The good people of NHTC have decided that I, Thor, the buff and brooding icon of their theatrical revolution, should begin to blog about my thoughts on the theater. I would like to begin by thanking them for the opportunity.

Starting a theater company today is much like starting a revolution. You do it because you believe there is a better way. You do it because you believe the “old ways” do not serve your interests or the greater community and its interests. You do it to breakdown the conventional walls and to open up possibilities. That is why I was called upon, and with my mighty hammer, I smash traditional forms of theatre.

There was a time, my friends, a peaceful and wondrous time in theater, before the age of The Mighty Broadway. It was a time when community, regional and national theater lived in harmony. This was before the power of the Tony Award. And now, the American Theater is the only form of entertainment and/or art in the world that considers only a small collection of work for it’s top honor. Original and amazing professional and amateur productions are created and presented every year in this country, and they will never be considered for Best Play or Best Musical, simply because they were presented within the Broadway Box. And so the power of Broadway, with it’s Tony Award winning money, has begun to control the once independent and daring regional theaters. There are many factors involved here and I would like to point out this blog post that explains it better than I can.

So you ask me, Thor, what can I do about this? Should we all boycott Broadway? No, theater artists work on all levels and should be supported the same way. So, I would suggest that for every Broadway show you see, go and see a regional and local theater production. Your revolutionary support will be greatly appreciated.