To Kill Theater

For John, BLUF:  If professional theater producers are worried about the amateur crowd they must have some pretty big problems.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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When way off Broadway still isn’t far enough

From The Boston Glob, by Staff Reporter Malcolm Gay, 1 March 2019.

Here is the lede plus two:

Broadway just gave a community theater in Braintree the hook.

The 70-seat Curtain Call Theatre has become the latest to abandon an upcoming production of “To Kill A Mockingbird” after receiving a cease and desist letter threatening a major lawsuit on behalf of a powerful Broadway producer staging the play in New York.

The letter, received last week, cites a 50-year-old contract that places limits on amateur stage adaptations of the Harper Lee classic when there is an approved large Broadway or touring production — in this case Scott Rudin’s new Broadway version, written by Aaron Sorkin.

Besides shutting down of amateur theater appearing to have little financial impact on professional productions, including road shows, there is the counterproductive aspect of not encouraging interest in theater overall.  Then there is the loss of civic engagement and discussion from staging shows like "To Kill a Mockingbird."

This seems penny wise and pound foolish.

Regards  —  Cliff