In “Building a New American Theater of the Commons,” Polly Carl and Vijay Matthew of The American Voices New Play Institute discuss the need to approach theater as a “We” rather than a “Me.” They cite the ideas behind the regional theater movement of the 1960s:
“…that cultural institutions like theaters, museums, and symphonies are a value proposition and compose the life-blood of any city along with libraries, schools, hospitals and public works. It was born out of the same collaborative impulse that is required in making a great play—a belief that the shared resource of artistic imagination makes communities better.”
Carl and Matthew write that to make these ideas relevant in the 21st century, we must become “stewards of a collectively shared commons” and discuss ways in which we can take advantage of the internet’s “civilization-defining impact” to encourage collaboration and the coordination of resources, as well as to create artistic opportunity.
“Building a New American Theater of the Commons” »
Thanks to Julia Rowntree, co-director of Project Clay, a participatory public art project for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, for referring us to this piece.
