'Active audience' comes to Charleston

Published August 10, 2008 at 6:14 am by Chris Giganti.

Filed in: News, Entertainment, Arts & Culture, theater, Little City Musical Theatre Company, John Stoehr, active audience. References: Charleston City Paper.

'Active audience' comes to Charleston

Charleston City Paper Arts Editor John Stoehr posted a blog entry recently on the issue of the “active audience,” or, in an age where theater is becoming more and more interactive, how acting troupes and theaters can address this need. Stoehr argues that smaller, more mobile groups of actors are actually at an advantage in this environment, focusing on the case of Little City Musical Theatre Company, a small group of performers who recently put on their debut production, “Songs for a New World.”

But, more significantly, Stoehr suggests that the idea of having a permanent home isn’t as necessary as it once was, which is really the problem that Little City is facing. From Charleston City Paper:

Having a theater is probably better than not. But I wonder if a group like Little City might have an advantage. I wonder if being smaller, nimbler, more mobile, and more media-savvier might be just the traits needed to survive, and perhaps thrive, in the 21st century, as we witness the rise of what arts administrators are calling the “active audience.”

It’s definitely an interesting topic, as discussions in the business world, particularly new media and online businesses, often turns to the idea of smaller, more efficient operations with more of a niche focus. Is that sort of evolutionary slimming down coming to the arts world, as well?