The Value of Theater

Or - Why Theater is Better Than Other Stuff

The QUESTION: What is the value of theater and how do you explain it in compelling language to the non-theatergoer?

The followup subquestion: How do we define value while taking into consideration that everyone has a different definition of that very thing?

The logical next followup subprimequestion: How do communicate this thought without sounding like a bunch of esoteric douchebags?

A group of theater bloggers (myself included) decided to take today to individually blog about this set of questions and try to accomplish something like a national groupmind discussion. Here are my thoughts.

1. Theater is not better than other forms of entertainment or art.

It's just not. It's definitely a unique sort of experience, but determining whether it is better than television, film, DVD, sporting events, concerts, iTunes, museums, books, poetry, videogames, birdwatching, stamp collecting, comic books, and pornography is kind of pointless because everyone on the planet has their own personal set of tastes and preferences. Each form of activity, storytelling or otherwise, feeds into the personal narrative of each individual.

2. Theater, like other forms of diversion, does has a certain pragmatic value. It diverts and informs.

And in that way it is no different from a guy painted like a silver statue breakdancing on a public street or a gag box that makes fart sounds.

3. Theater is like books that come to life or art that talks. It is a marketplace of ideas and, at its best, ideas alone.

21st Century life is cool - lotsa gadgets and toys; tons of access to information and communication. It's also fucking overwhelming at times - constant, unceasing noise with the agenda of selling us stuff. The idea behind network TV was inspired by the concept of selling products to people in their own home. In the 21st Century there are few places where someone can escape the noise and pitching of products (through fear, lust, hate - whatever). Theater is one of those places. And this is where I can hang my hat in terms of what distinguishes theater from the rest of the pack.

Ultimately, everything is politic. Who you work for, what you wear, what forms of diversion you choose. Theater is one of the few places where the only thing being sold is the experience itself (unless you go to a tourist Equity monster like Wicked and are sold on buying a fucking green monkey doll made by seven year old Asian kids who make pennies a day). No commercials. Often no overpriced concessions. No billboards and those ads in the programs are more about paying for the printing than selling the services.

It is an extremely difficult task to impose value on something where no value has been given. I may find a great deal of personal value in my origami ducks, but unless others see the value of them as well, I'm not going to be able to convince them of their worth. It is obvious from the lack of government funding to the increasing absence of arts education in the public schools to the very low percentage of the population who are regular or even semi-regular theatergoers that, for the most part, theater in this country has little to no value to the vast majority of people.

Ultimately, to answer the question appropriately, we have to take into consideration that, if money spent equals relevance to society, theater is less relevant than a Cubs game, a sub-par film starring Justin Long or The Moment of Truth. To communicate its value to people who are not already a part of the club why they should join, we have to understand two things: what value do they place upon the diversions they do spend their hard earned dough on and why they don't spend it on theater. For theater to trumpet its value to the non-theater public, it has to distinguish itself from everything else in a way that is meaningful to them and I'd wager that the community involved, the "liveness" of it, the immediacy and interactivity of it, and the sensory fullness of it are only valuable to those of us on the theatergoer bus.

What is the distinct value of theater? A one-on-one idea exchange with little to no distractions. And clean restrooms. Does labeling it thus entice the guy who prefers to watch an NCAA ballgame at a bar to get up off the barstool and go check out some live Thea-Tah? I'm doubtful.

This post is part of a Theatre Think Tank initiative. Please read the related posts by other participants in today's effort, including:

Theatreforte
Theater for the Future
Rat Sass
Theatre Ideas
Parabasis
The Next Stage
Steve on Broadway
Theatre is Territory
Freedom Spice in the New Mash-Up World
Mike Daisey
Bite and Smile

ALSO:
A Rhinestone World
Matt Freeman
Devil Vet
That Sounds Cool
Tony Adams
Adam Thurman
GreyZelda
Paul Rekk
Travis Bedard
Dennis Frymire

Open comment question: If you're "one of us" how do you describe the value of theater to those not "in the know"? And for those of you who are not theater fags, why do you prefer other types of diversion to theater?