Through the Looking Glass
America’s Favorite Plays is dedicated to deciphering where the tastes of regional theatres and their subscribers and patrons lie.
Mr. Teachout distilled his information from Top Ten Produced Plays, a list TCG puts our yearly, which was indeed a fascinating read.
Taking a few minutes to pour over the stats listed for all 16 seasons (dating back to the 94-95 season), a very interesting fact emerged.
My favorite play of all time, the play (and playwright) that really made me understand that I wanted to be a playwright, “The Glass Menagerie” (written all the way back in 1944) is produced a third of the time. (Of the 16 seasons, “Menagerie” was listed 6 times… simple math yields a 1:3 ratio.)
When I first read the play in 10th grade (about two seasons before these stats were tabulated), I was moved by the poetry of the language, the complexity of the characters, and the intimacy of the story. More than anything, I felt like I was in the very capable hands of a master.
And as the data shows, it’s apparent theatres and audiences around the country feel the same way.
–Sue
Add comment January 11th, 2010
