AMERICAN THEATRE: Satire is what closes on Saturday night, goes an old theatrical saw, and more recently we’ve heard from some quarters that theatregoers would rather not have politics mixed in with their entertainment. Well, if this year’s list of most-produced plays is any indication, TCG member theatres are banking that that’s not the case—or at least not entirely.
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I am not at all surprised by the top plays’ subjects. Art is often a reflection of society at the time, and we are in a continuously politically–charged climate. The social issues represented by the plays are a direct representation of some of the biggest conflicts in American society today. The number of plays produced by TCG theaters is low but expected. Covid recovery is still evident and in progress, as clearly shown by these numbers. It is still encouraging to see the increase in productions, however gradual it may be. It proves that audiences are still attending theater and want to attend, and that companies are putting in an effort to get back to pre-Covid numbers. The article’s author, Rob Weinert-Kendt, seems to share my hopeful attitude, ending his article with, “...they paint a picture of a sprawling and thriving American theatre, which we’re grateful to cover…” A hopeful article indeed.
I was interested to see what the list would be, as so much theater and art is made over a year, and to so to see the 10 top produced works might give you a look into the year, or just clue you into the popularity of the show. This list was definitely varied, which I found fascinating. It contains musicals like Cabaret, Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Beautiful: The Musical, however also plays such as What the Constitution Means to Me - that seem to comment on society at the present. I admit I was slightly surprised that What the Constitution Means to Me was first, I’ve seen the online recording of the production on amazon, however haven’t really had any discussions about the production since viewing it, so couldn’t quite gauge it’s viewership. I was also surprised in a similar way by Beautiful: The Musical. I love this musical, and was awestruck when I got to see it performed on Broadway. However it is on a rather specific topic, so I was interested to see it as #8 for most produced! Overall it was a thought-provoking list to direct, and very cool to see what was in the top 10!
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