Death by Salesmen
A recent discussion thread in Forbes and The Wall Street Journal examines how successful companies die, and I was struck by how strongly the article resonated with my concerns about the not-for-profit theatre field. The article quotes the oft-quoted Steve Jobs, saying:
“The company does a great job, innovates and becomes a monopoly or close to it in some field, and then the quality of the product becomes less important. The company starts valuing the great salesman, because they’re the ones who can move the needle on revenues.”
The correlation to theatre is so strong it probably doesn’t even need to be pointed out. Theatres are founded by a burning need to communicate a unique vision, either through an innovative aesthetic or by serving a new community. Because that aesthetic and community are all the theatre has, they are by necessity its primary focus. This primacy frees the young theatre to take great risks – after all, creative freedom is just another word for…
But as the theatre gains something to lose – whether it be reputation or a more tangible edifice – it inevitably moves from revolution to institution. When this happens, the gravity of the conversation shifts from art to marketing and development.
This doesn’t mean great art stops happening, but it often seems like a by-product of preserving the institution rather than the purpose of it. I can already see the seeds of this happening with Flux, as our current strategic plan focuses on several crucial goals, none of which are directly connected to the theatre we’re making.
I say this more as self-caution than outward criticism, and while I think this general drift holds true, I know a number of theatres (large and small) finding ways (small and large) to take aesthetic/community risks. However, switch out “theatre artists” for “designers and engineers”, and this quote for the article sums my fears:
“So salesmen are put in charge, and product engineers and designers feel demoted: Their efforts are no longer at the white-hot center of the company’s daily life. “
How can we keep the art at the white-hot center of our theatres’ daily lives?
1 Comment on "Death by Salesmen"
How can we keep the art at the white-hot center of our theatres’ daily lives?
The simplest way I can think of is just doing that right there: consciously and deliberately putting theatre first and foremost in all that you do, with everything else as a nice bonus. Be clear about need vs. want and be willing to sacrifice the latter for the former should it come to that. Discard the illusions of permanence, safety, security, ease, and comfort. Affirm each and every day what this means to you. Have courage and trust life.
That’s all I got.