alex buzo
Sun, 6 Sept 1998, 09:00 pmWalter Plinge2 posts in thread
alex buzo
Sun, 6 Sept 1998, 09:00 pmtoday i attended the public address by playwright alex buzo on the topic "from one line - the narrowing of theatre and what can be done about it". alex presented a rather cynical view of theatre today which seemed to be backed up by comments from the (small) audience regarding the lack of subsidy for the arts. the consensus seemed to be that companies tend to opt for the "safe" productions guaranteed to get bums on seats as they are afraid that lack of audiences will result in funds being taken away or companies not surviving on the little they can make on the productions. this seems to be an ongoing dilemma for both professional and amateur theatre companies and the decision has to be made whether to put on "challenging" shows and hope to bring in audiences regardless or to continue with the "drawing room" dramas which the public know and come to see. it seems to me that the task is how to get more of the public to go to the theatre - the variety of plays/musicals is out there in profusion - but how to encourage people who may never have been to the theatre to go the first time? i was saddened by the tone of this afternoon's discussion as there seemed not to be that spark of passion so often heard in actors/directors' circles - but maybe it was that the particular group of people who attended are disillusioned. the question is - where were all the other theatre bods?
Walter PlingeSun, 6 Sept 1998, 09:00 pm
today i attended the public address by playwright alex buzo on the topic "from one line - the narrowing of theatre and what can be done about it". alex presented a rather cynical view of theatre today which seemed to be backed up by comments from the (small) audience regarding the lack of subsidy for the arts. the consensus seemed to be that companies tend to opt for the "safe" productions guaranteed to get bums on seats as they are afraid that lack of audiences will result in funds being taken away or companies not surviving on the little they can make on the productions. this seems to be an ongoing dilemma for both professional and amateur theatre companies and the decision has to be made whether to put on "challenging" shows and hope to bring in audiences regardless or to continue with the "drawing room" dramas which the public know and come to see. it seems to me that the task is how to get more of the public to go to the theatre - the variety of plays/musicals is out there in profusion - but how to encourage people who may never have been to the theatre to go the first time? i was saddened by the tone of this afternoon's discussion as there seemed not to be that spark of passion so often heard in actors/directors' circles - but maybe it was that the particular group of people who attended are disillusioned. the question is - where were all the other theatre bods?
Grant MalcolmTue, 8 Sept 1998, 12:59 am
Re: alex buzo (slightly off topic!)
Thanks for the report Jenni!I was very disappointed not to be able to attend as I had had an early involvement in the Barrel of Buzo project and had met Alex a few years ago in Sydney.Alex's apparent cynicism is perhaps understandable given his history of difficulties with some establishments. It's also perhaps unsurprising that his talk attracted a few people with a similar outlook.I do think you have hit the nail on the head with your suggestion that a wide variety of performance experiences is available and the question is how to encourage a larger section of the community to engage with them.Companies and clubs should be encouraged to adopt a co-operative approach to promoting their products. We all benefit everytime someone attends a live performance. It fosters an awareness, appreciation and enjoyment of the performing arts that grows with each attendance. Every new person introduced to the "theatre" becomes a potential customer for other live performance.It's wonderful to see many amateur and community groups taking the lead and including details about what is playing at other clubs in their newsletters.By contrast, have you tried leaving flyers or posters at a BOCS outlet? Unless you are using BOCS ticketing your information is unlikely to be displayed. What a shame BOCS doesn't see the potential long term benefit to their own clients.CheersGrant