Lina's Thesis

7/30/2019 Lina's Thesis

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Combatingthe

Privilege

of

Art:

An

Assessment

ofCommunityAccesstoTheatre

ByLinaRenzina

ThesisAdvisors,ProfessorAmyE.Hughes

ProfessorLeeQuinby


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INTRODUCTION

Change:ascitizensandmembersoftheworldweareconstantlytryingtochangethe

qualityoflifeontheearthweinhabit.Politicalclout,aleadershipposition,orwealtharenot

easilyaccessiblefortheatrecreatorsoraudiences,especiallythosewhohavebeenextremely

oppressedbytheirsociety.However,theatreprovidesauniqueplatform:sometimes,itcan

evensparkamovementordiscussiononacertainpoliticaltopic.Itcanbecreatedbyanyone;

therearenorulesaboutwhocancreatetheatre.Buttherearerulesaboutwhocancreate

certainkindsoftheatre,whereandwhocancomeseeit.Manydonothaveaccesstoculture,

forreasonsofsocialclass,raceorreligion.Theideaofaccessibilitytocultureisaradicalideain

itself,whetherornotatheatrecompanycommittedtothisgoalissociallyconscious.Low

incomeneighborhoodsoftensufferfromalackofculture,whichiswhytheatreisfrequently

viewedasreservedfortherich.Bothpractitionersandcommunitieshaverecognizedthe

problemandhavebeguntodowhattheycantohelpsolveit.Duetothelackofaccessibilityto

theatrein

certain

communities

and

the

need

for

these

communities

to

recognize

and

solve

problems,agrassrootstheatremovementbeganinthe1970s.InspiredbytheworkofAugusto

Boal,companiesaroundthecountrypracticegrassrootstheatretechniques.JanCohenCruz,a

crucialplayerinthegrassrootsperformancecommunity,asserts,"Communitybasedartisa

fieldinwhichartistscollaboratingwithpeoplewhoselivesdirectlyinformthesubjectmatter,

express

collective

meaningit

spans

performances

committed

to

social

change

along

with

thosewhosepurposeistheconservationoflocalcultures,sometimesbothatonce.Itspractices

rangefromgrassrootsoralstorytellingtoformaltechniquescreatedbyprofessionalartists

(LocalActs1).CohenCruzdescribescommunitybasedtheatre,itsmaingoalsaretoconnect


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withtheaudiencesandartistsinacompletelyinnovativeway,thattheywontfindsittingata

Broadwayshow.

TheriseofcommunitybasedperformancewasdefinitelyinfluencedbyAugustoBoals

workin1970sBrazil. Boalarguedthatstructureddramatictragedies,whichAristotlebelieved

werethebuildingblocksofWesterntheatre,didnotappealtoawideaudience.Thiswas

becausetheatrecompaniescateredtothewealthy,andthoseoutsideofthatsocialclasswere

ignored.Ifonlythosewithprivilegehaveaccesstoart,theycannotusethismediumtomakean

impact.Cruzrecognizesthisgrowingissue:Whilegrassrootstheatersmaynotadvocate

changeperse,theircommitmenttoaudiencesofeveryclassandraceiscontraryto

mainstreamtheateraudiencecompositionofthewealthiest15%ofthepopulation(Ecology

14).Boalsworkandscholarshipsparkedcompaniesallaroundtheglobetostarttheirown

communityorientedensembles.Eachofthegroupsexploredinmyresearchhavevarious

missions;however,theyallsharethesamevision:thataccessibilityandconnectiontothe

audienceis

crucial.

These

companies

interact

directly

with

the

audience

they

are

speaking

to

andoftentheaudienceisinvolvedincreatingandimplementingthepieces.Thiskindof

connectiontotheartiscrucialforaudiencememberswhootherwisedonothavetheaccessto

theatre.Itgivesthemaplatformwheretheycanspeaktheirmindsandvoicepoliticalandsocial

concerns.Inaddition,thekindoftheatrethatgrassrootscompaniesoffergivesaudiencesthe

opportunity

to

relate

to

the

work

being

done

and

not

feel

disconnected

from

the

art.

Artistswhoworktofostercommunitythroughgrassrootsperformancesbelievethat

thistypeofworkcannotbedonewithinalargeinstitution.Doingtheimportantandeffective

workthatgrassrootsartistsdoinlargerinstitutionalcontextsisoftenfrustrating.Itcanbe


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difficulttofindabridgebetweenthekindsofintimatecommunityworkthatgrassroots

performanceentailsandbringthattoamoremainstreamaudience.Nevertheless,some

theatercompaniesstrivetodoso.Forexample,ThePublicTheater.Boalbeganformulatinghis

influentialideasaboutthetheateroftheoppressedin1971,butThePublicTheaterinNew

YorkCitybeganasagrassrootsinitiativein1954andstillcontinuestoday.Itsworkappealsto

mainstreamaudienceswhilealsobridgingthegapbetweenthosewhowouldnotthinktocome

tothetheatreandconnecttothework.Althoughthekindofcommunitybasedtheatrethat

Boalconceivedandsmallnicheorientedcommunitiesaroundthecountryareproducingare

vastlydifferentfromThePublic,ThePublicshistoryandworkchallengesCruzsassumption

thatonlysmallcommunitybasedtheatrecancultivateadiverseaudienceandexpandaccessto

art.

JosephPapp(thecreatorofTheNewYorkShakespeareFestivalandfounderofThe

PublicTheater)andAugustoBoalneverinteracted.Theybegantheirworkatdifferenttimes,on

differentcontinents,

and

created

different

forms

of

theatre.

However,

Boals

response

to

the

politicalandsocialclimateinBrazilandPappsresponsetotheculturalclimateinNewYorkCity

arerootedinthesamebeliefthatallpeopleshouldhaveaccesstoculture.AsDavidLowey,

AssistantDirectorofTheCapitalProjectCampaignatThePublicTheater,notes:

Therearedefinitelystrainsofthatsamenotion[Boals]inthehistoryofThe

Public

Theater,

although

there

is

a

murkier

sense

of

where

culture

came

from.

So

Boalthinksthatcultureexistswithinthepeoplealready,andJoePappsaysthat

cultureis[a]birthrightthateveryoneshouldbeabletoparticipatein.


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Loweyiscommentingonthetrickycomparisonbetweenthecommunitybasedtheatre

movementandtheprogrammingatThePublic.However,contrarytoCruzsassertions,The

PublicTheaterisacasestudyofamainstreamtheatreservingthecommunitythrough

grassrootsinitiatives.Inthisthesis,Iarguethatgrassrootstheatrecanbedoneinan

institutionalsettingandthatalargetheatrecompanycanmakeahugesocialimpactonits

communitybyincreasingaccessibilitytotheatre.AstudyofThePublicspast,presentand

futureactivitiesissignificantbecauseitpresentsanoteworthygapinresearchthathasntbeen

filledtodateaboutcommunitybasedtheatre.Myinterviewswithcurrentstaffmembers

contradictmanyscholarsofgrassrootstheatre,suchasCohenCruzandSonjaKuftinec. While

scholarssuchasCohenCruzandKuftinecassertthatcommunitybasedtheatrecannotthrive

withinlargeinstitutions(which,theyassert,arebuiltoncorporatemodels),ThePublicTheater

inNewYorkCitysuccessfullypursuesgrassrootsinitiativesthroughitsmissionandextensive

programming.ThePublicTheaterhasbeenverysuccessfulinfosteringindependent,

experimentaltheatre

while

also

providing

access

to

those

who

want

access

to

it.

The

Public

is

a

uniquecasestudyofamainstreamtheatrebringingarttoall.

