I tend to really love this time of year. It's always exciting when theaters start announcing their seasons for the upcoming year.
What astounds me, however, is how little imagination seems to be presenting itself lately in some of the chosen seasons.
Mostly, theaters seem to want to fight over what was new and hot from New York, or in some cases, new and cold.
It doesn't seem to matter if a show was successful on the Great White Way, as long as it made it there in the first place. Sometimes I wonder if producers don't push some shows to Broadway simply because it'll guarantee it a longer life on the regional circuit.
It's surprising to me that these theaters don't look at some of the trends occurring in New York and try to replicate them--namely, taking a chance on new talent.
We might brand New York and Broadway as mainstream disappointment, but the fact is, a lot of risks are taken there--especially on new, exciting work.
So then why don't we try to take risks on local talent?
Instead of fighting over some tried-and-true Tony winner, why not try to find the next great play? There's no rule that says masterpieces can only come out of New York. In fact, shows like Anna in the Tropics and August: Osage County originated outside of New York.
Any theater that commits at least part of its season to finding a fresh new voice in its own community may just stumble across a show that could have a life long after their season is finished.
Although we offer act as if by producing new work we're doing the playwright and the work itself a favor, the truth is, with the right eye, new work could end up working for you.
What astounds me, however, is how little imagination seems to be presenting itself lately in some of the chosen seasons.
Mostly, theaters seem to want to fight over what was new and hot from New York, or in some cases, new and cold.
It doesn't seem to matter if a show was successful on the Great White Way, as long as it made it there in the first place. Sometimes I wonder if producers don't push some shows to Broadway simply because it'll guarantee it a longer life on the regional circuit.
It's surprising to me that these theaters don't look at some of the trends occurring in New York and try to replicate them--namely, taking a chance on new talent.
We might brand New York and Broadway as mainstream disappointment, but the fact is, a lot of risks are taken there--especially on new, exciting work.
So then why don't we try to take risks on local talent?
Instead of fighting over some tried-and-true Tony winner, why not try to find the next great play? There's no rule that says masterpieces can only come out of New York. In fact, shows like Anna in the Tropics and August: Osage County originated outside of New York.
Any theater that commits at least part of its season to finding a fresh new voice in its own community may just stumble across a show that could have a life long after their season is finished.
Although we offer act as if by producing new work we're doing the playwright and the work itself a favor, the truth is, with the right eye, new work could end up working for you.
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