What does our future hold?

Here are two articles that i found to be great companion pieces. One from the other day in the NY Times, which called to mind a Dec-2008 article in the Times.

A Few Star-Studded Hits Obscure Broadway’s Challenges

Audience for Straight Plays Is Declining, N.E.A. Finds

You can read the whole NEA study, which is actually fascinating leading to the conclusion above. The interesting thing about that article is that it does not resurface in our collective conversation. The NEA finds that ticket sales for straight theatre has dropped by 20% in the past 15 years, while the number of regional theatres has doubled. This is cause for concern.

However, lets face facts, it is not just the straight theatres in NY falling victim to the Star-syndrome. Musical theatre has over the passed decade started to push "star-quality" performers who have no buisness playing leads in live theatre. The question remains to be asked, are audiences really coming to see theatre or to star-gaze. If these plays, and some of them are iconic pieces of english drama, if they are notable to keep us invested, then what is. What is next?