A Personal Perspective on Generational Homogeneity.
Generational Homogeneity: The Empirical Research.
Reasons for Generational Homogeneity: A Perspective from Young Adults.
Chapter 4:.
Dissemination Challenges.
Chapter 5:.
Solutions.
Conclusion.
Statement.
Throughout my life, both as a theatergoer and practitioner, I have been aware of an apparent generational homogeneity in American theatre audiences. My thesis will, firstly, investigate to what degree this perception is accurate, across the spectrum of American theatre. Next, I will explore the causes that may be fueling the lack of generational diversity in theatre attendance. I will then proceed to an examination of the challenges faced by American theatre in effectively disseminating its work to a broad generational demographic. Finally, I will examine the strategies and solutions being employed by the theatre community in an effort to expand theatre's visibility to, and engagement with, a new generation of potential audience members.
CHAPTER ONE.
A Personal Perspective on Generational Homogeneity.
The first production I ever directed was arguably my most successful. While "Dream" (my adaptation of "A Midsummer Night's Dream") was poorly staged, shabbily designed, and narratively messy, the production achieved something I have yet to achieve again. "Dream" brought in an audience of people in my age group, who rarely, if ever, had attended theatre, and exposed the joy of Shakespeare in performance to a demographic of audience members that, for the most part, had no previous interest in attending a Shakespearean performance. Most of the audience was college aged, roughly between 18 and 23 (I was 22 at the time), and they came in droves. .
Each performance was sold out, with the majority of tickets being bought by members of my age group, and by closing night approximately one thousand people had seen the show. The feedback I received was remarkably consistent again and again young audience members told me that they never realized how entertaining, hip, and relevant Shakespeare can be.
