[NEOPAL]Fear of possible dissolving of theatre in the U.S.
Bill Van Nostran
wvannostran at neo.rr.com
Fri Apr 7 04:05:03 PDT 2006
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A few words on the bright side. I left NEO many years ago but returned =
in 1997 for family reasons. I was amazed. Playhouse Square! Smaller =
theatres in more intimate venues. The Cleveland Playhouse and Karamu =
still here. A new, inviting and highly functional Weathervane Community =
Playhouse in Akron (where my parents and I acted in the 1060s). =
Weathervane also offers an array of theatre classes and experiences for =
kids and teens.
Since arriving, new theatres have hit the scene: Actor's Summit. Bang & =
Clatter.
And as for attracting younger audiences, last season's blackbox theatre =
production of Angels in America at Weathervane packed the small venue =
for each performance and several additional dates were added. I believe =
the performance I attended was about fifty-fifty older and younger. =
(Think of it: old people coming to see Angels!)
I don't believe a preponderance of more mature people iin the audience s =
anything especially new. As a callow youth, I didn't notice many high =
school kids when I'd go to plays in my teens. Down through the =
decades,."Broadway is always dying."
This is not to minimize the financial and marketing challenges all live =
performing arts face. But live theatre can become a powerful antidote to =
the impersonal, programmed form of entertainment video games offer. It =
takes imagination, will, talent and a modicum of money.
Bill Van Nostran
And sine then,=20
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Ken Milota=20
To: neohiopal at lists.fredsternfeld.com=20
Sent: Thursday, April 06, 2006 2:54 PM
Subject: [NEOPAL]Fear of possible dissolving of theatre in the U.S.
I am an active performing in community theatre in this area and I =
don't know if this is just me or if somone else has been seeing signs of =
this also.
I have noticed ever since I started performing 5 1/2 years ago, each =
year there seems to be less people interested in theatre around here. =
With all the new forms of entertainment that exist today, it seems as =
theatre has been pushed aside, and is made to be a game people play when =
they can't think of anything else to do.
Throughout the performances I have been in, I have noticed that well =
over 65% of the audience are senior citizens, and I believe that they =
are enjoying the kind of entertainment they had when they were young, =
and it is rare you see teenager attending musicals unless they have a =
friend appearing in one.
I have also noticed the disappearing of men in shows. The past 3 =
shows that I have been in we had to go out of our way and ask men to =
perform, and even get some to do it when they didn't really even want =
to, and some who couldn't sing and just mimed it.
I am wondering how much further this pattern will go, and will musical =
theatre still be around once the elderly that attend musicals and plays =
today around around many years from now, who will be viewing the shows? =
Who will be performing in the shows?
As technology increases, theatre seems to dissolve. It seems as if =
people have too much now days to entertain themselves that they see no =
need or desire to see a live show.
I hope this is just me and somone else has a more positive opinion on =
the future of live theatre. I would like to hear your theory because I =
hate mine.
Thanks,
=
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
----------------------------------------------------
Ken Milota
Coldwell Banker Hunter Realty
KM Videos
440-781-1401
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-----
How low will we go? Check out Yahoo! Messenger's low PC-to-Phone call =
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>A few words on the bright side. I left =
NEO many=20
years ago but returned in 1997 for family reasons. I was amazed. =
Playhouse=20
Square! Smaller theatres in more intimate venues. The Cleveland =
Playhouse and=20
Karamu still here. A new, inviting and highly functional Weathervane =
Community=20
Playhouse in Akron (where my parents and I acted in the 1060s). =
Weathervane also=20
offers an array of theatre classes and experiences for kids and=20
teens.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Since arriving, new theatres have hit =
the scene:=20
Actor's Summit. Bang & Clatter.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>And as for attracting younger =
audiences, last=20
season's blackbox theatre production of <EM>Angels in America</EM> at=20
Weathervane packed the small venue for each performance and several =
additional=20
dates were added. I believe the performance I attended was about =
fifty-fifty=20
older and younger. (Think of it: old people coming to see =
Angels!)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I don't believe a preponderance of more =
mature=20
people iin the audience s anything especially new. As a callow youth, I =
didn't=20
notice many high school kids when I'd go to plays in my teens. Down =
through the=20
decades,."Broadway is always dying."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>This is not to minimize the financial =
and marketing=20
challenges all live performing arts face. But live theatre can =
become a=20
powerful antidote to the impersonal, programmed form of entertainment =
video=20
games offer. It takes imagination, will, talent and a modicum of=20
money.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Bill Van Nostran</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>And sine then, </FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Dkmilota66 at yahoo.com href=3D"mailto:kmilota66 at yahoo.com">Ken =
Milota</A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20
title=3Dneohiopal at lists.fredsternfeld.com=20
=
href=3D"mailto:neohiopal at lists.fredsternfeld.com">neohiopal at lists.fredste=
rnfeld.com</A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, April 06, 2006 =
2:54=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [NEOPAL]Fear of =
possible=20
dissolving of theatre in the U.S.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>I am an active performing in community theatre in this area and I =
don't=20
know if this is just me or if somone else has been seeing signs of =
this=20
also.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I have noticed ever since I started performing 5 1/2 years ago, =
each year=20
there seems to be less people interested in theatre around here. =
With=20
all the new forms of entertainment that exist today, it seems as =
theatre has=20
been pushed aside, and is made to be a game people play when they =
can't think=20
of anything else to do.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Throughout the performances I have been in, I have noticed that =
well over=20
65% of the audience are senior citizens, and I believe that they are =
enjoying=20
the kind of entertainment they had when they were young, and it is =
rare you=20
see teenager attending musicals unless they have a friend appearing in =
one.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I have also noticed the disappearing of men in shows. The =
past 3=20
shows that I have been in we had to go out of our way and ask men to =
perform,=20
and even get some to do it when they didn't really even want to, and =
some who=20
couldn't sing and just mimed it.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I am wondering how much further this pattern will go, and will =
musical=20
theatre still be around once the elderly that attend musicals and =
plays today=20
around around many years from now, who will be viewing the =
shows? Who=20
will be performing in the shows?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>As technology increases, theatre seems to dissolve. It =
seems as if=20
people have too much now days to entertain themselves that they see no =
need or=20
desire to see a live show.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I hope this is just me and somone else has a more positive =
opinion on the=20
future of live theatre. I would like to hear your theory because =
I hate=20
mine.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Thanks,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
=
<DIV>--------------------------------------------------------------------=
---------------------------------------------------------</DIV>
<DIV>Ken Milota</DIV>
<DIV>Coldwell Banker Hunter Realty</DIV>
<DIV>KM Videos</DIV>
<DIV>440-781-1401</DIV>
<P>
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