ThewordaccessibilityiswhatIhaveandwilluseanumberoftimesthroughoutmy

thesis.Whatdoesitmeanforarttobeaccessibleforaudiencesandartists?Alotispackedinto

theterm,includingrace,classandprivilege.Alackofprivilegeresultsinalackofaccessto

resources,

and

this

is

the

reason

why

theatre

is

not

generally

viewed

as

an

accessible

art

form.InthisthesisIassessthecommunitytheatremovementanditsattemptstofindwaysto

connectwithaudiencesandartistswhoareoppressed.First,Iprovidesomebackgroundon

whatBoaltermedthetheatreoftheoppressed,whichisnecessarytounderstandthe


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philosophicalfoundationsofhowgrassrootstheatrecompaniesfunctiontoday.Ithendiscuss

threegrassrootscompanieswhoseworkiscrucialtothemovementintheircommunities;these

companiesareCornerstone,TeatroPregones,andWagonBurner.Furthermore,Icritique

scholarsofthecommunitytheatremovementwhobelievethateffectivegrassrootstheatre

cannothappenwithinlargeinstitutionsbyusingThePublicTheaterinNewYorkCityasacase

study.Drawingonfirsthandaccountsandhistoricaldocuments,IanalyzehowThePublicspast

andpresentinitiativesandprogrammingresemblesagrassrootstheatremovementwithina

largeinstitutionalsetting.Lastly,IevaluatehowsuccessfulThePublichasbeeningiving

audiencesandartistsaccesstotheatreandwhythisaccessiscrucialtoNewYorkCityandthe

world.

THETHEATREOFTHEOPPRESSED

InordertoconceptualizehisnotionoftheTheatreoftheOppressed,Boalanalyzes

whereAristotelian

concepts

of

drama

began

and

why

Aristotles

concepts

of

theatre

are

flawed.HebeginsbyfocusingonAristotlesPoetics.Aristotlewritesthattheaudienceshould

experiencecatharsisintragedyandachievethatcatharsisthroughseveralrealizationsofwhat

virtueis.BoalwritesthattheatreischangeandAristotlesconceptoftragedycompletely

contradictsthatethos:"Theatreischangeandnotsimplepresentationofwhatexists:itis

becoming

and

not

being"

(28).

Boal

finds

Aristotles

construction

problematic

because

it

does

notofferthespectatortheopportunitytoparticipateintheart. Inotherwords,inAristotelian

theatretheaudienceisdisconnectedfromwhatishappeningonstage:itisnotrelevantintheir

livesandexistsinaseparateworld.However,inBoalstheatretheaudiencemustconnectwhat


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ishappeningonstagetotheirownlives,andmanytimesactuallyparticipateincreatingthe

performancethemselves.

AfterdelineatinghisissueswithAristotlesPoetics,Boaladvanceshisthesisby

discussinghowBertoltBrechtchangedthetheatrewiththecreationofEpicTheatre.Epic

Theatre,amovementthatoriginatedintwentiethcenturyGermany,completelyrevolutionized

thetypicalAristoteliandrama. Brechtwantedtoalienatetheaudiencefromthecharacters

insteadofemotionallyconnectingthem.Thisgoalwasaccomplishedthroughtheuseof

unconventionaltheatricalelements,suchasbreakingthefourthwallandtheuseofnon

realisticdesigns.BrechtwascrucialininspiringBoalsworkandcontributingtotheimportance

andformationofsocialtheatre.Brechtstheatrewasdefinitelygroundinsocialchange,for

examplehiscontroversialpieceMotherCourageandHerChildren.AtthebrinkoftheSecond

WorldWarin1939,BrechtwroteMotherCourage,anantiwar,antifascistplayaboutamother

withthreechildren,duringthethirtyyearswarandherdeterminationtomakemoneyfromthe

war.The

play

spoke

out

directly

against

the

war,

while

incorporating

Brechts

style

of

epic

theatre.BoalsideaswereclearlyinspiredbyBrechtsstyleandwork,hesays"Brecht

contendsthatthepopularartistmustabandonthedowntownstagesandgotothe

neighborhoods,becauseonlytherewillbefindpeoplewhoaretrulyinterestedinchanging

society..."(Boal105).Boalassertsthenotionthatthosewhodonothaveaccesstotheatre,

people

who

are

in

the

neighborhoods

are

the

ones

who

need

it

the

most,

the

ones

who

need

wanttochangesociety.

Althoughheunderstoodthattheatreshouldbe,atitsheart,sociallyaware,Boalstill

struggledwiththeproblemofaccessibility;thatis,thematterofhowtomaketheatreavailable


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toallpeople,regardlessofclass.Heasserts,Theaimsoffeudalartwerethesameasthoseof

theclergyandnobility:toimmobilizesocietybyperpetuatingtheexistingsystem(55).Boal

usesBrechtspoem,OntheEverydayTheatre,toinformhisview,commenting,"Artis

immanenttoallmen,notonlytoaselectfew;artisnottobesold,nomorethanarebreathing,

thinking,loving"(109). InBoalsview,artshouldbeavailabletothepeople,notjustthosewho

canaffordtobuytickets.ItisthisbeliefthatdroveBoalswork.Inthe1950sand60s,whenhe

wasartisticdirectoroftheArenaTheaterinBrazil,Boalbeganworkingwiththecommunityto

stageperformancesinstreets,churchesandfactories.Hewantedtoinvolvethosewhowere

oppressed,andotherwisewithoutaccesstoart,inthecreativeprocess.Hestrivedtoshow

themthattheycouldhaveavoice.In1971,Boalwantedtodealwithlocalissuessuchas

povertyandoppressionresultingfromtheBraziliandictatorship.Boalsufferedgreatlyforhis

actions,ashewastorturedandexiledfromBrazil.

Inshort,theTheatreoftheOppressedfosterscooperativeanddemocraticformsof

interactionamong

its

participants.

The

audience

is

apart

of

the

theatre,

not

just

watching

it.

As

Boalwrites,Thepoeticsoftheoppressedisessentiallythepoeticsofliberation:thespectator

nolongerdelegatespowertothecharacterseithertothinkortoactinhisplace.Thespectator

freeshimself;hethinksandactsforhimself!Theatreisaction!Perhapsthetheatreisnot

revolutionaryinitself;buthavenodoubts,itisarehearsalofrevolution!(Boal155).Outofthis

emerged

the

word

spect

actor.

The

spect

actor

is

the

audience

and

the

audience

is

the

actor.

Thespectactormanifestsitselfonstageandintheaudience.Thismeansthattheaudience

takespartinthecreationofthepieceonstage.Theyarefreetocontributetothetheatrewith

theirthoughtsandopinions.


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AsBoalconceivesit,theTheatreoftheOppressedhasseveralsubgenres.Theseinclude

ForumTheatre,InvisibleTheatreandImageTheatre,NewspaperTheatre,andLegislative

Theatre.Eachhasitsownexercisesandmethodsofinvolvingtheaudienceintheaction.A

facilitator(orJoker)isresponsibleforguidingtheactionandexplainingtherulesofthe

games.InvisibleTheatreinvolveseventhosewhodonotknowtheyarecreatingtheatre.For

example,twopeopleonthestreetwillcreateasceneaboutasocialproblem.PersonAyellsat

PersonBandaccusesthemofstealingtheirwallet.ThenPersonC(whoisabystander)

becomesinvolved.Inthisexample,PersonChasnoideathatthisisnotinfactarealscene;

s/heisreactingtothecircumstancesbecauses/hebelievesitisactuallyhappeningandnot

somethingstagedbyPersonsAandB.InForumTheatre,thegroupdecidesonasocialproblem

orscenario.Thesceneisthenplayedoutwitharesolution;otherspectactorsmayintervene,

suggestanothersolutionorreplacetheactorandperformitthemselves.Everyonemustreact

truthfullyunderthecircumstances.InImageTheatre,animageiscreatedthatisinspiredbya

socialproblem;

spect

actors

may

alter

the

image

as

they

see

fit.

The

various

tactics

of

the

TheatreoftheOppressedcreateuniqueexperiencesforcommunitieswhoseopinionsareoften

invisible.Italsogivesthemaccesstothoughtprovokingtheatricalexperiencesthattheywould

nothavehadotherwise.

ItisimportanttonotethatTheatreoftheOppressedisnotaplayoraproduction.

