BY JASON HEPLER
Before I get into the thick of things, I’d like to take a moment to explain the background of this blog (both this post and the blog at large.) The idea was born the night of October 8th, 2020, the night on which rumors began leaking that Broadway would remain inactive until at least June, from a conversation between myself and Dr. C. Austin Hill. While I expressed optimism for the future of Broadway and the artform of theatre, Dr. Hill was uncertain at least for Broadway. He informed me that this was a crisis unlike any that Broadway had ever faced. With the prospect of a year and a half of inactivity looming, Dr. Hill expressed fear that a number of theatres would not live through the pandemic, before sharing a number of
pages that
illustrated, that he was
not kidding. The unprecedented nature of the moment spurred a realization in Dr. Hill that somebody should be documenting this moment. As it turns out, that somebody was his theatre history class.
For me however, I didn’t feel the same dread of the moment that Dr. Hill felt. It wasn’t lost on me that this was an enormous, potentially paradigm shifting moment in the history of theatre. But I saw opportunity, not calamity.
The sad fact is that the majority of people will never get the chance to see a Broadway show, regardless of how things end up for Broadway in regards to Coronavirus. In general terms, going to see a Broadway show is less like entertainment or art (although they contain both in spades to be sure), and more like a a pilgrimage to a holy land. In order to see one, you have to plan your trip months in advance, have hundreds of extra dollars on hand (if you don’t mind the cheap seats.), and navigate their way back home afterwards.
That’s not to dismiss the value, talent, and extreme amount of hard work that any and all people involved in the production of these plays and musicals have. After all these artists deserve to be duly compensated for all of the time and effort they have spent honing their skills. But the simple fact remains that this work will almost certainly not be seen by the general public.
The importance of this is explained better than I ever could, by a man far smarter than myself, the artistic director of the Public Theatre,
Oskar Eustis. As he explains it, in some ways people from certain areas (most particularly rural areas) tend to be shut off from the arts. Within this video he calls for a sense of community, viewing theatre as an essential tool to bring people together.
Sadly it’s an issue that not many people are cognizant of, myself included until recently. I grew up in a fairly rural area myself, but one which has an unusually high emphasis on the arts; namely Williamsport. The Lycoming County area has multiple active theatre ensembles (less so recently for obvious reasons), most of which I have had the pleasure of working with. In addition there are a number of theatrical programs aimed at youths such as the
C.A.S.T Academy at the Community Theatre League which hosts classes to hone the talents of the local youths. Additionally, there are opportunities for students to work alongside professional theatre makers in the annual
Student Summer Stock production at the Community Arts Center.
Growing up in such an environment, I never had any problems in being exposed to theatre. In fact, I’ve worked with some people in local plays and musicals such as
Austin Eisner and
Kali Haines who have actually worked professionally with a touring group and on a cruise respectively. Their success, though coming from natural talent and hard work as much as anything, also had the benefit of being in an area which sought to nurture and encourage them to develop these talents. A benefit which sadly, few people have.
This lack of support for theatre doesn’t come from a lack of desire to interact with the theatre, but rather the inability to interact with it. Never was this more clear than when
Hamilton became available to the general public via Disney+. The
iconic musical reached between 15,000 and 25,000 households that it likely otherwise would not have. This high demand and the
earth-shattering reception the musical received make clear the potential that this type of theatre has if it could be made more readily available to the public.
Of course, my experience and the experience of many others does not dismiss the experience, or the harsh reality now facing the theatre artists on Broadway at this difficult moment. They sadly have no guarantee that they will be able to return to work once the pandemic ends. Barring a miracle many Broadway theatres will be shut down, meaning many shows will be homeless by the end of the pandemic. I don’t think I need to explain to anybody that this is bad. This is very bad. It could be a blow to the industry of theatre without question.
But in this there could be opportunity. As Dr. Hill said in our conversation “This may be the quite the equalizer in the industry. The haves no longer have.” I wouldn’t presume to know the logistics of staging a show like that, but perhaps those shows without a home might consider taking them on the road, to towns full of people who might not otherwise get the chance to see it.
When one door closes, another one opens up. Perhaps this could be the end of Broadway as we know it. Yet perhaps as theatre always has, maybe it could transform into something else. Something better. Maybe the community Oskar Eustis has hoped for is not so far off. Perhaps the end of Broadway as we know it could be the beginning of something better, that we just don’t know yet.
