I Can haz Value?
O Hai!
Slay over at the Hub of the Theatre Blogging Universe asks the Theatre Think Tank initiative question "What is it all about?".
He said it in more words.
The Value of Theatre
by Unasked Theatre Blogger Travis, Age 3
What is the Value of Theatre?
What is the Value of Church?
Strip away the Supreme being and what is church?
Without Diana Ross, or any other Supreme, church is a ritualized gathering to examine belief and to enjoy community.
"But Travis, why not film or visual art? They can create community or challenge belief!"
Indeed they can, and do, but when the art on the other end of the wire is a person there is a very different level of audience commitment and audience accountability. That accountability and the vitality of the connection between a live performer and an audience member changes the level of interaction.
Simple. But True.
Theatre is secular church.
We are it's preachers.
Why do we need to discuss the value of theatre?
Because we want others to pay for it.
We don't need to apologize for our art. This examination isn't for the audience,
it's for when Johnny Deeppockets asks.
We need to know, and we need to be sure.
Evangelism requires deep, true faith.
Other folks (longer, more eloquent) answers all over the place,
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, An Angry White Guy in Chicago, Bite & Smile, That Sounds Cool, A Rhinestone World, GreyZelda Land, On Theatre and Politics, and The Devil Vet.
and back at Slay's house as linked above.
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