards those less knowledgeable of theatre, is critical to both the evolution and survival of theatre. Sure, everyone knows the Kennedy Center. But for an area so saturated with high-quality performances, DC provides a veritable wonderland of places to enter and further broach the world of theatre.
I think this author is definitely onto something with this model of a date night. By including seeing a play an addition to a fun night out he can appeal to those who usually wouldn't even think to go see a show. I've been to DC a handful of times with my family, and every time we've been theatre wasn't even on our radar. We would always go see the monuments and museums and go to nice restaurants, but never to the theatre. I think a lot of people, including myself, sometimes forget that almost every American city has some sort of a theatre scene. Having a guide like this that appeals not only to couples, but to families would also be a great way to both sell copies and sell tickets. Theatre tends to seem closed off to those who aren't usually a part of it, so by increasing popular appeal in this way more people will be able to fall in love with it.
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