Pig Iron Theatre Company posted this article on their facebook a bit back. I think the article speaks for itself a lot but it brings back a lot of questions for me on the state of the business of theatre. The current general business model of a theatre company isn’t what works most of the time anymore for a company that wants to produce new and challenging work. The theatrical ensemble is making a push forward as one of the big possible new models. The education I’m getting at BU will give me many of the tools I need to create the work once I graduate, but only I can bring the drive and entrepreneurial spirit to actually put the toolbox to use.
I know this article doesn’t take into account the many schools that are beginning to empower their students to be not just one-title beings, but real Theatrical Collaborators with a huge repertoire of skill, but I take pride in the fact that I am part of this generation rising up to say, “We will fix this.” It reminds me of another article I read predicting that many well known regional theatre companies are soon going to need to replace their older leadership with young-people as their membership base really starts to disappear.
I think I post this just to remind everyone that when we’re done with our educations at BU there will be a place for us, but only if we really take advantage of the resources we’re given in school and utilize this knowledge through our own willpower when we enter the “real world” where nothing is required of us, except what we require of ourselves.