It

is

a

rehearsal

for

revolution,

as

Boal

envisions

it,

to

show

people

they

can

fight

back

against

oppressionintheirlives.Boalwrites,"Ibelievethatallthetrulyrevolutionarytheatricalgroups

shouldtransfertothepeoplethemeansofproductioninthetheatresothatpeoplethemselves

mayutilizethem.Thetheatreisaweapon,anditispeoplewhoshouldwieldit"(122).Inspired


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byBoalswork,theatrecompaniesbegancreatingtheirowncommunitybasedtheatrethat

requireditsparticipantstobeinvolvedandopinionatedinordertobeginchangingtheir

circumstances(asIdiscussinthenextsection,someofthembeingCornerstone,Teatro

PregonesandWagonburner).Clearly,Boalsworkandresearchcontinuestohaveimportant,

longlastingeffectsonhowtheatermakersusetheatreasasocialtool.

COMMUNITYBASEDTHEATREENSEMBLES

CohenCruzassertsthatahugeproblemfacingcommunitybasedtheatreensemblesis

audiencecultivation:Problematicforthefield,thetermsgrassrootsandcommunitybased

oftenevokeinaccurateimages(Ecology16).Cruzexplainsthataudiencesareturnedofffrom

thiskindofworkmainlybecauseofignoranceandmisinformation.Mainstreamaudiencesfeel

likeensemblegrassrootscompaniesdonothavethestructurethatanonprofitcompanyhas

andthereforedonotconsiderthemprofessional.Somealsobelievethatitisrewardingfor

theparticipants,

but

not

for

the

audience.

A

large

component

of

what

these

ensembles

do

is

thecreationoforiginalplays.Thewritersatthecompanywillcreateacollaborativepiecewith

communitymembersinput.Whiletherearecurrentlyoverfiftygrassrootsensemblesinthe

UnitedStates,therearethreediversegroupswhoseworkincultivatingtheatrefortheir

communityhasbeenrathersuccessful.TheyareCornerstoneTheaterCompany,Teatro

Preones

and

WagonBurner

Theater

Troop.

Cornerstone,aLosAngelesbasedcompanywitha$1millionbudget,wasfoundedin

1986.Theeighteenmemberensemblewritesandperformsnewplaysandadaptationsof

classics.BillRuach,formerartisticdirectorandmember,explainsthatthecompanystrivesto


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involvethecommunitydirectlyincreatingtheplays.Thistypeofinitiativeemulatesthework

thatBoalbegan.Ruachsays,"Thecompany'saestheticistoincludethecommunity'sdialogue

withitselfinthescript,whichcallsforopposingvoicesandlayersofmeaningandavital

richness.Multiplicityofviewpoints:it'sessentialtoourmission"(Cornerstone74).Whilesome

believethatCornerstoneprovidesasocialservicetothecommunity,Ruachdisagrees:"The

socialserviceaspectisoftenoverstressed.Infactwehavedeliberatelystoppedemphasizing

that.Themajorityofcommunitiesthatweworkwitharelowerincomeanddon'thaveaccess

toprofessionaltheater,that'strue,buttheworkisjustasmuchaboutwhatwearelearningas

artists:It'samutualexchange"(Cornerstone75).WhatisdifferentaboutCornerstoneas

comparedtoothercompaniesthatdograssrootsworkisthattheyalsoadaptplaysforthe

communitytheydonotsolelyperformoriginalworks.Thisoffersadifferentkindof

communitybuilding,oneinwhichtheartistsandaudiencearediscoveringclassicalplaysand

writers.Thisisextremelyimportantwhencultivatinganaudiencethatotherwisewouldnot

havethe

ability

to

be

involved

in

theatre

at

all.

Since

Cornerstones

productions

feature

professionalartists,communitymembersandaudiencemembers,itoffersafacetof

communitybuildingthroughtheatre.

RuachbelievesthatwhatmakesCornerstonesospecialandeffectiveissomething

aestheticaboutthevarietyofagesandbodytypesandlifeexperience,adiversitythatispartof

the

fabric

of

the

work,

and

thats

what

makes

it

powerful

(Cornerstone

80).

Cornerstones

worktravelsaroundthecountryandoneofitsmaincommunityengagementinitiativesisthe

InstituteSummerResidency.Astheirofficialwebsitestates,thisprogramoffersanopportunity

toexperiencecreatingtheaterandexploringstrategiesforcommunityengagementforall


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artistswhowanttobeinvolved.Forexample,theopportunitytobecomeinvolvedinthe

companysInstituteSummerResidency(asummerlongworkshop)isnotbasedon

professionalismorexperience;communitymembers,regardlessoftheirbackgroundor

qualifications,arewelcome.

Cornerstoneoftenpartnerswithschoolsandcommunitycenterstocreatetheirwork.

Morerecently,playwrightPeterHowardworkedwithLosAngleshighschoolstudentsandfood

serviceworkerstocreateLunchLadyCourage."[We]wonderedabouttherelevanceandvalue

ofthisartformweloved,"Howardrecalls,"topeoplewhowerenotlivinginmajorurbanareas

andgoingtoelitecollegesandhadhabitualtheatergoingontheirminds.Sowesetoutonthis

adventuretotestandtoexploresomeofourfavoriteplaysincommunitiesthatweperceived

asperhapshavinglessaccesstolivetheater"(Raden).HowardexplainsthatLunchLady

CourageisaresponsetohungerandisverymuchinspiredbyBrechtsMotherCourageandHer

Children.SinceBrechtdefinitelystimulatedthistheater,itisfascinatingthatCornerstoneis

tyingtheir

work

back

to

him,

even

in

2013.

UnlikeCornerstone,TeatroPregonoesworkdoesnotstemfromtheatricalmaterial.

Oftenfrustratedbythesocialstructureoftheirsurroundings,theensemblemembersofTeatro

PregonesstrivetocreateatheatricalcommunityforLatinosintheBronx.RobertH.Leonard

writes,ForTeatroPregones,communityisagatheringofpeoplearoundsharedtraditions,

common

culture

and

a

commitment

to

theater

as

a

place

for

ideas,

growth

and

joining

of

forces(TeatroPregones147).TeatroPrenoesfocusesonLatinoaudiences,andthisisbecause

membersexpressfeelingignoredwithintheircommunity.ItsaestheticisinformedbyArtistic

DirectorRosalbaRolonsPuetroRicanroots,theirsourcematerialisnontheatrical,andplays


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areusuallyperformedinSpanish.

Companymembersareconstantlydiscussingtheideaofcommunity,especiallywhen

thatcommunityisbasedaroundasimilarmissionincreatingart.Rolonwantsartiststo

understandthedistinctionbetweencommunityandneighborhood:audienceand

communityarethesamethingforus.Ouraudiencecomesfromthecommunitythatweserve,

andforus,communityandneighborhoodarenotthesamething(TeatroPregones149).

Furthermore,ensemblememberJorgeMercedpointsoutthatcommunityisaspacewhere

dialogueamongartistsistakingplace(TeatroPregones151). TeatroPregonesdefinitely

providesaservicetotheircommunityoftheSouthBronx.Theirperformancespacesincludea

varietyofunions,schoolsandchurches.In2009,thecompanycelebratedtheirthirtieth

anniversarywithanewmusicalcalledAlohaBoricua.BasedonashortstorybyManuelRamos

Otero,AlohaBoricuafollowsthestoryofoverfivethousandPuetroRicanswhotraveledto

Hawaiiattheturnofthecenturytoworkinthesugarcanefields.Thestoryistoldthrough

differentstyles

of

song,

including

reggaetn,

rock

and

bomba.

Company

members

say

that

the

storyistoldinEnglishandSpanishtobetterservethecommunity.Whileitsmembers

understandthatthecompanystillhasalongwaytogo:Westillhavemuchtodo,saidRoln.

Insteadof25showingsofaplay,Iwouldliketodo60.Iwouldalsolikeanactingspacewhere

youngLatinoscouldtrainintechnicaltheater,indesign(GarcaGmez).Butthecompanyhas

definitely

contributed

to

the

arts

community

of

the

South

Bronx

in

a

way

that

no

mainstream

companycould.

