The Three Different Types of Theater

For the few in the audience who were wondering, I've just finished the first draft of my fourth play.

For the even fewer in the audience who were wondering, it stinks. Naturally, that's how it happens. The first draft of anything is never great. It is never good. It is never even passable. It is always bad (though it does vary in how bad it is). Anyone who ever tries to tell you any different is either playing a joke on you or has been recently hit in the head with a big rock. If the latter is the case, get a doctor immediately.

However, when you have written enough drafts to the point that you are satisfied with the play, then ideally you would've come to the point that you want to get it produced or even produce it yourself. But how does one come to that point? Before that question is answered, think about where your play or musical ought to be staged. For the average joe, the first thing they might think of is:

Broadway!

Contrary to popular belief, no, not every Broadway theater is on Broadway. In fact, only three Broadway theaters are on Broadway itself: the Broadway Theatre (no shit), the Palace Theatre, and the Winter Garden Theatre. The other thirty-eight theaters are sort-of clustered the Theater District (minus the Vivian Beaumont). Now, generally people agree these four criterions make a Broadway theatre Broadway: a capacity of over 500 seats, mostly legitimate theater productions, it being within the Theater District, and being under an Actors' Equity Production contract if the theater is for-profit (an Actors' Equity "LORT A" if it's not for-profit).

Also, generally, Broadway produces musicals as opposed to plays. Obviously because Broadway is a huge tourist destination, you want to be able to attract as many tourists as possible. Tell me that the average Joe tourist from Chicagoland will sit through a production of A Lie of the Mind as opposed to The Producers starring Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane. They won't. When tourists come to New York, they want to see dancing, music, funny lines. They want to disconnect from their lives and just feel a plethora of euphoria. However, some may not. Some instead want to come for a gripping story with raw performances and in that case they'd settle for...

Off-Broadway!

Off-Broadway, in my opinion, is like the A24/New Hollywood of the New York Theater scene, though it's important to note that Off-Broadway can also extend to major theaters in other cities as well like Chicago or Boston (The Goodman Theater in Chicago comes to mind). Historically, Off-Broadway refers to any theater on the street intersecting Broadway though it generally refers to a theater which has a capacity of anywhere between 100 to 499 seats known as the Theatre Row (which also includes off-off-Broadway). Also, the Actors' Equity minimum salary for Off-Broadway actors is set less than that of Broadway.

Most of the plays produced here are usually critically-acclaimed character-centered dramas though some musicals may start out on Off-Broadway as well (In The Heights comes to mind). This is because Off-Broadway started out in the 1950s as a way for artists to sort-of curtail against what was an increasing money-grubbing aspect within Broadway. Though, that's not to say that Off-Broadway can't be financially successful (which is a general rule of thumb for most theater productions, even Broadway);this is debunked by The Threepenny Opera. 

To add to that, numerous acclaimed playwrights got their start in Off-Broadway: August Wilson, David Mamet (two of my faves), Lin Manuel-Miranda, Jonathan Larson, Tennessee Williams, Jeanine Tesori, etc., etc. And to speak of these playwrights, many of their prized works transitioned from Off-Broadway to Broadway (usually musicals, but not always). These include Rent, Hamilton, Little Shop of Horrors, Rock of Ages, Kimberly Akimbo. It can go the other way as well: Grease and A Chorus Line, for instance. However, maybe you want something a little more experimental, a little more out there. For that, you'd have to go to...

Off-Off-Broadway!

I don't think you can get any more off than Off-Off-Broadway (at least not in NYC). Off-Off-Broadway is the place to go for experimental works, though they have moved away from that in recent years and have basically become an even more indie version of Off-Broadway even though they produce works that are too commercially unsuitable for Broadway or maybe even Off-Broadway. As you might have guessed, Off-Off-Broadway theaters usually have less than 100 seats (LaMama is an exception) and they don't necessarily use union crew or actors. In some cases, members of the Actors' Equity Association can participate in Off-Off-Broadway productions and it can be called an Equity Showcase, which intends to show producers and other such important showbiz people their acting talent.

Off-Off-Broadway got its start in a few coffeehouses around Greenwich Village, particularly Joe Cino. Joe Cino would often just let stage plays run in his coffee shop Caffe Cino without actually reading the material. This, in turn, is what gave Off-Off-Broadway its signature DIY-style aesthetic. In fact, sometimes, playwrights and directors would just make sets from material found on the street.

In Conclusion

So, have any of you ever seen a show? If so, what was it? What type of Broadway was it on? What was it like? Leave your experiences in the comments below! See you next time when I talk about producing plays/musicals!

Sources:

Off-Off-Broadway Source

Off-Broadway Source

Broadway Source