The Challenges of Presenting a World-Class Performance Series in a Rural Community By Mary Hendershot
Following a performance of The Cooke Book, a tribute to the music of Sam Cooke by theatre and music professional Darrian Ford of Chicago, at Hiwassee College recently,many audience members lingered in the lobby to express gratitude for a fantastic show. These are the moments which make all of the hard work of presenting a performanceseries in a rural community worth the effort and the folks at Monroe Area Council for the Arts (MACA) feel that we have accomplished our goal: to provide a world-class performance series to a local audience at an affordable cost. However, the flip side of that gratifying moment are the times when some audience members have left a performance early, complaining that “it’s too loud” or “that’s just not my kind of music.” Although these expressions of disappointment are discouraging for the artists as well as MACA, we know that we have done our best to bring quality entertainment to the stage at Hiwassee College. Sometimes, it has been an effort to introduce the MACA audience to an art form which is generally not popular in rural East Tennessee, such as jazz. At other times, it has involved an effort to present a family show which will appeal to children; a comedian who some people think is funny and others find offensive; or a show which will appeal to “young people.”
One dilemma facing most presenters (the performance industry terminology for organizations such as MACA whose programming includes performing artists) is the question of whether it is best to contract only with “popular” artists who are guaranteed to attract a substantial fan base or is it sometimes important to introduce your community to an art form with less broad appeal, such as jazz or world music. Another dilemma which is a hot topic of discussion among presenters is the need to develop a younger audience, given the fact that live performance patrons are generally an aging audience. For the MACA performance committee, one guideline in determining which acts to book has been the advice of Ed Sullivan, host of television’s most famous variety show: “Open with a big act, throw in some comedy and something for the family, and keep it clean.” With a limited budget combined with the pressures of scheduling touring artists, this is not a formula which can be strictly followed. However, one thing for certain is that MACA will present a variety show of world-class performers on the stage at Hiwassee College each year.
SUMMER 2014 MONROE LIFE
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