WhencomparedtoCornerstoneandTeatroPregones,WagonBurnerTheaterTroops

versionofcommunitybasedtheatreisratherunconventional.IncontrasttoCornerstoneand


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TeatroPregones,ithasnotheatrespace,nospecificlocationanddefinitelynoadministrative

structure.Thistroop,agroupoftwentypeople,isntbasedanywhereanditfocuseson

workshopsandtouringtobringtheirworktopeoplearoundtheUnitedStates.Theirmaingoal

istoraiseawarenessaboutNativeAmericansoppressioninawhitemansworld.Their

approachtothecreativeprocessisuniqueandtheycreatetheirpiecesasanensemble.Itisa

smallcompanyservinganextremelyspecificaudience:NativeAmericansandothersconcerned

abouttheNativeAmericancommunity.Theirworkisofteninspiredbylettersand

conversationsaboutNativeAmericanhistory.WagonBurnerfeelsthatitsidentityasa

grassrootsinitiativeisextremelycomplicated,muchliketheidentityofNativepeople.Artistic

DirectorLeAnneHawemostrecentlyconductedaworkshopattheSinteGleskaUniversitywith

studentstocreateacommunitytheaterpiece.Topicsrangedfrompoliceharassmentto

healthcare.Thestudentsfeltextremelyinspiredandincludedbythiswork.LindaFryeBurnham

writes,WagonBurnerhasanintimateconnectionwithacommunitythathasbeenscattered

acrossthe

U.S.

In

asense,

the

whole

country

is

their

home

(5).

Leonard

comments,

The

questionsofeffectorimpactoftenassumesimpactingabroad,mainstream,whiteaudience

whosevalues,tastesandneedscanbepredicted(Wagonburner194).Here,heisreferringtoa

challengethatWagonBurnercomesacrossquiteoften:explaininghowthiscompanycanhave

animpacteventhoughitdoesnotattractmainstreamaudiences.

THEPUBLICTHEATER:APUBLICCOMMUNITY

Boalandscholarsofgrassrootstheatreagreethatinordertoliberatethespectator,the

audiencemustbecomeapartoftheart.Theymustrespondandcreateit;theymustforma

communitytosparkareaction.CohenCruzrecognizestheflawsinatypical,hierarchical


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administrativestructure:Incontrast,mainstreamtheaterasaninstitutioncarriesawhole

apparatusofhierarchy.Thoseabletoleveragethemostmoneyareontop,betheyproducers

orstarsCommunitybasedensemblesstriveforamoreegalitarianideal(Ecology6).Iargue

thatThePublicTheaterisuniquebecauseitisthemostrelevant,mostaccessiblemainstream

theatrecompanyinNewYorkCity.Indeed,IsuggestthatThePublicTheater'sprogramming

closelymirrorsacommunitybasedtheatreexperience. Obviously,thegoalofnicheoriented

grassrootscompaniesispreciselynottobemainstream;theyarenotalwaysinterestedin

reachingawideaudience.Theyexistinsmalltownsandcommunitiesthatareyearningfora

personalconnectiontotheatre.Similarly,theartscommunityofNewYorkCitydependsonThe

PublicTheater'sprogramming;thecompanyprovidesaservicetothecity.Inaddition,The

PublicTheater,whenitwasfounded,didnotaimtobecomeaninstitutionbutsimplywanted

toprovideaccesstoShakespeareanplaystoallthepeopleofNewYork,eventhosewhocould

otherwiseaffordtoattendthetheatre.Communitybasedtheatreensemblesaroundtheworld

justsimply

do

not

have

the

type

of

impact

that

alarge

institution

can.

ABRIEFHISTORYOFTHEPUBLICSROOTS

WhileacompletelookatThePublicshistoryisnotimportanttotheargumenthere,

therearemonumentalmomentsthatfurtherexplorethecontributionthatthiscompanyhas

made

to

diverse

communities

in

New

York

City.

These

include

crucial

productions

that

shaped

ThePublicTheatersinfluenceonAmericantheatre,includingHair,AChorusLineandThe

NormalHeart.ThePublicTheatercametobeinthe1950s,beforeBoalandsmallgrassroots

theatreensembleshadrisentoprominence,evenbeforeOffBroadwaywasinexistence.Joe


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PapprevolutionizedAmericantheatreandfewwhocameafterhimhavehadthesameimpact.

KennethTuranwrites,InhisyearswiththeShakespeareFestivalandtheparallelPublic

Theater,JoehadmadetheaterinAmericanbothaccessibleandessential(Papp,Turan1).

PappwasborninapovertystrickenNewYorkneighborhood(Williamsburg,Brooklyn)to

Yiddishspeakingimmigrantparents.Papprecalls,Icamefromacertainkindofpovertylevel,

whichwasreallybelowthatofmostofNewYorksJews.Ivealwaysfeltthatdistinction.Ive

alwaysfeltslightlyremovedfrom,forinstance,theworldofBroadwayandtheShuberts.Ican

talktothem.Illwalkwiththem,butasShylockwouldsay,Iwonteatwiththem(Papp,Turan

89).AlthoughPappdidnotconsiderhimselfanacademicperson,helovedreading.He

frequentedthepubliclibrary,andthere,hediscoveredShakespeare.

In1953,PappandafewofhisfriendscollaboratedonaproductionatTheEmmanuel

PresbyterianChurch.Pappsays,Ijustwantedtogetsomeactorstogetherandexperiment

withdoingShakespeare.WhyShakespeare?Intermsoftheater,heisamaster;thereisno

greaterwriter

for

the

stage

in

the

English

language,

and

that

happens

to

be

afact.

You

cant

be

aneducatedpersonunlessyouhavemorethanapassingfamiliaritywiththeworksofWilliam

Shakespeare(Papp,Turan61).AttheChurch,theydidfiveproductionsandsoonafter

expandedandmovedtheensembletotheEastRiverParkAmphitheater.Thefirstproductionin

thatspacewasJuliusCaesar. AfterTheEastRiverAmphitheater,Pappfeltthattheyshould

travel:

After

all,

Shakespeare

did

both,

he

had

his

own

theater,

and

he

also

toured

from

time

totimeIwantedtobringShakespearetothepeople,thatwasthewholeidea.Ihadtoreach

thethousandsofpeoplewholivedanddiedintheirneighborhoods(Papp,Turan99).Inmany

respects,Pappwantedtobringarevolutionarytheatretothepeople.However,Pappstheatre


17/37

17

wasalsodifferentthanBoals.Pappbelievedinstagingclassicalandcontroversialproductions,

nothavingtheaudienceactuallyparticipateintheperformance.Whiletheydiddivergein

termsofstyle,theirgoalsweresimilar.

Pappbeganbybringingtheatretoneighborhoodparks,anactofcommunityservice

thatcloselyreflectsagrassrootsinitiative.However,asthecompanygrew,Pappwantedto

settledown.ThisledtohisdesiretobuildTheDelacorteinCentralPark.Theideaofbuildinga

theatreinthemiddleofthecitysmostfamouspark,letaloneonethatdidnotcharge

admission,wasunheardofatthetime.Aparkisacommunitygatheringspace,freeofcharge,

opentoallnotunlikethetheatrethatPappstrivedtoproduce.

Similarly,thebuildingPappchoseasThePublicsdowntown,yearroundhomeisalso

tiedtothetheatresrootsandmission.ThebuildingatAstorPlace(425LafayetteStreet)was

thefirstlibraryinNewYorkCity,theAstorPlaceLibrary.Whatcouldspeakmoretoaccessibility

thanaplacethatonceofferedfreebookstoall?WhenPappwalkedintothespaceandsaw

materialsleft

behind

by

the

Hebrew

Immigrant

Aid

Societya

place

where

Eastern

European

Jewishimmigrantscameforhelpaftertheylefttheirhomecountriesandemigratedto

Americahefeltahugeconnectiontothespaceandknewitwastheplacetobeginhistheater

company(Epstein).

DuringPappstimeasartisticdirector,ThePublicstagedthreegroundbreaking

productions

that

influenced

and

served

the

theatre

community:

Hair,

The

Normal

Heart

and

A

ChorusLine. Hair(1967)wasthefirstproductiontobemountedat425LafayetteStreet.Papp

tookahugeriskproducingthismusical,whichwasstillindevelopmentwhenitcametohim.

