Challenging Mediocrity

I saw a production of Into the Woods last week that reminded me why I love theatre so much.

It can be powerful. It can be transformative. It can be moving.

Photo courtesy of Lindsey Jensen Espinosa and Paris Community Theatre

But, quite often, it can be mediocre. What leads to mediocre theatre, and why do we settle for it?

I suppose some people lean to one extreme approach or another, creating a breeding ground for mediocrity.

One extreme is participating in theatre to have "fun." Now, I firmly believe making theatre should be fun. It should be joyous! But, that doesn't mean there isn't real, honest, hard work involved in the process. But, if it should only be fun, then process and eventually product are thrown out the window, so to speak. If anyone can act, and anyone can direct, and anyone can design and build, then there is no guidance, and a haphazard, ill-prepared production is the result.
And, for whatever reason, adults feel the need to be kind and say to the participants after watching this kind of production, "You did such a good job!" or "You were just precious!" or "I enjoyed it so much!" I have news for you. Adult audience members can be softhearted liars. I wish there could be a handful of children in every audience. They will tell it like it is (often while the show is in progress.) If only all audiences kept us in check this way. I suppose they find another way, though. They simply don't return to see another production. Remembering that hard work can be fun while a production is in development is terribly important.

A second extreme is taking the process too seriously. If there is no happiness, no joy, and no "fun" in the rehearsal hall, why would we expect those qualities to suddenly materialize onstage in performance? Art is a huge part of my life, but it isn't life. Life is life and art makes it better, helps us cope, helps us explore, helps us vent, helps us think, and well... it just helps us. But it isn't life. (I know many will disagree with me on this, but I just can't subscribe to the art is life philosophy.) Productions developed with this extremely serious and often heavy-handed approach tend to bore audiences, not inspire them. Also, it prevents real creativity from happening for the artists involved. One constantly feels the need to check oneself in rehearsals and/or production meetings and remember to keep it serious. This isn’t realistic. People need a chance to have fun, too. A release, if you will. I have had a lot of fun working on dramas and tragedies because we could be ourselves in rehearsal, and we kept our audience in mind throughout the process. If we hadn’t we would have ended up with self-absorbed, pretentious drivel. That’s just not the kind of theatre I’m interested in making and audiences aren’t interested in watching it.

Now, I mentioned that I saw a production of Into the Woods last week that reminded me of, and reaffirmed my love for live theatre. I saw a group of actors onstage who were obviously experiencing the joy of performance, but they also worked to create a world onstage that certainly took some serious effort in both rehearsals and performance. The costume, lighting, and set designs were both functional and whimsical, another blend of fun and serious artistic endeavor and craftsmanship. This was the perfect storm of a show. All the elements worked together to carry the audience through this entertaining, but above all enlightening, piece of musical theatre.

Photo courtesy of Lindsey Jensen Espinosa and Paris Community Theatre

I watched this production in a smallish, 200-seat, community theatre. Yes, great, moving, entertaining, wonderful performances can and do happen on community theatre stages. More often than we realize, too, I’m sure. I’m not saying the show was perfect. I’ve never seen a perfect show. I don’t think I’d want to, actually. But this was pretty darn close. It struck a balance between the two extreme approaches I discussed above. And it was a joy to watch.

It was a moving and meaningful experience. Above all, it serves as a challenge to mediocrity.

It reminded me to never settle as a theatre practitioner, but it also reminded me of just how important the balance between fun and serious work really is.

I look forward to the next time I see a production that rises above mediocrity to greatness, and I hope it happens sooner rather than later.

Until Next Time…
Ro Huizinga