Is theatre dying a slow death in the United States?

Question

I live in Los Angeles and from what i've heard, Los Angeles used to have a thriving Broadway row where much theatre occurred. Now LA is saturated with 35 screen Megaplexes. I don't know if that's true with every major city (except New York which seems to have a large theatre community). But is theatre just not hip for today's Americans? Is theatre dying slowly?

Answer 1

I think that American's have short attention spans. The reason that cinema excels is because it's cheap, easy and fast.

If you really love theatre (which I do) you really have to make an effort to seek it out and also have the funds to pay for it.

LA is not nearly as popular as NY with Broadway but I believe we have come a long way in the last 5 years.

One great website for Los Angeles is www.experiencela.com they publish all types of art and cultural acitivity in the city.

The show must go on...

Answer 2

There's a great song, "Intermission Talk," from Rodgers' and Hammerstein's musical ME AND JULIET (1953) where half the intermission audience sings about how the theatre is dying and the other half starts naming off all the great productions and performers currently on stage (Shirley Booth, Tom Ewell, etc.). So your lament is nothing new--I'm sure the critics in 1920 complained about the state of theatre, also.

But regional theatre is alive and well, and audiences continue to take in just about anything. Here in Houston I just attended the touring company production of TWELVE ANGRY MEN in Houston, and the place was filled that night (about 1300 seats, I think). I could also have walked across the street to see Terry Johnson's HITCHCOCK BLONDE at the Alley Theatre, caught Neil Simon's FOOLS at the A.D. Players, Coward's BLITHE SPIRIT in nearby Baytown, Masquerade Theatre's production of the musical PARADE, or THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL from off-bway. Most of my friends complain that there's too much to see locally, so we have to miss some of it!

Answer 3

I love going to the theater, but (1) too many theater-goers are treating the theater like a movie theater, with snacks, conversation, etc., and (2) there seems to be a dearth of new material. Seen the latest Broadway musicals -- virtually every one a retread of an old movie. Ugh.

Answer 4

NEVER!!!! Broadway is so succesful! Think how much money people pay for one ticket to a Broadway show- a lot more than we pay for a movie ticket!! And, there are so many fantastic new Broadway shows- Broadway isn't dying! And, theatre in general isn't dying either! NO!!!! (Sorry, I like theater :-) )

Answer 5

I would say that partly it is, and its because of movie theaters. But in my opinion, I think theater needs to resurface, and those who love the theater (like me) will agree on that. Quite personaly, most movies today are just not worth paying for.

Answer 6

Yes