AccordingtoEpstein,Pappfelt,ItwastrulythemostlivingofalltheatersthatexistedinNew


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18

York.Ithadapointofview.Itwasalive.Ithadanattitudetowardsocietyandlife,andtomea

theatermeansnothingwithoutthat(201).Inaddition,whenhippieculturewasgrowingand

resistancetotheVietnamWarwasatitspinnacle,Pappwantedtofacilitatepoliticalandsocial

discussion. Pappcommented,Iamlookingforplaysthathavesomepassionatestatementto

makethatiscommensuratewiththetimewearelivingin(Epstein202).Hairwasthatpiece

forThePublic,ashowunlikeanythingthatNewYorkhadseenbefore;incorporatingwar

politicsandfreeculture,itwasariskyproductionforafirstshowpresentedbyanewtheatre.

ButPappknewthattheshowaddressedcrucialtopicsofconcernfortheaudiencesandartists

thathewantedtoreach.Althoughtheshowwasabouthippies,itstargetaudiencewasanyone

whoopposedtheVietnamWar.PappwantedtogiveNewYorkerssomethingtothinkabout

and,possibly,toseetheworldfromadifferentperspective.

Similarly,AChorusLine(1976)wasanextremelyuniqueproduction,onethatclosely

resemblescommunitydevisedperformance.PerformingartistMichaelBennettbegan

gatheringstories

about

dancers

for

this

piece.

The

dancers

were

crucial

to

creating

the

piece

andalsoperformedinit.ThePublicputasignificantamountofmoneyandeffortintoshaping

theproductionandwhenitwasanextremesuccessandplayedonBroadwayforsevenyears,it

helpedsustainthetheatreuntiltheproductionclosed.SinceThePublicisanonprofittheater

company,alloftheproceedswentbackintothecompany,andAChorusLineallowedthe

company

to

thrive

financially

and

continue

producing

risky

pieces;

it

brought

in

almost

$30

millionoverthecourseofitsrunonBroadway(Papp,Turan38892).

PlaywrightLarryKramerwroteTheNormalHeart(1985)asacalltoactionforthe

queercommunitytofighttheAIDSepidemic.Pappswifeandthenliterarymanager,GailPapp,


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19

advocatedforthepieceandbelievedthatitwasanextremelyimportantplaytoproduce.The

restofthecountryseemedtobeignoringtheepidemic,andKramerandPappwouldnotstand

forthat.In1985,theplayopenedandbecamethelongestrunningproductionatThePublic,

andeventhoughtheylostmoneyontheproduction,Pappkeptitrunningforalongtime

becausehefeltitwasimportantforaudiencestoseeit.Itwasarevolutionarypiecetobeput

onstageatthetimewhenAIDSwasnotawordthatmanykneworspokeabout,andwhenNew

YorkCityhadamayor(rumoredtobeahomosexualmanhimself)whodidnotacknowledgethe

existenceofsickgaymen.Pappcomments,Everynightaftercurtain,ten,twelve,orfifteen

youngmenwouldsitintheirchairsandbeunabletomove,absolutelystunned.Andseveral

otherpeopleintheaudience,mostlymen,wouldgooverandsitwiththatperson,putanarm

aroundhim(Papp,Turan531).Thispiecewasveryimportanttoseveralcommunitiesatthe

time:thetheaterscene,gaymenwhofeltignored,andthosewhoweregrapplingwithAIDSat

thetime.

ThePublics

impact

does

not

just

resonate

on

stage,

but

in

the

streets,

too.

The

first

interactionthatThePublichadwithpoliticalactivismmayalsobeitsmostfamousPapps

controversialconflictwithRobertMoses,theparkscommissionerin1958.WhenPappinitiated

theconstructionofTheDelacorte,heknewhewouldnotbechargingadmissionforhis

productions.Mosesdidnotagree.HepressuredPapptobeginchargingforperformances,

especially

since

he

feared

that

the

audiences

were

trampling

on

the

grass.

Papp

decided

to

fight

MosesdespitethefactthatthecommissionerwasextremelypowerfulandPappwasstillinthe

earlystagesofhiscareer.Pappdidnotbackdown,andeventuallywonhisfighttokeep

ShakespeareintheParkfreeforthepeople.


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20

POSTPAPP

EvenafterPappspassingin1991,ThePublicTheaterisstillcommittedtoupholding

Pappsoriginalmission.Onthecompanysofficialwebsite,ThePublicTheatersmissionreads

asfollows:

AstheonlytheaterinNewYorkthatproducesShakespeareandnewworkin

equalmeasure,ThePublicTheaterisdedicatedtoachievingartisticexcellence

whiledevelopinganAmericantheaterthatisaccessibleandrelevantthrough

productionsofchallengingnewplays,musicalsandinnovativestagingsofthe

classics.Conceivednearly60yearsagoasoneofthenationsfirstnonprofit

theaters,ThePublichasservedasanadvocateforthetheaterasanessential

culturalforceinleadingandframingdialogueonimportantissuesofourday.

ThesecoredemocraticvaluesinformallaspectsofThePublicsactivities.Toward

thiseffort,

The

Public

continues

to

be

guided

by

aphilosophy

of

inclusion,

which

takesonmanyformsnontraditionalcastingofproductions,educationand

developmentinitiativesforartistsfromdiversebackgrounds,outreachto

studentsandaudiencesthroughoutNewYorkCity'sfiveboroughs,humanities

endeavorsthatprovideasocialandculturalcontextfortheworkswepresent,

and

productions

that

reflect

and

speak

to

the

issues

and

interests

of

our

surroundingcommunity.Ticketpricesforperformancesarekeptloworfreeof

chargeinordertoattractabroadaudience,andeveryperformancespaceisADA

accessible,withfreesignlanguageinterpretedandopencaptioned


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21

performancesofferedduringsummerproductions.ThePublic'sprogramsalso

cultivateconnectionsamongitsmanyconstituenciesbetweenartistsand

audiencesandacrossethnicities,agesandexperiences.Theseconnectionsare

fundamentaltotheworkoftheinstitutionaswellastothedevelopmentof

futureartistsandaudiences,andthusthehealthofthetheatercommunityasa

whole.

ThreeartisticdirectorshaveservedatthehelmofThePublicsincePappsdeath:JoAnne

Akalaitis(199293),GeorgeC.Wolfe(19932004)and,currently,OskarEustis(2004present).

Eventhoughtheleadershiphaschangedovertheyears,CastingAssistantRebeccaFeldman

commentsthateventoday,theoriginalmissionisstillatthecoreoftheorganization.Feldman

says:

Idothink,though,thateachartisticdirectorandstaff[carries]thatmissionout

differently. Therearealotofwaystointerpretwhatitistorepresentthe

populationas

awhole

and

alot

of

ways

to

accomplish

hearing

important

voices

onstage. Someartisticdirectors'visionshaveresonatedwithmemorethan

others,butIbelievetheyallservethemissionequally. AndIknowthatIcan

trustallofmycoworkerseverysinglepersoninthebuildingtobedevotedto

themission.

Feldman

definitely

touches

on

an

important

point

within

the

organization.

While

artistic

directorschange,thereisdefinitelyasenseofcommunityamongthestaffmembersthere;

everyoneworkshardtosupportthemissionofthetheatre.Thestaffreallybelievesinthe

programmingthattheyarecreating.


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22

InaspeechdeliveredattheTheaterCommunicationsGroupconferencein2006,

OskarEustis(thecurrentartisticdirector)said:

Thevoicesthatneedtobereflectedonourstagesarenotthevoicesofthefew,

butthevoicesofthemany.Thegreatdemocratizingpowerofthetheatreneeds

tobeunleashedbythenonprofittheatre,notconstrained.Thatmeansthatthe

nonprofittheatreis,ofcourse,differentthanthecommercialtheatre.Not

opposed,butdifferent.ThegreatestartistoftheWesterncanon,Shakespeare,

wasnotthepropertyofpeoplewhohadmoneyorofpeoplewhohadeducation

orofpeoplewhowerebornhere.Shakespearewasthepropertyofeverybody.

(4)

PappsvisionlivesonthroughEustis,whoactivelycultivateswhatPappwouldwishtosee,were

hestillalive.

Currently,EustisisverymuchdevotedtosupportingPappsoriginalvisionforThePublic.

