The Patriot Players present two productions a year; a play in the fall and a musical in the spring. Last year, these shows were the comedies “Clue” and “You’re a Good Man,” Charlie Brown, which saw great success with ticket sales and a packed auditorium, director Dr. Julian Lazarus said.
However, this year’s play, “Radium Girls,” deviates from the trend set by the theater program’s recent productions. Unlike last year’s comedies, “Radium Girls” is a tragic tale focusing on the slow deaths of the titular dial painters and the anguish of those responsible for their illness. This deviation from the past shows’ inviting nature saw underwhelming results, as the audience turnout for the tragedy was “less than expected,” Lazarus said.
A major contributor to the play’s underperformance was its lack of appeal to a casual audience. Where last year’s shows had the promise of a fun evening for a family to attend, “Radium Girls” had a dramatic tale of woe to tell. “Dying from cancer is a hard sell,” Lazarus said.
Even so, there are benefits to watching tragedies. According to a post on PBS.org, “Aristotle argued that tragedy cleansed the heart through pity and terror, purging us of our petty concerns and worries by making us aware that there can be nobility in suffering. He called this experience ‘catharsis’.”
There is a belief that a play receiving low ticket sales would be inconsequential. Without the pressure to support the department financially, people don’t feel motivated to buy tickets and give the play their time. However, the theater department relies on the profit made through ticket sales, with each successful show adding to the next show’s production value. Shows’ earnings are used to pay for tools, equipment for lighting and sound repairs, lumber and the rights for future shows, which can cost “north of three grand,” Lazarus said.
Additionally, people don’t tend to feel encouraged to attend a play alone. Since the play is already a tough sell with its tragic story, it can be hard to convince someone to watch such a show. Furthermore, parents of younger children may have difficulty finding an opportunity to go without their kids, since the play’s subject matter may be inappropriate for children. However, taking older friends and relatives to a play can make for a great social experience, regardless of the production’s content. The play’s story and technical achievements make for apt conversation topics for a post-viewing discussion.
Furthermore, a sizable portion of the student body is involved with the play. Thus, the likelihood of recognizing at least one of the participating students is much higher than that of a school with a smaller theater ensemble. With familiar faces and feelings of catharsis, staff and students would be well-advised to attend future performances of tragedies.
The theater is an ever-changing environment that grows with every successful production, and it relies on the support it receives from each production. Regardless, if people are still hungry for a comedy, they should come back to the auditorium this spring for the satirically whimsical “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”
