| Theater is one of the oldest forms of performing | | | | challenge - how can we fill our theaters with our |
| art. From the stone ages, men and women have | | | | own audience? |
| been telling stories by enacting them when even | | | | The problem is that most of the plays we |
| no language existed. Ancient Greek theater still | | | | produce fail to connect with the people around us. |
| inspires us and they continue to be staged in all | | | | They don't feel that electrifying experience when |
| languages of the world. The ancient Hindu | | | | they watch the revivals or old classics of Bengali |
| scriptures regard the text of the theory of | | | | theater. The only value is the nostalgia that these |
| performing arts (Natya Shashtra) as the fifth | | | | plays invoke within us, nothing else. |
| Veda (Pancham Veda). And just like the Greek | | | | The second issue is that, these productions do |
| theater, ancient Indian Sanskrit theater were also | | | | not have the star power to pull in the audience. |
| highly developed. However, with the advent of | | | | Some groups have tried to bring in actors and |
| film and television, theater has been facing an | | | | directors from India in order to attract the |
| uphill battle to pull in the crowd. | | | | audience, but that cannot be a solution. And finally, |
| The playwrights, and theater companies and | | | | of course, is the lack of production funds that is |
| groups had to reinvent themselves in many ways. | | | | required to rent a theater space, to create a |
| Occasionally they have been successful, but still | | | | gorgeous stage and to market the show in |
| we have a long way to go. Technological | | | | popular media like television. |
| advances in the film and television media keeps | | | | To bring in the audience, the first condition is that |
| on attracting the audience with their glitz and | | | | we need to let the people know about the event. |
| glamor. But we fail to realize, theater has its own | | | | Inexpensive marketing methods like online |
| charm. Thornton Wilder, the famous playwright, | | | | marketing, some print media, fliers and posters |
| once said, "I regard the theater as the greatest | | | | can only reach a limited number of people. |
| of all art forms, the most immediate way in which | | | | However,I think that to bring in the audience in |
| a human being can share with another the sense | | | | this country, the first thing we need to do is to |
| of what it is to be a human being. This | | | | develop our own theater that can connect easily |
| supremacy of theater derives from fact that it is | | | | with our people. |
| always 'now' on the stage." | | | | We need to develop and produce plays that can |
| There is something magical in watching an | | | | reflect our own lives on stage, and only then will |
| ensemble of actors performing on the stage in | | | | our people be interested in coming to watch their |
| front of you, telling you a story that you share | | | | own plays. We (Ethnomedia Center for Theater |
| with a room full of people. Arthur Miller said, "My | | | | Arts) have been trying to do this for some time |
| feeling is that people in a group, en masse, | | | | now and have been partially successful. ENAD, |
| watching something, react differently and perhaps | | | | another theater group in the Bay Area have also |
| more profoundly than they do in their living | | | | adopted the same philosophy. But we have a long |
| rooms". When we watch live theater on stage we | | | | way to go. |
| can feel ourselves, we can see ourselves - when | | | | But I guess we need to start somewhere. |
| we watch a good theater we almost go through | | | | Secondly, I think we need to establish a steady |
| a life changing experience. | | | | database of theater lovers who would like to |
| The power of stage is enormous - because it is | | | | watch our plays and then finding out the best |
| real, it is not fake as in the movies. Thornton | | | | means to reach out to them (email, snail mail |
| Wilder puts it this way, "We live in what is, but | | | | whatever.) Creating a subscriber base is a |
| we find a thousand ways not to face it. Great | | | | standard practice of many community theaters, |
| theater strengthens our faculty to face it." It is | | | | but since we do not have a regular schedule of |
| not that nobody goes to the theater these days. | | | | shows planned well ahead, it is difficult for the |
| In 2005 12.5 million people visited Broadway | | | | audience members to plan their schedule around it. |
| shows in New York and around 8.5 million people | | | | And finally, it is the audience who should feel the |
| went to off Broadway theater. For good quality | | | | urge to go to the theater. |
| regional theaters too, you'll find it difficult to get a | | | | If a person does not feel excited about going to |
| ticket if you do not purchase them in advance. | | | | the theater, about experiencing the way life is |
| But the most neglected theater in USA is the | | | | enacted live in front of them, about listening to |
| community theater. They are hard pressed to get | | | | and experiencing the stories of ourselves, then |
| a good audience. They have to depend on those | | | | nothing can work. Theater is like a mirror where |
| minuscule grants and donations from various | | | | we can see ourselves, but we need to muster up |
| sponsors. Ethnic theater groups (like ours) who do | | | | the courage to face it and to enjoy it whole |
| theater in their regional languages, even have a | | | | heartedly. |
| limited audience. We often have to face the | | | | |