A Random Post on a Pretty Neat Panel

So we've been having a little lull in our theater going, mainly because Lydia's taking the FOREIGN SERVICE WRITTEN EXAM on Saturday, but we do manage to stay in the thick of things. Last night we went to a Stanford Alumni panel about "The Future of Theater in America: Are we in peril?" It was pretty great, with actress Lois Smith, David Auburn (playwright, Proof), Florie Seery of Manhattan Theater Club, and Warren Leight (playwright, Side Man. It was really interesting to hear some perspectives on the future of theater. We covered many topics.

Why is London so much different than New York? Why are there edgier shows and longer runs for smaller shows? They talked about how London has government-subsidized theater, and how people come to New York to see giant spectacles.
Are theater audiences graying? Is this a bad thing? Young people just can't afford tickets to theater a lot of times. And of course with the exorbitant prices of tickets in New York, expectations are much higher as well.
Charles Isherwood wrote an article a few months back about theater being too "safe," do you think this is the case? Florie didn't think shows were safe at all, and Warren was like, it's ironic that he writes that, because he's single-handedly shooting down every new play from a new American writer that comes out.
And on that note, why has the New York Times become the make it or break it source for theater these days? One review really determines the success of a show, which is pretty interesting.

Lydia and I had some other thoughts that we didn't get a chance to voice, but we thought were interesting as well.

For instance, Broadway seems to be dominated by the same like 5 directors. Once one wins the Tony, it seems like everything the next year is directed by the same person (witness Joe Mantello and Doug Hughes). Does this seem to stifle creativity on Broadway, kind of creating a very uniform feeling across many of the plays, or at least limit opportunities for others?

What are your thoughts? Is the future of theater in America in jeopardy?