Long before the alleged death of print media, films, or the electric car, they were talking about the death of theater. I was never sure if they meant theater with a capital 'T' or just theater as we know it: people in a box telling story to people sitting in a darker box. Regardless, it never really happened. Even when the majority of America went out to the movies once a week, their neighbors still kept coming to theater. And perhaps more importantly, people keep making it. Something about the electricity in a live performance and the need to tell people in a live setting your story, the allure of inhabiting a different world than your own, in front of a quiet room of strangers still inspires writers and actors and directors and designers.

 

How do I define theatre, with the capital 'T' or not? Well, first it is something that can't be filmed, sung, rapped or simply read without losing its essence. Reading Hamlet is fun, but it's not the same if you don't get to see the ghost telling his son what is what. But more specifically, theater has limitations, like any art form. Something uniquely theatrical exploits those limitations to its advantage, rather than try to work around them.

 

Jeff Auer and Gabriel McKinley each submitted a uniquely theatrical piece of writing to Crown Point this year. Although we were not able to produce the festival in full, we were certain we wanted these pieces somehow to come to light and the Winter Sampler was a perfect venue. We hope you will join us there!

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