A stage on the beach in Brighton with audience groups at picnic tables. A solo show in a Belfast shopping mall and another amid the Narnia sculptures in C.S. Lewis Square. And, of course, open-sided tents in car parks and on lawns. Here’s how regional theatre festivals are making sure the show goes on. – The Guardian
Category: AUDIENCE
Judge Rules Movie Studios Can Own Theatres For First Time In 71 Years
This game-changing decision could result in a complete overhaul of not only who owns theater chains in the near and long-term future, but how, when and where consumers will enjoy feature film content. – Forbes
UK Report: Theatres With Proper Ventilation Could Be Safe To Reopen At Full Capacity
Ventilation is more effective at protecting against airborne transmission of the Covid-19 virus than social distancing or PPE – and “many performance venues have the capability to provide good levels of ventilation,” according to Government advisers. – Arts Professional
Meme Me – How Memes Work
The chaotic creativity of remixed internet memes and the new linguistic structures that rapidly evolve from them allow us to express certain states of mind and have others immediately get it and respond in kind. This has been called an “asynchronous, massively multi-person conversation.” – JSTOR
Stop Panicking Over The Age Of Classical Audiences, Says NY Times Chief Critic
Anthony Tommasini: “Elements of dismaying ageism run through the chronic bemoaning over the graying of classical and opera audiences, something that bothered me even before I entered this older demographic myself. … But images and television broadcasts make plain that even back in the 1960s, when Leonard Bernstein was galvanizing the Philharmonic and attracting young people like me to his concerts, audiences were dominated by those in their 50s and older. Yet, year after year, devoted older fans continued to appear.” – The New York Times
When Fans Of A Show Become Its Owners
Fans come to see themselves not just as the audience for, or patrons of, a given “intellectual property” but (to paraphrase the old WestJet slogan) as owners too. This feeling of ownership is often vindicated by the franchises themselves, which deliberately pander to the hopes and expectations of their core audiences. – The Walrus
UK Report: TV Watching Surged During Lockdown
Its annual study into UK media habits suggested adults – many stuck indoors – spent 40% of their waking hours in front of a screen, on average. Time spent on subscription streaming services also doubled during April. At the height of lockdown, adults spent an average of six hours and 25 minutes each day staring at screens. Screen time overall was up almost a third (31%) on last year. – BBC
Well, England Didn’t Re-Start Indoor Performances On August 1 After All
“Indoor English venues were scheduled to open on 1 August with social distancing measures in place for audiences and performers – emulating the pilot run performed at The London Palladium last week.” But, with the novel coronavirus raging on, at noon on July 31, Boris Johnson told the nation, “Our assessment is that we should squeeze the brake pedal.” (The sensible Scots are waiting until October to reopen their theatres and concert halls.) – WhatsOnStage
Is Standup Comedy Theatre?
Standup comedy is not created purely by the performer, but as a collaborative production between the performer, the audience, the venue and the promoter. In the same way a theatre is arranged to support dramatic performance or a gallery is lit to display paintings, so too must a standup comedy gig be presented in such a way that it contextualises the performance to come – the iconic image of the single microphone on a stand in a spotlight is evocative of standup comedy without anything needing to be said. – The Conversation
Coronavirus Prevention Measure: Intermission
In China, some areas of the country can require movie theatres to give an intermission in the middle of movies that are more than two hours long. Hurray for bathroom breaks? “There is not yet official clarity as to how long the break should be and whether facilities must be disinfected again during that time frame.” – Variety