On Value

Seems Value is the discussion of the day.

Value is a difficult thing to define in a group that contains many who tend to cringe at the notion of simply producing a product to make money. Not that there is anything wrong with this, to each his own; however, there is a vast difference between trying to assess the value of ART and trying to assess the value of a night on the town. Those creating may see it completely different from those attending.

Art has always been difficult to define, that's why so many have tried their hand at it. Products are pretty easy to define. The wheel is pretty simple, no arguments over the value of the wheel.

What do we value about theatre? I'm not sure you can separate value from values. Value comes from demand. What someone is willing to pay is the most common way we look at value in a capitalist society like ours. Is it worth our time and money? And different people value different things. I can't conceive of a day when I need $300 designer jeans. I can't imagine comprehending why someone else would. But there are those who buy em.

What is the value of an ipod? Of a movie? Of a concert?

While an elevator speech is great, examining what we as theatre artists value should be part and parcel of the discussion.

A while back Adam had a great, short post. "Don't tell me what matters to you. Show me your budget and what is important to you will become clear."

In almost every organization I can think of, the people who actually make the shows are the least important thing according to budget. At the smallest companies, the landlord gets the most, writers get a little bit, designers and stage managers get a little less and actors get nothing.

At major houses the same pattern exists with a few additional items. Take the Goodman as an example. If you look at their last 990; Building cost $47 million (a steal compared to the Guthrie) . Artistic Director $325,000 annually; Executive Director $308,000 annually; Playwright $76,000 (for one production); Star to perform at Gala Event $70,000; Actors in shows $816-$300 per week.*

I'm not singling out the The Goodman, it looks like many major institutions. It is not uncommon that a set costs more than the cast. If budgets truly show what an organization values, how do we come up with an elevator speech for that? Have we lost our way to the extent that we can't fabricate a story for our current reality?

What the value of theatre could be is often not seen by what theatre too often is. The true value is in the people who create it. Those who communicate and share stories. The true value, that which separates theatre from film, netflix, ipods and the internet, is in the people connecting with the audience. It is a difficult thing to describe, even more difficult if there is little proof in existence of what theatre can be.

If the above does not describe your work, or your company, how do you separate yourself so audiences can distinguish between your work and Jersey Boys? For many of us it seems like a stupid comparison, but is it for someone simply looking for something to do?

Do we need to figure out what the value of theatre is? Or how to re-find our values in what we create?



*According to Performink's last season preview, the Goodman works under LORT B+ and D contracts, and the non-equity pay is $300 a week