EDITOR'S NOTE: All students had the option of publishing their work anonymously. This author chose that option
The Covid-19 pandemic has made many institutions within America and across the world change how they operate due to safety standards that have to be met. One of those institutions that have adapted to the pandemic is theatre. As of Oct. 9, 2020, Michael Paulson of the New York Times reported that Broadway is closed till next May. Ticket sales have also been suspended. Even though Broadway has shut down, for the time being, it does not mean that theatre artists have not tried to continue in new ways even though it is not in the traditional Broadway setting.
One of these ways is through prerecorded videos or live-streamed events, which are available on many different websites. Streaming almost any media content has taken over the business of tv and movies. Videos on demand and live-streams of performances have the potential to expand the audience of theatre because access to these performances is often cheaper and safer (during the pandemic) compared to planning a trip to New York and purchasing a ticket for Broadway.
For example, when Hamilton was released on July 3rd on Disney Plus, the following opening weekend of July 4th, saw a spike in the app downloads; the app downloads were 46.6% higher that weekend, then the several previous weekends (Spangler para. 3). The release of Hamilton caused people to download the app not only because of the play's popularity but also have access to a theatre performance. This is an example of how the audience base of theatre can expand. The Covid-19 pandemic has pushed theatre companies to publish their performances online.
A website that posts both free and premium theatre performances is Broadway On Demand; this offers “... not only Broadway shows and movie musicals but also, individual artists, concert series, and engaging content from venues and theatres around the world”. The Broadway On Demand site offers a great opportunity for schools to show theatre content in their classrooms. The site has a “unique licensing interface, ShowShareTM, through which approved middle school, high school, college, community and professional theatre productions have the opportunity to stream to their audiences …”. Through recorded videos and live-streams, and sites like Broadway On Demand, the audience of theatre can expand to include people of all ages.
A study done by JCA Arts Marketing, which was reported on by the American Theatre editors, stated that this study titled “Trends in Audience Behavior: Digital Performances” looked at “audience behavior, potential revenue, audience development, and more from virtual programs between April and September”. The conclusions reported by American theatre stated that “… 43 percent of audiences for digital programming were new to the organization”. In the report by JCA Arts Marketing, they also reported that loyal patrons or patrons, who had attended in-person frequently before the pandemic, still attend the digital performances and are willing to spend more. One of the factors that can be attributed to a significant rise in new patrons is the reduced price of the ticket. The study by JCA marketing reported that on average “the amount paid for a digital ticket is 58% of the price paid for an in-person ticket. The study conducted by JCA Arts Marketing demonstrates that theatre can continue to flourish with digital performances. The growth in the new audience could bring new people to in-person performances when they return.
While experiences of digital performances of theatre do not equate to the experience of seeing a production live and in-person, they are a great inter-median for this time and are great for new people to the theatre. For anyone wanting to watch a theatre performance, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade will have pre-recorded performances of Hamilton, Mean Girls, Jagged Little Pill, and Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of Temptations. Greg Evans of Deadline reported that these “rehearsals and taping are being conducted with adherence to Covid-19 safety guidelines, including social distancing and mask-wearing (except when singing)”. This performance will be available to anyone with access to cable or the NBC network. These performances like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and streaming sites allow for theatre to be continued but for new people young and old to experience theatre and grow to enjoy it and hopefully continue to interact with theatre in the future.
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