AMERICAN THEATRE: There was a time in Randy Taradash’s career where there wasn’t even a budget line item for digital advertising. Not only does the acting director of marketing and communications at American Conservatory Theater (ACT) now have that line item, Taradash (he/him) also may have to start considering a future with a line dedicated entirely to the marketing of his company’s streaming offerings. ACT is one of three theatres, alongside Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and Irish Repertory Theatre, who are the founding members of Broadway on Demand’s newly announced National Theatre Network.
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Initially when I saw this, I immediately thought, "The National Theater is going to open up their catalog for streaming? That's awesome!" and was amazingly disappointed when I found out that it's a different National Theater. I do love this idea, though. I am a huge advocate for making theater more accessible and a streaming platform feels like the perfect way to immortalize shows after closing night. The reason I was so excited for the possibility of a London National Theater streaming service is that there are a ton of shows produced by the National Theater on the West End that I would love to see, but mostly can't except for the odd case when the show transfers to New York. I simply do not have the time or money to see every show I'd like to see, so having them eventually available to me would be so exciting, and I think theaters could make a lot of money from it.
I think this is a really awesome concept and I hope that this really expands amongst many theaters going forward. At the moment, we are at a bit of a weird stage of determining when things will go back to “normal.” As with much in our lives as of late, it is extremely challenging to predict when it will be possible to have enough audience members to make a show profitable, but also to ensure that it is still safe. I am really glad there are several theaters who are now going to become a part of this network of streaming theaters, and I think it will serve them well both currently and also in the future. I think having shows available online for streaming first of all makes them so much more accessible, but also I think there is little fear that this will prevent individuals who can return to live theater from going back. I think this serves as another option of how to view theater and I am really excited to see the future of it.
I hope it is. One upside of the pandemic, which I have probably commented on before, is how accessible they’re making theatre in the process. A standard ticket price to a Broadway show, or even a touring production can easily make it to the $100 range. In fact, any ticket you can get your hands on for under $100 is considered cheap. That’s why, I haven’t seen as much live theatre as I’d like. I’ve only been able to budget and afford good show tickets as I’ve grown up and made my own money or somehow weaseled a connection that could get me a seat in the show. However, there is a certain magic to seeing a show live that is stripped when it is filmed and streamed for later consumption. But my opinion? Leave that luxury to those who can afford it, but make accessible, high quality, and legal (non-bootlegged) productions that anybody can watch or stream at a later date.
I think this is wonderful news. I think that the people who were interviewed here hit it right on the nose when they talked about this as an accessibility issue. There are so many reasons why people could not go to an in-person performance including disability, price, or geographic limitations. Something like this drops a lot of those barriers and makes it possible for theaters to expand their audience. I appreciate what Goyanes said about digital work being additive. While I think its cool to continue experimenting with new art forms, I also want a return to “traditional” theater. I want a sense of going back to the work we were doing that. At the same time, there is a lot of momentum in digital work right now, and if it is completely abandoned next season it will be difficult to pick it back up. I wonder if the creation of this network has alarm bells ringing at SAG-AFTRA. I hope that they do not make themselves to barrier to letting theater grow and reach new people.
Honestly, I love streaming theatre so much. When it is shot well I might even go so far as to say a filmed version of a live production comes close to replicating the true experience. I grew up watching the recording “Shrek: The Musical” on Netflix, the OG “Cats” movie, that one production of Phantom and the really grainy one of Into the Woods, so maybe I’m biased. But these recordings were so accessible and helped me fall in love with theatre even when I wasn't able to experience anything live. Of course, some of the magic is lost, but for the few productions that I have seen in person in addition to a recording, the experience is comparable. Obviously I would never want streaming theatre to completely replace live performances, but I do hope it becomes a lot more common for professional productions to get recorded. Personally, I don't see a downside. Especially after a production has closed, what do they have to lose by releasing a tape?
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