Friday, March 20, 2020
It's curtains for theatre – but not, let us hope, for too long
Michael Billington | Opinion | The Guardian: How will society cope with the total shutdown of theatres for the foreseeable future? It will, one trusts, survive, but the effect of closures on the theatrical ecology will be potentially devastating. Productions will be jettisoned, people put out of work, institutions imperilled. Even the National Theatre, which is reasonably well-endowed, ultimately depends on the box-office: as its director, Rufus Norris, pointed out to me recently, only 15% of its income derives from subsidy.
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It is really sobering to read stories of theatre stopping in response to world events. The article addresses wartime closures and many people have made comparisons to more contemporary examples, like 9/11. I appreciate Michael Billington’s contemplation on what this closure means to him and to others. It is really unfortunate for these events to be unfolding in this manner, so many lives are being impacted on the strongest and most fundamental levels, let alone the ways in which the author depicts what we as a society lose without this artform. In times like these it is interesting to note that many people do in fact turn to artists through books or films or television. Some options exist to watch recorded theatre but it is troubling and difficult that the in-person experience is currently suspended, to the detriment of many people who have based their livelihood and careers on this.
The rate at which the United States and the world are entering a recession is very alarming, especially for a business which is almost entirely, if not entirely, stopped by pandemic. Theatres, which operate on very tight budgets anyway, and which suffer when economies suffer because it's viewed as non-essential for most people when the bottom line looms, are facing a two pronged threat that could severly hobble the industry for several years. Selfishly, I hope that the slump will be largley over in a few years when I graduate and enter the job market, but even that is increasingly in question. When the dust settles in (hopefully) a few months, thousands of small theatres accross the country could be so devestated that they are not able to immediately reopen, and even mid-sized and large theatres will likely have to reduce costs and personnel for a while while they get back up and running.
When I was in high school, my primary acting teacher described theatre as a math equation. A the actors, perform B, the script, for C, the audience members. Now that equation neglects a huge portion of theatre that involves technical elements but, she argued, that if one of those pieces of the equation is missing we do not have a theatre. Right now, C, from the equation is missing and it is proving to have a tremendous effect. The article talks about the fact that theatres are getting creative to combat the financial burdens that have come with the closure of theatres everywhere. However, there is a very real and genuine fear that some theatres will not be able to survive this time, or if they do that they will be unable to come back from this pause that has been taken. Now more than ever it is so important to support theatres and artists across the nation.
It is so tragic to hear about all the wonderful things that have to come to an end because of corona and especially theatre. In a time like this, everyone needs a little show and spectacle to make everyone feel better and the fact that we can’t even give that is truly heartbreaking. I can’t believe how many things had to be shut down and in such a short amount of time. All the hard work, money, and time people invested into these projects and productions don’t get to see the light and I’m so sad about it. At CMU, we’re dealing with the same problem, where productions were supposed to transition into tech and performances and now can’t continue so the public because of COVID-19. There isn’t one simple answer to this question and there is no solution to the problem other than trying to find alternatives in making sure that everyone’s hard work is seen and recognized and not just thrown out.
This article in particular seemed to echo the bit of hopelessness we feel in this whole situation. It was interesting to hear an article that focused on British theaters and the West End, because this situation is so wildly unbelievable that my brain tries to block out the fact that this is truly a global event. American theaters are not the only ones shutting down. This pandemic is affecting the entirety of the international theatre community which is truly a terrifying thing. Obviously, staying home and saving lives is number one priority right now, but it does make you wonder what is on the other end of this crisis. This is the first time in history that theaters will be dark for so long. We don’t even know when they will reopen. It is scary. But I believe in our community, and out of all times of darkness and struggle comes some really amazing art, so I am excited to see the changes this brings to the arts community as a whole, because I think it could be really amazing.
This is something that I have been thinking about more and more in recent days. Admittedly, the root of these thoughts are extraordinarily selfish: will the state of our world resolve itself in mere months to a point where I will be able to work at my internship this summer (maybe, but my worry wort brain leans more towards the negative as the days droll on). I am sure that others echo my root concern (at least I hope so, again for selfish reasons) but the near future of our industry is in serious question. We are entering a recession as quickly as I have seen in my lifetime and it is true that live entertainment is often disregarded as a “luxury” when finances are tight. While it does seem that a great majority of people are turning to television, streamed performances, etc. - all forms of art and entertainment - there is no promise of when these art forms will be allowed to resume making new content.
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