Tags
., audience appreciation, Indie theatre, life of an artist, nature of theatre, Performing arts, producing, theatre producer, Theatre professionals, Toronto Arts
Artistic entitlement runs rampant these days. For some reason, many artists feel that by right of having made art, people should come to see it. Not only that, but they should pay for it too.
It really irks me when artists say “We make art for ourselves” and then in the next breath complain about dwindling audiences. Why should audiences bother to come see your show if you have not made it with any concern for their enjoyment? Why should they pay to watch you exorcise your own demons on a stage instead of in a therapist’s office? If you don’t value them as participants in your art, then why should they bother to come and pay to participate?
I remember back in school trying to define as a class “What is theatre?” – inevitably there were many ideas and opinions, but consistently the nature of theatre was defined by the presence and relationship to an audience. So why are indie theatre makers pretending their art exists in a vaccuum separate from the people who will see it?
“An actor walks across the stage, but nobody is there to see it.
Is it still theatre?”
For those of you who are making art for yourselves, I really don’t know how that makes it professional work. Isn’t that a hobby (noun: an interest or activity engaged in for pleasure)? I shouldn’t have to pay for you to pursue your hobby so that you feel like you are succeeding at it.
Now this isn’t to say all artists think like this. There are many companies and collectives that do incredible work and put a great deal of thought into creating a unique experience for their audiences. I applaud you! I am proud to be in your community. You may still suffer from small audiences, but the audiences who do come feel their money was well spent and that means you did your job right. Good work, you!
As my high school drama teacher used to say, whether you are a professional actor or a community theatre company putting on a play for fun, you need to respect people’s time and money. A night at the theatre is more than just the cost of the ticket price: it is also transit or parking, service fees, maybe buying a drink/snack/dinner, maybe hiring a babysitter for the night, etc. You need to respect people’s time and money, if you want them to respect and support you in return.
So that’s why I have such an issue with artists who claim we can just make art for ourselves. Maybe you can. But I don’t think theatre works that way.
The art in theatre is that you have so many tricks and creative techniques to engage an audience – to entertain, move, manipulate, educate, inspire, excite or terrify them. I am not saying that every audience member has to love what you are doing or that you change your vision to suit other people’s taste, but if you are not even considering your audience when you are making your work, you are not doing your job as a theatre maker. I make art that comes from myself, but I make it for other people’s enjoyment. The fact that I enjoy it too is a happy by-product and why I will keep making it — for other people.