MILWAUKEE SHAKESPEARE CLOSING ITS DOORS

[MatthewShiner]

Not to mention the number of Broadway shows closing.

Theatre is needing to reinvent itself.

[Scott (formerly Digga)]

And all of the theatrical productions turning into movies is definitely not helping either.  I'm sure the film version of Doubt will be good but as more plays go to film - audiences will stop seeing it as necessary to see the live version when they can own the DVD at home.

[MatthewShiner]

And all of the theatrical productions turning into movies is definitely not helping either.  I'm sure the film version of Doubt will be good but as more plays go to film - audiences will stop seeing it as necessary to see the live version when they can own the DVD at home.

That isnot always the case, although for musicals, Chicago, Rent and Mama Mia all saw ticket sales go up after the movie came out; people oddly like the familiar.

[crazylady]

Theatre is needing to reinvent itself.

It's funny that you mention that. We have been having this discussion at my theatre for sometime now. I was thinking about Peter Schumann and the Bread and Puppet Theatre. I know it was from the 60's (they still exist) and things are different now but I find the whole idea behind it very interesting. Perhaps we should consider the questions: What is theatre and what is it's future?

The quote below is by Peter Schumann.

"We want you to understand that theater is not yet an established form, not the place of commerce you think it is, where you pay to get something. Theater is different. It is more like bread, more like a necessity. Theater is a form of religion. It is fun. It preaches sermons and it builds up a self-sufficient ritual where the actors try to raise their lives to the purity and ecstasy of the actions in which they participate. "

[cprted]

And all of the theatrical productions turning into movies is definitely not helping either.  I'm sure the film version of Doubt will be good but as more plays go to film - audiences will stop seeing it as necessary to see the live version when they can own the DVD at home.

That isnot always the case, although for musicals, Chicago, Rent and Mama Mia all saw ticket sales go up after the movie came out; people oddly like the familiar.

Audiences know what they like, and they like what they know.  Holds true for theatre, opera, classical music ... pretty much everything.

[sarahbear42]

It's true. The company I used to work for's artistic director was playwright for about 1/2-1/3 of the shows that they did, with an audience that knew and liked the shows. When I worked in the box office there, there would always be calls before each new production asking whether or not the artistic director had written it.

One woman gave me a five minute lecture about how she was going to discontinue her season tickets if we kept doing things she didn't know she'd like because she didn't know it... like The Importance of Being Earnest. Which she had called convinced was written by our artistic director.

[loebtmc]

same thing...quoted from a theater news site:

The future of Shakespeare Santa Cruz, the professional theatre company in residence at the University of California,

Santa Cruz, is in jeopardy following several money-losing seasons and facing an economic downturn.

Leaders of the 27-year-old organization announced on Dec. 14 that they are desperately seeking support by Dec. 22 or its doors will close.

"In addition to its regular annual campaign, SSC must raise $300,000 by noon on Monday, Dec. 22," according to the announcement. "Should SSC not succeed, the organization will be required to go dark for 2009, and therefore permanently."

Shakespeare Santa Cruz (SSC) managing director Marcus Cato is projecting a $500,000 loss for 2008, primarily due to shortfalls in ticket sales and contributions.

www.shakespearesantacruz.org/support

[hbelden]

Shakes Santa Cruz made it!  They raised over $400K by today's deadline!  from their press release:

SSC Artistic Director Marco Barricelli sees this extraordinary outpouring of support as a validation for the arts. “We have been sent a very clear message, and that message is: Theatre matters.  The arts are an important and integral part of our lives, and though times may be difficult, we refuse to live without the inspiration and grace afforded us by great writers, actors, directors, and artists. Through their efforts, we are able to relish this precious gift of life in ways otherwise impossible.”

[VSM]

Excellent !!!

May ALL those attempting the same thing meet the same success...