Sue's News

Truly Valuable

April 7th, 2009

Everyone knows that Broadway, and theatre in general, is a business. Everyone has to eat… including me. But there’s so much emphasis on star power, spectacle, and political satire — these aren’t what will nourish and sustain theatre. These attention grabbers are dessert, not dinner.

At a panel last week, I heard a producer/marketing maven talk about value. I asked him how a show without a big star, director, theatre, or producer can attract theatregoers?

His response was simple, “Give theatregoers something they’ve never seen before.”

But when I think of the stories I tell, they are about people the audience has seen before… some might be people they see everyday in the mirror, or next to them in bed, or two cubicles over at the office… And I hope they are.

In telling these stories, I hope my audiences recognize themselves, or people they know and love. My job is shedding light on what was once hidden, or dark.

So, am I worried?

Not really…

I think value, more than anything else in terms of theatre, is feeling like you’ve walked away learning something new, or knowing something on a deeper level. There’s always room for entertainment, and sometimes, you just want to laugh you ass off, or ooooh and ahhhh… But there are enough shows doing that out there as it is.

I’m giving theatregoers characters and stories they can hold on to, and keep for years to come… I can’t think of nothing more valuable than that.

–Sue

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