Attending Theater to Change Theater

Times Square on Sept. 7, 2020 during pandemic's closure of businesses.(Allen.G/Shutterstock)

Why don’t more people go to the theater?

It’s no secret that theater participation plummeted during the pandemic and hasn’t recovered to its prepandemic level. Recent studies have shown that adults 35 and over are attending theater rarely, if at all. According to a recent article in The New York Times, Broadway attendance is down almost 20 percent from the prepandemic era.

Interestingly, the same can be said about participation in religious services. According to a recent Gallup survey, only three in 10 Americans attend services regularly, with a similar figure never attending. As sobering as these numbers are, they are even more so when one considers that 20 years ago, regular church attendance was just more than 40 percent. Not great, but a lot better than now.

Have We Lost Patience?

Is there a relationship between theater attendance and church attendance? Both may share a similar reason for the decline: the avoidance of crowds and the fear of infection. But consider this fact. Pop concert attendance is up 65 percent from its prepandemic state, with the middle-aged (35 to 54) comprising 43 percent of concertgoers. If it’s crowds that we’re avoiding, we’ve somehow overlooked the fact that an average pop concert has a significantly larger audience than most theater productions. It’s not simply that people prefer pop concerts to thought-provoking theater, as both certainly have their place within our culture. Something else, therefore, is driving people from both the theater and the pews.

I suspect it has more to do with the kind of messages we are willing to accept in a world of instant gratification. Religious and theater attendance take time, both to experience but, even more so, to reflect upon. We just don’t seem to have the patience for moral guidance anymore, preferring to chart our own course and to recognize our own truths.

While we can understand that many people don’t want to be preached at from the pulpit, theater can entertain and ask morally probing questions in its own subtle way and in front of a “congregation” that we call an audience. People seem to have forgotten what live theater is capable of.

Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison act in a performance of "My Fair Lady." Theater can ask probing questions while entertaining its viewers. (Public Domain)

I’m a producer of plays that champion individualism, reason, self-reflection, and an adherence to the laws of nature—that is, the natural law our American Founders embraced). These kinds of play offer the possibility of redemption and leave audiences with a feeling of hope. But I have been challenged by the reality that the people who also embrace these values by and large do not go to the theater.

What we need is a resurgence of both theater and religious service attendance. Given the shared history of religion and theater, this may not be as far-fetched as it seems at first blush.

Theater’s Beginnings

Although not known with absolute certainty, it is believed that Western theater began in ancient Greek religious observances: the celebration of the god Dionysus. This origin story lays the foundation for theater’s direct relationship with religion. The Christian churches greatly forwarded theater among the predominately illiterate people by presenting morality plays, mystery plays, and dramatizations from scripture.  As a result, we have a well-documented history of the theater operating in the religious realm of truth, presenting good versus evil, and promoting a life properly lived.

This Passion play depicts the last three days in the life of Christ. These plays were fundamental teaching instruments in the centuries before most people could read. (Public Domain)

One of the greatest lessons I learned about producing theater came not from a fellow theater artist, but from a Congregational church leader. Naively, I once sent out my company’s flyers to all the local churches in my area, figuring that religious people would be naturally drawn to what my company stands for. One church immediately responded and demanded to be removed from my mailing list. I came to learn from this wise church leader that worshippers do not think monolithically about social issues, but they are nonetheless united by their faith. By assuming all churchgoing people would be drawn to such values, I failed to see that the only thing they truly agree on is their conception of God.

That got me thinking more deeply about theater, who goes to see it, who doesn’t, and why they should.

I recall a discussion with a like-minded neighbor about a cultural problem and mentioning that it would make a good play. His response was that the issue was “too important for a play.” Time and again since, I have confronted those who do not appreciate theater for its existential value, but see it only as frivolous entertainment that costs a lot of money.

Given the exorbitant cost of many theater productions, attendees tend to be very choosy about what they see. If it’s a classic (“My Fair Lady,” “Death of a Salesman”), we’re more likely to attend. Musicals in general are worth the time, but we often prefer Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein to Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt (“Next to Normal”). If it’s a must-see like “Hamilton,” we tend to go, if only to say we’ve seen it.

However, if it’s experimental, avant-garde, or just something out of the ordinary, we tend to avoid it—sometimes with very good reason for more traditionally minded people: “Conservative” characters are often portrayed either as country bumpkins in dire need of education or evil corporate types in dire need of jail time. The universe presented in such plays is one of victimization and, often, despair. No one needs to spend $100 a ticket to have his beliefs and values insulted.

But shouldn’t we all support theater for more than simply a night out with the tried-and-true? I think so. In fact, I am certain that theater’s religious origins and history are inherently embraceable by those of us who believe that human nature dictates our actions, and that there is always room for hope in a world defined and shaped by eternal forces.

The Importance of Participation

Theater is religious in origin—nothing can erase that history. But, like religious services, we must attend it in order for it to remain viable. During the pandemic restrictions, many attended services via virtual platforms. The lockdown didn’t quench the thirst for the community inside a church, mosque, or synagogue. Similarly, COVID-19 lockdown forced us to settle for virtual theater presentations. Once again, we yearned for the immediacy and community of in-person performances. The faithful can be on the forefront of both a return to the spiritual and the artistic strength of this nation if we make the effort to do so.

We need to get more people attending theater because theater, like religion, can build community, foster debate, and tackle big ideas without relying on a cold, scientific or political explanation to explain right and wrong or what is good, eternal, and true. If we can unite under the umbrella of classical liberal thought, despite disagreements, we’d all be starting with the same set of rules.

"Seven Angry Jurors," a modernized telling of "Seven Angry Men," tells the story of one person asking questions while 11 others have already made up their minds. (Hkeely/CC BY-SA 4.0)

Additionally, more people of all ages and viewpoints attending theater may serve as a corrective for the current state of the art form. When we share our thoughts about a performance and tell our friends and neighbors what we don’t like, as well as what we do, we can influence the medium. We make a stronger case when we know what we’re talking about.

But we can’t make the case if we’re not attending, and we can’t assume that just because a play might sully our principles that is doesn’t offer some snippets of truth. That being said, we shouldn’t subject ourselves to the steady onslaught of overly sexual, dehumanizing pieces that are all-too common in theater and the arts in general. In these instances, we make our best argument against the devaluing of life by refusing to attend. Again, we will only be missed if we are already regular theatergoers.

Theater took an existential punch during the pandemic that persists: For all intents and purposes, it is on life support. Many have not returned to the theater because we find it financially and spiritually painful. But as a performance art, theater requires an audience, and it takes an audience to influence it in real time. We are required to be present and interactive just as we are required to be present and interactive at our religious services. We can revive theater, more to our tastes, if we treat it as necessary and a true reflection of what America stands for.

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