I have been mulling over an issue that has hit me hard lately. It may not impact others the way it has me, but I feel quite passionate about this. It's an issue that slightly frightens me. We have a wonderful theatre community in Central Ohio. And yet live theatre is suffering, locally and nationally. Companies are merging, downsizing, and even closing. It kills me. Since becoming a reviewer with Theatre Vault I have been connected with so many wonderful people, and pleasantly surprised by how many theatres we have in our hometown. I have also picked up on a couple of common themes: Lack of space, lack of funding, lack of interest. Lather, rinse, and repeat with the next theatre company. And not just the community theatres either. Our main equity house, CATCo, has also felt the harsh blow of our currently economy to a great extent. How tragic is it that an actor's escape or true utopia, their home, the stage, is being threatened by something beyond the realm of creativity? How sad is it that we must almost beg and borrow to make a halfway decent production only to be let down by a miniscule crowd on opening night?
Luckily (for most theatre groups) actors are creative, giving, and resourceful folks who find ways to make their shows work. Instead of performing on an actual stage, you find theatres like Raconteur Theatre Company, a company that is often seen performing on the second floor of Club Diversity. You also find a lot of costumes, props, and sets are borrowed between theatre companies, as we are a community and we are all connected through each other. For some theatres who don't have their own home stage, there are others like Columbus Civic Theatre who allow other companies to share their stage and utilize their facilities. So there are a many resources and people in our city who are willing to make ends meet in the midst of the dreary circumstance. Still, there is a need. There are still those who are feeling the harsh blows. What else can be done? PLENTLY. My favorite thing to do is to audition. Support your local theatres by auditioning or being involved backstage. So many patrons are sick of seeing the same actors in every show. If you are one of those patrons, put up or shut up. AUDITION! Donate your time to props and costumes. Sit in the freaking tech booth and push buttons. My next suggestion is to donate props, costumes, or even money. A litte, a lot- it doesn't matter. Every little bit helps. And stop complaining about ticket prices. If you want to see a show, save up and go. Support the theatre and the actors. You never know; that extra money might be going towards the meager recompense of the actors. Yeah, your attendance may pay the actors. The actors will love you for that. Theatres always appreciate their patrons in their programs and newsletters. We need people who are willing to support our art. And I don't mean theatre folk supporting theatre folk. We get bored with each other after a while. I mean regular, not theatrical, sane everyday americans looking for entertainment, education, and an escape from their everyday american lives.
Bottom line, something has to be done. There needs to be a radical change in our community. I'm one person. PHYSICALLY, I'm one person. I write my reviews, I attend shows, I donate my time, I perform. I live for my art. I'm doing what I can. And now I'm challenging everyone who reads this. There are shows going on EVERY weekend in Ohio. I guarantee you, EVERY weekend, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, somewhere in our state, someone is performing on a stage. Go. Support them. Laugh at them (even if they aren't funny). Cry (especially if they aren't funny). Love it. Hate it. Debate it. GO. Better our community by better our theatre community. And think about what you can do as an individual and we can do as a people, united by one goal.
