Over the years we have seen how far the film industry has come in movies, TV shows, and documentaries, so why has theatre not become part of that world? It is more beneficial in a number of ways from being more accessible to just being able to experience so much more to having theatre productions available on streaming platforms.

This day in age, prices for everything are through the roof, and that includes ticket prices. Some people have the money to just throw a show on a random Friday evening to occupy themselves, but most people do not have that luxury. By having theatre on different streaming platforms, it is much more affordable for people to be able to enjoy a nice evening watching a musical performance. 

As well as many elderly and disabled people have a harder time leaving their home or cannot leave at all, and going to a place full of people bigger, taller, and faster than them is not always the safest option. By having it be in their own home, they could watch a production safely at home. 

During the Covid-19 pandemic many productions were shown on live TV as well as “Hamilton” was filmed and published on Disney + in the attempt to keep it alive through the lockdown. “Hamilton” in particular was so that underprivileged kids could learn about America’s history and have the ability to watch a professional, Broadway, musical. 

Many theatre kids around the world that are trying to get into the industry need to see many shows in order to learn. Kids do not have the money or resources to go to a big production every month. Also by being able to watch a show whenever, you can also rewatch them over and over again. The more shows kids and young adults are able to see the more kids will go into the field and the industry will therefore prosper.

Theatre has been proven to make people happier. If theatre was streamed on multiple TV platforms not only would the theatre industry get promoted, but so would the love and appreciation of the art. Multiple people have the notion in mind that theatre is boring, or that it is just people singing for three hours straight. However, if it is available at any given time, it would be more likely that people give it a try. Or think about the theatre kids and parents who just want to watch a production for the comfort of the beauty and magic. 

What about the little kids who like to sing? If they were to have access to these colorful musicals at home, their love for the theatre would grow and hopefully leave an impact on not only them but the future of theatre 20 years from now when they’re all grown up. Making for a better person, community, country, and world. 

There are so many phenomenal productions out there from play to musicals to improv but there is not enough time in the year, resources, or people for all of them to travel the country for everyone to see. Additionally touring shows can be very challenging on the cast and crew. Not only can people not afford to go to even go to a local theatre, many definitely cannot afford to travel to Broadway or even the nearest big city. By having access to musicals, plays, and more the amount of genres, styles, and types of productions you could experience would increase dramatically. 

Even though there is a different feel being in a physical theatre seeing it all live can be magical, the pros of having productions be streamed far outweighs the cons. Just by looking at the inaccessibility alone the amount of reasons theatre should be streamed on different streaming platforms, it is astonishing to see that it is not already a thing. 

Theatre is a special part of the world today and should be available for anyone and everyone so that they can understand just how special this art form is.

With the recent rise of streaming services, media such as film and television has become easier to access than ever. 

How many people do you know do not have any streaming service, no Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, or Disney Plus? They have become extraordinarily common, though for a long time, this world and the world of live performance have been mostly separate. That is, until “Hamilton” was recorded and put on Disney Plus, asking the question of whether or not theater should be recorded for streaming services. 

Publishing live performance on these services completely ruins the point of it, and it could be detrimental to the theater industry.

There is a certain magic to live theater that is impossible to replicate. Think about it, do you get the same feeling when you watch a movie, do you get the same feeling as when you sit down in a theater to see a show? When you are watching a live performance, you are actually in the same room as the actors, and seeing how the actors interact with the audience helps you appreciate the art form to a greater extent than film. 

Everything you see on a stage has to be real, no CGI or animation. When you watch the movie “Beetlejuice,” the sandworm is nothing too spectacular, you know it is just animated. But when you watch the musical “Beetlejuice,” the sandworm on that stage you know is real. People had to make that, and that is something film simply cannot have. If musicals are published, that magic cannot be the same.

One of the most defining and incredible features in live theater is that the actors and technicians working on the show have to get it right every time they perform. No yelling “Cut!”, no going back and redoing things, the show must go on. But as soon as we start recording and publishing performances, that immediacy is gone. For example, ”Hamilton” was recorded over three performances, and one of them did not even have an audience. 

By filming live performances for publishing, that ability to yell cut is suddenly introduced. That excitement of knowing live theater is ever changing is not there with film, as live theater is more engaging because it is live. Unexpected things can happen, and a live show is ever-changing. But perhaps one of the biggest issues with normalizing the publication of live performance is what it will do to the theater industry. 

Going to the theater is an event. It is about getting a little dressed up and going to the theater and sitting with the audience in anticipation for the lights to dim as the show begins, but if it is so easy to watch these shows just on your computer, people are much less likely to visit and support their local theaters and artists. “Numerous streaming services only provide mainstream classics with big names. These types of performances are nostalgic and valuable, yet they do not typically support local theaters and their original content. If the performances become completely digital, this accessibility will jeopardize smaller productions and their artists, potentially leaving thousands of individuals unemployed and preventing innovative content from flourishing,” said Sasha Cohen. If live production transfers to being online, that powerful storytelling, the creative content, and an entire career line can disappear. 

One of the amazing things about theater is how every director’s interpretation of a show is different. If you see the same show two different times at different theaters, you can end up getting different experiences, leading to greater artistic value. Through recording these shows, that will likely stop, as only the very major theater companies will have the money and resources to record and publish their shows, and local theaters and artists will end up getting harmed in the process.

Film has its place in the world, it really does. But so does theater, and the entire point of theater in the first place is ruined. By publishing theater on streaming services, an entire career line and industry will be lost, and as someone who actively works in the theater, that is a frightening thought. 

Just as we have preserved famous paintings like the Mona Lisa, we need to preserve the art of live theater to protect the amazing artists and flourishing creativity of both big Broadway shows and local community theaters. We need to keep theater as a live art to protect and preserve the art form and keep the magic of theater that has been with us since the ancient Greek times, far longer than film and streaming has been around, alive.