I was pleased to get a new comment today from Matthew Kwatinetz, Producing Artistic Director of the Capitol Hill Arts Center in Seattle, which had been the subject of a weblog post way back in June.
My original post was on CHAC’s decision to discontinue its traditional theater season, which was no longer working as a business model. Kwatinetz’ comments suggest that the change has led to positive results, and new opportunities for non-traditional performance experiences. Says he:
…while some theatre productions seem to exhibit a dwindling audience, other very experimental (and often amateur) blends of performance/music/dance (in other words, nascent theatre) seem to be increasing in attendance.
In my view, this is an essential question for theatre producers (and artistic/managing director teams) to consider. Is there some feedback loop being missed by an anachronistic model that no longer is tied to the play-goer’s (ie, consumer’s) value?
Good question, and a welcome update to a story that continues to be worth watching.
