Hungry Ghosts: The Business of Art

As our country's economy continues on its downward spiral, many businesses are encountering financial trouble. In the past year, the theater community has been beaten to the ground with a stick. It has become so bad that major theater companies are practically giving away seats for free. Downtown Los Angeles' Center Theatre Group is offering 10,000 tickets for only $20, their slogan: "All Performances, All Three Theaters, All Season for About The Price of a Movie and Soda!" With these rates, now is the time to go to the theater. However, the drain on our economy is not the only reason for the reduction of audience members. As I scoped the Internet looking for answers, I came upon a post from The Next Stage and an online essay from blogger Sarah Ruhl. Reading these posts I have concluded there are two main problems with having a thriving, successful theater community in America today.

The first, and most obvious, difficulty is getting people to go to the theater. According to The Next Stage's post, Theatre is Dead, Long Live Theatre, finding an audience comes rather easily. Finding people who are not family or friends is the difficulty. "The problem is not only getting our marketing in their face, but convincing them to spend time and money on our little thing they know nothing about, using only our enthusiasm." I know from experience how draining it can be to promote and find all the work that was done made hardly a dent. The second dilemma has two parts: having the "right" kind of theater community and dealing with theater as a profiteering business. Sarah Ruhl talks about various audience types; the wise, the innocent and the know-it-all. Then she goes on to write about how people in New York are hungry ghosts and hungry ghosts cannot be satiated. To them, it is not an artistic endeavor but a possible money making organization and they must learn how to make it succeed. How can they make it run forever? "And if a play were to run forever, could it properly be called theater anymore? Instead it would be an ossified strange thing, dangling half-way between live theater, a parade and an amusement park ride. Think of the longest running plays...what happens to them...what do they become...restaurants and plays should not be open for longer than the half-life of a chef, because they are about consumable items." As I have written many times, theater is an expression of civilization. Plays are not meant to run year after year just to make money. I suppose if the theater can communicate the author's message while making money, then that is a good business. I have commented on both of these posts. Below are the links to the websites as well as the comments which were posted by myself.


The Next Stage: Theatre is Dead, Long Live Theatre

I really enjoyed this post as it seems this is always a relevant problem in the theater community. It does not matter where you are or what the economy is like—the theater can never get the audience it usually deserves. I was just in a production of Our Country’s Good at my university. It was an amazing show with a beautiful set in a theater that holds around 350. Our largest audience was our last Sunday matinee with a total of approximately 115 audience members, most of which were family or friends. I really love how you play a bit of the number game. Unfortunately, just telling people about a play does not mean they will come. Out of those 5760 people you say 20 will come. That is just so disappointing, isn’t it? As someone who is in love with acting and the theater because of the thrill and the beauty of telling a story, I find it so disturbing when people don’t want to go. However, when people go they are blown away with what they are missing. How can we let the rest of the world to continue to believe theater is a waste of time and money? As a whole, the theater community needs to ban together to fix this problem. Let’s start talking, maybe someone will finally listen.

Sarah Ruhl: Essays I Don't Have Time To Write (Part 3)

Sarah,
You discuss many topics, all of which I find very interesting and meaningful. I have come away reading this with some new ideas that I still need to mull over in my head. However, one thing I can write about now is about the first topic on this post. I found it extremely thought provoking. The line "Instead it would be an ossified strange thing, dangling half-way between live theater, a parade and an amusement park ride" was probably the most interesting thing I have read about theater lately. People are so concerned with making money and establishing something the integrity of a play and the author's word are at risk. I would love to ask the studio head how he could possibly allow a show like Cats to run for so long. Honestly, I don't really even like that musical. But besides that fact, these productions have become freak shows and it saddens me that people don't see that. When I see a good show, I leave the theater feeling something I didn't feel before the play. Or I am contemplating the message, what the author wanted me to hear. Why go to the theater to watch something and leave without ever questioning what it was you just invested time and money on? These "hungry ghosts" and know-it-alls don't really understand the world in which we spend a lot of time and I feel truly sorry for them. They don't know what they are missing.

Dubai: Good Business And Great Art Make For A Better Society

As a student on the verge of graduation, I am about to embark upon a new journey. Many in my situation leave college with an internship or job offer but the life of an actor is not quite as stable. I will be graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting and with a vast knowledge of my “ability” as an actress, however, that knowledge does not always pay the rent. Finding work as an actor in the United States has become a more increasingly difficult problem. With reality television programs increasing in number, many dream of fame and fortune. The only issue is that many of these dreamers have no right being involved in theater, film or television. This is a large part as to why many talented students leaving acting schools are forced to find jobs as waiters, etc. Trying to determine which road to take is difficult but I recently came across an option that I found intriguing; one of the upcoming places "to be" is located in the United Arab Emirates—Dubai. Over the past few years, Dubai has begun the construction of their new gimmick, which they have called The World. The World is a group of 250 to 300 man-made, private islands. Here they will build private homes, estate homes, dream resorts and community islands. What is so unbelievable about this project is that it is shaped like the continents of the world. American actors are being sought out bring a different culture to this "world." Could Dubai become the new theater capital of the world?

While doing research about The World and what Dubai city has to offer, I found the Dubai Theatre Community & Arts Centre website. DUCTAC deals with not only theatre events but other forms of art too—painting, sculpting, singing, and dance. They hold concerts and performances as well as conducting classes and workshops. They are the “first modern, non-profit, cross-community creative centre in the Gulf, built to international specifications. This flagship project was the brainchild of local theatre-lovers and business people who recognized the need for an entertainment and educational centre for the community and future generations of Dubai.” They are always looking for people to be a part of their community and it could be a great opportunity.

Those who happen to be taking a trip to Dubai city in the next couple of weeks should stop by and see some of their shows. In the coming weeks, one of the United Kingdom’s most respected artists, Michael Calver, will be having a free exhibition. Also, another art exhibit will begin this month. This one will be a permanent public art piece spanning the walls of the Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre. Once finished, those who visit the Centre will find a gathering of “inspirational words and messages from the people of Dubai which will be artistically and beautifully transferred into a unique public art showcase.” For those music lovers, the English Chamber Orchestra will be performing in the Al Farabi Concerto—a series of concerts presenting works by exceptionally gifted contemporary composers from Kuwait, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Morocco and Algeria. The concerts are designed to promote the music of Arab composers, alongside that of their Western counterparts.

Lastly, DUCTAC’s most recent production was a sellout hit this summer. Disney’s “High School Musical On Stage” found rave reviews and is back by popular demand. According to Timeout Dubai, the actors in HSM On Stage are “more than just all right. Dubai’s got serious talent.” Who knows, maybe America has yet to see real talent from Dubai.

The Ruler and Prime Minister of Dubai, HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, once said "Most of people talk, we do things. They plan, we achieve. They hesitate, we move ahead. We are living proof that when human beings have the courage and commitment to transform a dream into a reality, there is nothing that can stop them. Dubai is a living example of that." I believe if the people of Dubai can think that, maybe Americans living there could consider it true for themselves as well. As someone captivated by the beauty of Dubai city, it would be great to work there. One of the best ways to learn about oneself is through other cultures and societies. What I want to do is all about expression and telling a story. By living with a completely different group of people who have a distinct philosophy of life, I can learn about the world. And the only way theater can help shape society is by understanding everyone’s point of view and communicating it for everyone to hear. Actors are here to transform our dreams into realities- Dubai may just be the place to start.