Ina2012

article

in

American

Theatre,

Eustis

expresses,

The

Public

is

here

to

make

theater

that

matters.ItsatheatrethatsallaboutdemocracyHe[Papp]didntjustturntheauditorium

overtothepeople heturnedthestageovertothepeople(Soloski26).Eustisismoredevoted

topoliticalandAmericanissuesthananyotherartisticdirectorinThePublicshistory,bringing

insuchworksasPassingStrange(2007)byHeidiRodewaldandStew,therevivalofHair

directed

by

Diane

Paulus

(2008),

In

The

Wake

(2010)

by

Lisa

Kron,

The

Agony

and

Ecstasy

of

SteveJobs(2011)byMikeDaisey,TheIntelligentHomosexual(2011)byTonyKushner,and

more.

Byutilizinganinhousecastingteam,ThePublicstrivestobringinarangeofstoriesby


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23

artistsfromdiversebackgrounds.Cruzpointsouttheimportanceofdiversityinthearts:

Communitybasedtheatersmanifestadeepbeliefinthepowerofthearttobringdifferent

peopletogether,andtheresultisthatstereotypesarecrackedopenintheunfoldingoftheart

(Ecology19).FeldmansaysthatsincecastingisoneofthefewdepartmentsatThePublic

whoseseniorstaffhasbeenaroundsincePappstime,itiscompletelycommittedtopreserving

Pappswishesaboutnontraditionalcasting.Thisisacrucialcomponentofprovidingaccessto

artistswhoareunderrepresentedinmainstreamandmonochromaticculture.Thecasting

departmentfullysubscribestotheideathataudiencememberswanttoseethemselves

representedonstage.Feldmanpointsoutthatshenoticedanincrediblyspecialexperience

duringthe201213seasonsWildWithHappy,writtenbyandstarringColemanDomingo.

Domingo,anAfricanAmericangayartist,wroteasemiautobiographicalstoryabouthismother

inthemidstofherpassing.Theproduction,stagedintheLuEstherspace,broughtinadifferent

audiencethanthedowntownspacehadseenallseason.AsanAfricanAmericanartist,

Domingobrought

in

amore

diverse

audience

for

The

Public.

WhenEustisacceptedthepositionofartisticdirectorofThePublicTheaterin2005,he

madeaconcertedefforttobringthetheaterbacktoitsroots.Oneofthewaysheachievedthis

goalwasthroughtherevitalizationoftheMobileShakespeareUnit.TheMobileShakespeare

Unit,nowenteringitsthirdseason,isdirectlytiedtoPappseffortsatcommunityoutreach.

Eustis

believes

that

the

Mobile

Unit

is

crucial

to

the

mission

of

The

Public;

as

he

once

told

Alexis

Soloski,therefoundingoftheMobilewasaboutrealizingthatShakespeareintheParkno

longerreachesthepeopleitwasoriginallyintendedto.Wehavetogobackouttothem.We

wenttoprisons,halfwayhouses,batteredwomensshelters(qtd.inSoloski28).Theatre


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24

professionalsrehearseandperformaShakespeareplaywithminimalset,propsandlighting.

Theytravelinavantoroughlytwentylocationsinallfiveboroughs.Theselocationsinclude

communitycenters,homesfortheelderly,andprisons.Loweysaysthatstaffandaudience

responseregardingthemobileunithasbeenincredibleandhewishestheycouldexpandthis

kindofwork.HewantsThePublictobringshowsbacktothecommunitiesandevenbackinto

theLowerEastAmphitheater,whereitstartedsomefiftyyearsago.Eustissaysthatareturn

couldbearoundthecorner:Iwillbeverysurprisedifwedontendupwithafullseasonof

Mobileworkwithinthenexttwoorthreeyears(qtd.inSoloski28).Papphimselfsawthe

importanceofbringingtheatretocommunitiesthatwouldnotbeexposedtoShakespeare

otherwise. Papponcesaid,CriticsoftenclaimIminconsistent,thatIhavenocentral

aesthetic.WhatisconsistentinmyworkisthatIhavealwayswantedtoprovideaccesstothe

besthumanendeavortothegreatestnumberofpeople.Ibelievethatgreatartisforeveryone

notjusttherichorthemiddleclass.WhenIgointoEachHarlemorBedfordStuyvesantandsee

thekids

who

come

to

our

shows,

Isee

nothing

so

clearly

as

myself

(qtd.

in

Epstein

18).

His

passionanddesiretobringtheatretoallnomatterofraceandclassisstillveryimportantto

ThePublicandcontinuestoliveonthroughhissuccessors.

Anothercurrentinitiativegearedtowardfosteringcommunity,theCapitalProject

Campaign,isa$40millionrenovationcampaignthatbeganovertwelveyearsago,whenThe

Public

was

still

under

the

direction

of

George

C.

Woolf.

While

the

campaign

has

several

stages

andisstillverymuchindevelopment,thefiftiethanniversaryofThePublicsawaclosetoa

hugeoperationtorevitalizethelobbyandoutdoorfaadeof425LafayetteStreet.Themain

goalofthepreviouscampaignwastorenovatethespace,andwhileaudienceslovedtheold


25/37

25

space,itneededtoberenovatedbecauseofitsage.Previously,thewallsinthelobbyhadthe

titlesofShakespeareanplayswrittenonthem;thesewerereplacedwithwhitewallsandlarge

signsindicatingtheentrancestothesixperformancespaces.Inadditiontopractical

renovationsrequiredinthebuilding,suchasthefixtureoftheleakyroof,expansionofthe

bathrooms,andcreationofgreenroomareas,thecampaignhadagreaterpurpose:toserve

notonlyitsaudiencesandartistsbutthelargercommunity.Theadditionofarampinfrontof

thetheatrenotonlywaslegallyrequiredforAmericansforDisabilitiesActcodes,butalso

reflectedtheopenforallideaattheheartofthetheatresmission.TheideabehindPublic

Openisthatanyoneiswelcomethroughthedoors.Oneofthemaingoalsoftherenovationis

tomakethebuildingmoreaccessibleandprovideaspacethatnurturesthediverseaudiences

andartistswhoenter.LoweysaystheprogramisaboutReimaginingthewaythepeopleenter

thespaceandhowtheyaretreatedoncetheyareinthemainpartofthebuilding.Theporosity

andneedforgreaterspacewithinthelobby,butalsotheideathatthosefrontstepsbecome

thebeginning

of

the

lobby,

so

essentially

the

culture

of

The

Public

Theater

spills

out

into

the

sidewalkandinvitedtheaudienceinside.Loweyalsonotesthatwhenaudiencescomeinside,

thereisaplacetomixandminglewitheachother.Duetotherobustnessofprogramming,

audiencesfromUnderTheRadarandthosewhocometoJoesPubhavetheopportunityto

meetandtalkaboutthearttheyjustexperienced.Aslightlyunexpected(andslightlycriticized)

aspect

of

the

renovation

project

is

The

Library,

the

new

restaurant

located

on

the

second

floor

ofthebuilding.TheLibrary,whichderivesitsnamefromthefactthat425LafayetteStreetused

tobeapubliclibrary,isnotaveryfinanciallyaccessiblerestaurant:thepricesforcocktailsand

mealsarehigh.


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26

WhilesomemaysaythatnotallofThePublicsprogrammingisaccessibletoeveryone,

staffmembersadmitthatthecompanyisalwaysaworkinprogress.Mostoftheworkis

affordable,or,atleast,moreaffordableincomparisontootherNewYorktheatres.For

example,thePublicLabinitiativelowersthecostoftheatergoingbyproviding$15ticketsforall

audiences.Originallymeanttopresentworksindevelopmentwithscaleddownproductions,

PublicLabactuallypresentsfullscaleworkforafairprice.Inaddition,ticketstotheUnderthe

RadarFestivalareonly$20,andprovidetheaudiencewiththeuniqueopportunitytointeract

withinternationalartists.Andmostobviously,ShakespeareintheParkisstillatthecoreofthe

organizationsmission.In2012,ShakespeareintheParkcelebrateditsfiftiethanniversary,

whichattractedasignificantamountofattention.Forexample,aphotoshootbyAnnie

LeibovitzforVanityFairtookplaceatTheDelacortefeaturingMandyPatinkin,JesseL.Martin,

BlytheDanner,LilyRabe,JonathanGroff,JerryStiller,AnneMeara,DonnaMurphy,Audra

McDonald,JamesEarlJones,JesseTylerFerguson,MerylStreep,KevinKlineandOliverPlatt.

