Post-Show Discussions
Posted by David New on 2/28/2006An excerpt from Hello Beautiful on Chicago Public Radio – February 12, 2006 Host Edward Lifson with Next Theatre Artistic Director, Jason Loewith, TimeLine Theatre Artistic Director, PJ Powers, and Chicago Sun-Times Theatre and Dance Critic, Hedy Weiss
JL: …I think that we artists are keenly aware of the unique phenomenon that theatre provides of getting a group of people into a room live together… the excitement of that, the potentiality of that, the thrill of getting people in a room… you can have a conversation about stuff. People love, certainly in my theatre, the post-show discussions following our Sunday matinee. It enfranchises them. It gives them an opportunity to have their voices heard, which I think is why we feel compelled to put on plays that discuss difficult issues.
EL: But this does seem to be a growing trend, these after-performance discussions…
PP: It is. It’s something that I know Jason is doing a lot more of at Next. It’s something that we’ve increased a lot this year at TimeLine. Other theatres are doing it. And a new trend that a lot of theatres have started in the past couple months – we just launched ours two weeks ago – is a blog on our website… hoping to get people after they’ve seen the show to share their thoughts about it.
EL: So people can write in on the internet and say what they’re thinking?
PP: Right. And it’s also a place where we can provide resources – if you want to read more, here’s some links to things.
EL: Hedy Weiss, what do you think of this trend?
HW: I have to say that I think if a piece of theatre works, the last thing I want to do is stay after the performance and hear ordinary people talk. I was thinking, the one play that we didn’t mention today which I think is superb at Victory Gardens is I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady From Rwanda. And the last thing I would want to do is sit there and have a conversation about what went on in Rwanda. I know from the very emotional interaction of these two characters – and this is not at all a documentary play – I know what the result of that was. And I want to walk away from the theatre and stay in that mood. I don’t want chitchat.
You can listen to the entire program here.
After attending the closing matinee of Next Theatre’s excellent production of A Number yesterday I stayed for the post-show discussion. Jason Loewith led the conversation which was intelligent and illuminating. Far from chitchat, it was an investigation into the themes of a challenging play.
Next season, Steppenwolf has committed to offering post-show discussions after every performance in the subscription series. This commitment has come out of the positive response and sense of engagement expressed by our audiences.
How do you feel about post-show discussions? Are you someone who wants to stay and take advantage of the “public square” dynamic to discuss the play? Do you want to leave and discuss it with the person you attended the theatre with? Does it depend on the production?
The thing I most enjoy about this particular form of engagement is not only the opportunity of artists and artistic staff to have a conversation with audience members, but also, for our audience members to have a conversation with each other.
March 1st, 2006 at 10:53 am
Hey David,
Although some may only want to pay for their ticket (or not, in the case of many critics) and leave the show, I personally want to learn more. I want to hear about the methods of discovery that happened in the process of creation. I want to know the background for the world of the play. I want to ask questions of of lighting choices or character development. I agree that a performance should be able to stand on its own. I believe that if there are unanswered questions, that the playwright or director intended these questions to linger. But, much like my fascination with the Discovery Channel, I want to know more. That’s just me. But it must be done well. By presenting an “expert” or “panel of experts” the theater must realize the message it is sending. By placing the actors onstage after the show, they become the “experts” for a production and an organization in which they are contracted employees. In many post-show discussions, actors become spokespeople for decisions of the theater (why did you change the prices?), or design decisions (why did you use green light on that scene?). Steppenwolf is unique in its approach by having a staff member prompt discussions between the audience members, rather than talking at them about information in the usual “one question, one answer” format.
March 6th, 2006 at 10:57 am
Hey Ryan - we are of the same mind. I led a 45 minute post-show discussion yesterday after the matinee of Well-Appointed-Room and much of it consisted of audience members responding to each other’s ideas about the play. In our post-show discussions we are really interested in engaging in conversation rather than going through a series of questions and answers. I end up learning a tremendous amount as a result of hearing audience member’s thoughtful responses to the production.
Anyone else want to weigh in on this topic?