Broadway Quote by Arthur Miller
“There is a problem on the so-called commercial stage in New York. The price of a ticket is exorbitant, and there are no longer original productions possible, apparently, on the commercial stage. They are all plays that were taken from either England or smaller theaters, off-Broadway theaters, and so on. The one justification there used to be for the commercial theater was that it originated everything we had, and now it originates nothing. But the powers that be seem perfectly content to have it that way. They don't risk anything anymore, and they simply pick off the cream.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview on New York theater, 1970s
Commercial theater in New York has become dominated by expensive, derivative productions, abandoning original work and artistic risk.
In simple terms: Broadway now favors cheap copies over new plays.
Key Takeaway
Support original theater.
Themes
theater
commercialism
artistic risk
culture
economics
Mood
critical
concerned
Type
analytical
observational
When to use this quote
- producing new plays
- funding independent theater
- audience education
- policy advocacy
- artist collaboration
Key Concepts
cultural homogenization
market pressure
creative stagnation
Questions to Reflect On
- How can audiences encourage new productions?
- What policies could protect artistic risk?
A Different Perspective
Original works still need audience demand and funding to survive.
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