Is Theatre a Luxury?
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- Опубліковано 17 гру 2023
- If we consider access to theatre a luxury, how will that impact arts education and funding?
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#theatre #starkid #broadway - Фільми й анімація
the theatre company in my area that i love has been doing free theatre for a long time. they perform in nature most of the year and have some ticketed shows that help fund the free shows along with donations. they know how important accessible art is to form community and it’s so wonderful
companies like that are the best, small and sustainable and there for the good of the community 💙
Theatre, like all arts, is an intrinsic part of being human. We NEED to express ourselves, be it on stage, or playing a piano, on in a blank page ready to be written or drawn on.
But art is routinely considered a luxury, or superfluous because we live in a world where anything that can't be easily measured in dollar signs is deemed unimportant. If something doesn't have an immediate, easily identifiable "utility", we're taught we shouldn't bother with it. So funding for arts programs get cut in school budgets, access to plays and art exhibits get increasingly expensive (and, therefore, exclusionary) and people are told, from a very young age, that they should pursue something "useful" or "profitable", instead of art.
The theatre program for my high school used to be really good because we had a theater teacher that fought for us and we did a bunch of great shows but then because of budget cuts, she got fired. They basically took the one person who was fighting to keep our program running in terms of funds and said yeah we’re not gonna do that so, bye. We haven’t had a strong theater program since. After she left, our budget was sliced and a new director was brought in but he got fired in the middle of the musical, budget cuts again. After a bunch of students basically begged the principal to keep the show running. We got a new director who was a student from college. She was really nice and helped us a lot to finish the show. Those 3 years though, our school got new state of the art equipment for the football and basketball team and we renovated our whole stadium. Even with the “budget cuts”
I think that art education is so so viscerally important for all people to have access to. You’re focusing on theatre specifically because that is the art that has outlined your life, but your ideas can expand beyond that. Art is not a luxury, art is an extension of being human and we need to treat it as such. The thing that really makes me tick is visual art - painting saved my life. Making somethjng from nothing is such an irreplaceable experience that i wouldn’t have had without access to things like art classes. Art needs to be for everyone, and the wealthy shout no be able to put an important part of being alive behind a paywall.
I agree with you. Words describe reality, but words also shape reality. When we use negative or exclusionary words, we start thinking that way. And when you think a certain way, you act a certain way. Words have a formative power that can't be underestimated. So yes, I would like to see theatre treated a bit more seriously.
I run an amateur theatre group that has ended up filled with younger members, I think theatre is so important for young people to develop skills not only in performing but people skills too, I've seen young people go from having full blown panic attacks about minor roles to being able to get on stage with a main role without a problem, it's also been important for me in having confidence in leading. Professional shows having such a high price just seperates those who are young and can't afford it, it could potentially kill off their passion for it. I've shared Starkid shows with the group before because I know everyone has a chance to watch it and can see more about performances so I am so incredibly thankful for that.
you're very well spoken curt!!
thank you for talking about your personal experience with this!! this is so important
so good of you to have expanded this discussion in a video, seeing the comments on your twitter while this was going on was a freaking bummer. i agree with the point that when some people use a word like “luxury” they not only mean that it’s not essential or educational, they specifically mean that they think theater is disposable, frivolous, completely unnecessary. and the tragedy of that cycle is that a lot of people end up thinking that way BECAUSE they’ve so rarely had the opportunity to experience live theater due to the inaccessible pricing. if they could experience it, they’d see how inherently valuable it is! the exorbitant pricing of so much professional theater is also a particular slap in the face for audiences who support companies like starkid and tin can bros, cuz we’ve seen the proof that great art can be produced on smaller budgets (as long as the end goal isn’t simply to turn a show into a product that turns a profit). sigh, okay rant over back to totally focusing at my day job now 🙃 sincerely, a frustrated actor who appreciated The Curt Mega Approach to this topic!
Amen, bro dude! Growing up in that same Arlington, TX theatre prepared me for what I do now as a multimedia marketer and full-time pastor, theatre changed my life second only to Jesus...
thank you famous youtuber curt mega i like this video
anything that isn't explicitly "essential" is by definition a "luxury". there are expensive and inexpensive luxuries; community theatre is comparably inexpensive compared to Broadway or a National Tour. Art in and of itself is a luxury but it's extremely beneficial for the mind, creativity, and even community... but you don't on a technicality *need* it to be alive.
Sports/Football is also a luxury, and arguably has less to offer in terms of art/creativity.. but for some reason is much more lucrative financially in the modern world.
personally, I don't equate "luxury" with elitism; everyone deserves a treat for themselves and to have a creative outlet. Some people aren't granted the same privileges to explore any creative outlets because they need to put food on the table or feed their families. other peoples' struggles doesn't devalue art or luxury, nor does it change the definition of what we deem "important". Everyone has different priorities and play different roles in society.