Thefeature

article

also

includes

ashort

commentary

by

playwright

Tony

Kushner.

Kushner

comments:

WhenJoePappcreatedtheDelacorteTheater,hestakedoutaborderland

betweenthenaturalworldandtheworldofdreams.For50summers,we

patronsofthePublicTheatersfreeShakespeareintheParkhavewaitedlong

hours

sitting

in

the

grass,

inhaling

dust

from

nearby

softball

or

soccer

gamesWealwayscomebackbecausethegoodnightsattheDelacortehavea

rare,peculiarmagic.Windstirsthetrees,theskiesdarken,thestagefillswitha

blendingofrealandartificialmoonlightthenoneofourcountrysgreatest


27/37


28/37

28

togiveoutfreeticketstothateveningsshows.Thishelpsreachaudiencememberswho

otherwisewouldnothavetheopportunitytowaitinthegeneralparkline.VictoriaTeague,a

memberofthemarketingteamduringthefiftiethanniversaryseason,spokeabouther

experiencesduringboroughdistribution:Thepeopleinlineweregreat,too;theywerea

differentcrowdthanthelineattheparkbuttheywerejustasexcited.Wehadafewcranky

people,justlikeinthepark,butI'mgladtohavehadtheexperienceofmakingthedecisionof

howtohandlethemonthespot.Teaguesaidthatshehadtheopportunitytovisiteach

boroughandthattheticketswererandomlydistributed.Loweyagreesthatborough

distributiondoesagreatjobofprovidingaccessforcommunitiestoseeShakespeareinthe

Parkwhootherwisewouldnotbeabletowaitinline.However,Loweydreamsofatimewhen

ThePubliccanprovidetransportationfortheirshows,bothdowntownandinthepark.Hefeels

thatthiswouldreallybringpeopleoutoftheirneighborhoods,whichsomeneverdreamof

leaving,andbringthemtoplacestheywouldntnormallyfeelcomfortablein,neighborhoods

likethe

East

Village

or

the

Upper

West

Side.

Finally,thePublicForum,aninitiativechairedbyJeremyMcCarter,isaconversation

withartists.PreviouspanelshaveincludedconversationswithTonyKushner,Stephen

Sondheim,RachelMaddow,AlecBaldwinandSusanLoriParks.Whileitisticketed,arecent

changeisthattheforumsareuploadedtoYouTube.com.Thevideosarereallyimportantfor

the

community

to

be

able

to

access

on

YouTube,

since

the

tickets

arent

the

most

affordable.


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29

PUBLICWORKS

InApril2013,ThePublicTheaterannouncedtheirnewestinitiative,PublicWorks.

Accordingtotheirofficialsite,themaingoaloftheinitiativeistodeliberatelyblurtheline

betweenprofessionalartistsandcommunitymembers:itwillcreatetheaterthatisnotonlyfor

thepeople,butbyandofthepeopleaswell.Thedirectoroftheprogram,LeardeBessonet,

beganherworkatTheOldGlobeinSanDiegoonacommunitybasedproductionofThe

Odyssey.Thatprojectwascenteredontencommunitypartnershipsandstarredthreeunion

actorsand200SanDiegans,andservedasahugeinspirationforherworkwithThePublic.

deBessonetexplains,TheDNAofPublicWorkshasbeenpartofThePublicfromthebeginning,

Ithinkthemandatetofigureouthowtobridgethe,sortof,everwideninggapbetweenmany

NewYorkersandtheatreissomethingthatThePublichassetupforitselfanditwantstofinda

waytodo.Theinitiative,whichhasbeenbrewingintheinstitutionforsometimenow,has

beenintheplanningstagesforayear.deBessonetstatedthatthefirststepswereidentifying

whichorganizations

the

program

wanted

to

partner

with

and

that

those

partnerships

were

crucialincultivatingPublic Works.

Foritsdebut,theprogramistoproduceacommunitybasedproductionofTheTempest,

workinginpartnershipwithfivecommunityorganizationsfromaroundthecity.These

organizationsareChildrensAidSociety(Manhattan);DreamYard(Bronx);Fortune

Society

(Queens);

Brownsville

Recreation

Center

(Brooklyn);

and

Domestic

Workers

United

(all

boroughs,includingStatenIsland). InadditiontotheorganizationsparticipationintheproductionofTheTempest,whichwilltakespaceinearlySeptember,ThePublicisworkingwith

eachorganizationonworkshopsandclasses.Forexample,artistsareleadingdanceclasseswith


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30

theBrownsvilleRecreationCenter,achorusfortheChildrensAidSociety,andShakespeare

withDreamYard.deBessonetmentionsthateachpartnershipistailormade,basedonthat

companysneedsandmembers.TheDNAofPublicWorkshasbeenpartofThePublicfromthe

beginning,Ithinkthemandatetofigureouthowtobridgethe,sortof,everwideninggap

betweenmanyNewYorkersandtheatreissomethingthatThePublichassetupforitselfandit

wantstofindawaytodo.However,whyistheprogramspecial?Therearemanyprograms

aroundthecitythatbringtheartstounderservedareas.Butnooneisdoingitquitelikethis,

withinapowerfulandlargeorganization.deBessonetexpresses,WhatisdifferentaboutPublic

Worksisthatalotprogramsaroundthecityhavestuffforyouth,butthereisnothingfor

anyoneolderweretryingtocreateatrulyparticipatoryeventswherepeoplewhousuallydo

notfeelincludedintheartsfeelthisfullsenseofbeingtotallyathomeandwelcome.While

deBessonetunderstandsthatthisisahardgoaltomeasure,sherealizesthatthisiscrucialfor

theprogram.Shealsospeaksaboutadesiretosupporttheworkthatotherorganizationsare

alreadydoing,

whether

community

building

or

helping

members

rebuild

their

lives

after

incarceration.

PublicWorksistrulyarevolutionaryprogramhappeningatThePublic.Thisinitiativeis,

essentially,ThePublicsgrassrootstheatre.PublicWorksisanongoingprogramandwhile

thereisonemainstageshowayear,thepartnershipsareongoing,anddeBessonetisfocused

on

long

term

rather

than

project

based)

work.

Public

Works

is

a

grassroots

theatre

structure

withinamainstreaminstitution.

AUDIENCES


31/37

31

Whilethetheatresaudienceshavedefinitelygrownandchanged,theconsensusis

thatThePublicsaudiencesareincrediblydiverse,especiallyincomparisontoanyother

theatricalinstitution.InthedocumentaryJoePappin5Acts,rarefootagefromthefirst

productionpresentedatTheDelacorterevealsanextraordinarydiversityintermsofage,race,

andclassintheaudience.Onespecific,powerfulimageisthatofasmallAfricanAmericanboy

enthralledbyJamesEarlJonessperformanceinTheMerchantofVenice.Thisimagesoclearly

demonstratesthepowerandimportanceofthegroundbreakingworkthatbeganatThe

Delacortein1962.Obviously,todaythetheaterneedstodrawinacertaincaliberofaudiences

tomaintainitsfundingandclout.Feldmannotes:

ThePublicholdsauniquepositionasatheatrethatoccupiesthemiddle

groundbetween,forinstance,LaMaMaandBroadway. It(hopefully)appealsto

multiplekindsoftheatergoersinthatwayandsometimesfunctionstobridgethe

gapbetweentwotypesoftheatreartthatareseenasvastlydifferent. AndI

thinkthat

is

awonderful

thing.

But

Ido

also

notice

that

our

audience

is

more

diverseandmoreareflectionofthecitywhenthewritersandactorsaremore

diverse,andIwishwecoulddoabetterjobofgettingallpeopleinthedoorfor

allprojects. IdoalsothinkthattheShakespeareintheParkaudiencehas

changedasthoseshowshavebecomeahotticketandhavebecomeharderto

get

into

for

those

who

it

was

first

aimed

at

people

who

don't

otherwise

have

opportunitiestoseeShakespeareactedbywonderfulactorsanddirectedby

wonderfuldirectors.


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32

ShakespeareintheParkdefinitelyprovidesauniqueopportunitythatcouldnotbereplicated

byanyothergroup.

UNDERTHERADAR

TheUndertheRadarfestivalworkstobringartistsfromaroundtheworld,whoare

otherwiselimitedintheirhomecountries.TheUndertheRadarFestivalhasproducedthe

worksofBelarusFreeTheatre,acompanyofartistswhofocusonthecontroversialpolitical

turmoilofpresentdayBelarus.Asanextremelypoliticallyturbulentcountry,Belarusdoesnot

haveartisticfreedom.WhenBelarusFreeTheatercametotheEastVillagetoperformtheir

pieceGenerationJeans,theyreceivedextremebacklashfromBelarussiangovernment.Ina

recentNewYorkTimesfeaturearticle,LarryRohterwritesthatthetroupehadtoescape

BelarusillegallyduetotheirpersecutionbytheK.G.B.ArtisticDirectorNataliaKolyadasays,

Wevehadtoleavethecountryinsmallgroups,andnotinanofficialfashion,letsputitthat

way(qtd.

in

Rohter).

Since

then,

Under

the

Radar

produced

three

of

their

pieces

in

total,

in

2011andonein2013.ThePublichasprovidedaforumfortheseartiststhattheydesperately

needandcannotgetintheirowncountry.Inaddition,itprovidesanincrediblyunique

experiencefortheaudiencesatThePublictolearnfirsthandaboutanextremelyoppressed

groupofartistsandwhattheyareexperiencingintheirpoliticallytumultuousnation.ThePublic

fully

supports

Belarus

Free

Theatre

and

its

artists,

so

much

so

as

to

take

it

to

the

streets.

Eustis

himselftookpartinaprotestforthefreedomofthosewhowerearrestedduetotheirart.Ata

rallythattookplaceonJanuary19,2011,Eustissaidtothecrowd,Weareherebecausethisis

oneoftheveryrareoccasionswhenatheatrecompanyisthemostprominentspokesperson


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fortheirpeople.TheFreeTheatreofBelarusarenotonlybrilliantartiststheyhave

courageouslytakenononeofthesacredandraretasksthatthetheatregetstotakeon;to

speakforthosewhocantspeak,todrawattentiontothosewhoneedattentiondrawntotheir

plight.WerehereinsolidaritywiththeFreeTheaterofBelarusandweareincrediblyproudto

beinsolidaritywiththem(Christopherson3:1547).

SUCCESSVS.ACCESS

ItisimportanttorecognizethatwhileThePublicisdefinitelyauniquecasestudyamong

theatrecompaniesinNewYorkCity,itisnotunflawed.Thereisnoabsolutelyaccuratewayto

measureitssuccessinprovidingaccessibilitytothecommunity,andthereisalwaysroomfor

improvement. Loweysuggestsonestepwouldbetophysicallybringingaudiencestothe

theatreforfree,actuallyprovidingtransportationtoandfromtheirhomes.Anotherwayin

whichThePubliccanworkoncultivatingitsaudiencesisthroughadigitalmarketingcampaign.

WhileThe

Public

is

indeed

active

on

social

media,

with

over

20,000

followers

on

Twitter

and

20,000Facebookfans,theydonothavealargesocialfollowing(comparedtootherarts

organizations)orofferinteractivewaystoconnectwiththeiraudience.Inaddition,their

websiteisveryoutdatedandnoteasytounderstandandnavigate.Overall,whileThePublic

has,arguably,themostsuccessfulnonprofitcampaignincultivatingacommunityofdiverse

audiences

and

artists,

there

is

room

for

improvement.

CONCLUSION

Unfortunately,ThePublicisanexceptioninthetheatricalcommunityinNewYork,in


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termsofcreatinggrassrootstypework.Noothercompany'sworkcanrivalthecontributions

thatThePublicmakestothecommunityofNewYork.ThisismainlyduetoShakespeareinthe

ParkandthediversesettingofNewYork.Althoughgrassrootstheatrecompaniesareeffective

atengagingandfosteringcommunityamongaudiencesandartists,ThePublicdemonstrates

thatlargeinstitutionsarecapableofdoingthesame,andcanreachanevenwideraudience.

ThestructureatThePublicfacilitatesthetypeofworkthatgrassrootscompaniesareaimingto

do,butonalargerscale.Thesecompaniesarecounteractingthelargeinstitutionsthatonly

catertoprivilegedaudiences.Whiletheydothat,theirvoiceisnotloudenoughandtherefore

oftentheirworkdoesnotreachthemasses.However,themainstreamtheatrestructurestill

hasalongwaytogotofosterandserveadiversegroupofaudiencesandartists.


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WorksCited

Boal,Augusto.TheatreoftheOppressed.NewYork:TheatreCommunicationsGroup,1985.

Print.

Christopherson,Jody.OskarEustisandTonyKushnerspeakonbehalfofBelarusFreeTheatre.

Onlinevideoclip.YouTube.11Jan.2011.Web.20Feb.2013.

Brantley,Ben."Mother,Courage,GriefandSong."TheNewYorkTimes.22Aug.2006.15Dec.

2012.

CohenCruz,Jan.LocalActs:CommunitybasedPerformanceintheUnitedStates.New

Brunswick,NJ:RutgersUP,2005.Print.

CohenCruz,

Jan.

"The

Ecology

of

Theater

In

Community:

A

Field

Theory."

Introduction.Performingcommunities:Grassrootsensembletheatersdeeplyrootedin

eightU.S.communities.Ed.RobertH.Leonard,AnnKilkelly,andLindaFrye.Burnham.

Oakland,CA:NewVillageP,2006.324.

"CornerstoneTheaterCompany."CornerstoneTheaterCompany.Web.01Apr.2013.

deBessonet,

Lear.

Director

of

Public

Works,

The

Public

Theater.

Personal

interview.

11

Apr.

2013.

Epstein,Helen.JoePapp:AnAmericanLife.Boston:Little,Brown,1994.Print.

Feldman,Rebecca.CastingAssistant,ThePublicTheater.Personalinterview.15Dec.2012.


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Burnham,LindaFrye."CommunityBuilding:AnUndiscoveredArtsMainstream."2002

ConferenceProceedings(2002):19.Print.

Eustis,Oskar."OskarEustisSeizestheMoment."InterviewbyAlexis

Soloski.Http://www.tcg.org/.N.p.,Dec.2012.Web.Jan.2013.

.

GarcaGmez,Pablo."TeatroPregonesMarks30YearswithNewMusical,'AlohaBoricua'"NY

DailyNews.MortimerZuckerman,3Nov.2009.Web.26Apr.2013.

JoePapp:InFiveActs.Dir.TracieHolderandKarenThorsen.2012.Film.

Kuftinec,Sonja.StagingAmerica:CornerstoneandCommunitybasedTheater.Carbondale:

SouthernIllinoisUP,2003.Print.

Kushner,Tony,andAnnieLeibovitz."SplendorinThePark."VanityFair.4July2012:10001.

Leonard,RobertH.,AnnKilkelly,andLindaFrye.Burnham,eds.PerformingCommunities:

GrassrootsEnsembleTheatersDeeplyRootedinEightU.S.Communities.Oakland,CA:

NewVillage,

2006.

Print.

Lowey,David.AssistantDirectorofCapitalProjects,ThePublicTheater.PersonalInterview.17

Dec.2012.

Raden,Bill."ANewPlayAbout...LAUSDSchoolLunch?"PublicSpectacle.BethSestanovich,27

Mar.2013.Web.25Apr.2013.

Rohter,

Larry.

"Escaped

From

Belarus,

Actors

Raise

Voices."

New

York

Times.

5

Jan.

2011:

C1.

Print.

Teague,Victoria.Marketing.ThePublicTheater.PersonalInterview.17Dec.2012.


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"ThePublicTheater."PublicTheater.16Dec.2012

.

Turan,Kenneth,andJosephPapp.FreeForAll:JoePapp,ThePublic,andTheGreatestTheater

StoryEverTold.NewYork:Doubleday,2009.Print.

Lina's Thesis

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