BWW Blog: Christopher Panella - Please Support Straight Plays

We love musicals. Musicals are so common, so known, and so loved. Almost everyone knows of iconic musicals like Wicked and Chicago. Every theater kid knows every word to The Phantom of the Opera. The best part about musicals is that they are universally popular. The idea of a musical is not a niche, cult-followed topic. Musicals are enjoyed by the non-theater people as well. I mean, look at Hamilton. Its popularity beyond the theater community is staggering. But what about the other side of theater? What about the side where performers do not break out into song and dance every few minutes, solve their problems with a six-minute tap number, or sing catchy lyrics that stick in the audience's mind for the next few weeks? Yes, I am talking about straight plays. Why don't we hear about their impact and popularity? Why don't I see theater kids running around wearing The Glass Menagerie shirts instead of Dear Evan Hansen? This leads to the basis of this article: let's support straight plays.

Straight plays, with no music, singing, or dance, are raw performances provoking thought and providing deep stories. Straight plays range in theme and performance just like musicals do. In fact, the only real difference between straight plays and musicals is the fact that straight plays don't have songs (cast size is also a pretty big difference, but whatever). The performances and characters we love in musicals? Straight plays have similarly lovable characters. Those actors/actresses we adore and idolize? Straight plays have their own brand of icons, from Jessica Lange to Holland Taylor and Nathan Lane. My point is: straight plays and musicals really aren't that different. Both have enthralling plots, interesting characters, differing and cool sets and costumes, and focus on the same principle of telling a story. Now, I know the music of musicals is what drives popularity. People go to see Wicked to hear Elphaba defy gravity. Without music, Wicked just wouldn't be Wicked. Regardless, I think we can all set aside our love for musicals and focus for a second on straight plays and their art.

Straight plays are where theater began. Theater roots back to times where actors would stand on stages, reciting soliloquies, and telling stories without relying on a tune to carry the production. In other words, straight plays are (in my opinion) far more complicated than musicals in terms of acting and storytelling. I mean, an actor in a straight play has no choice but to connect with the audience and engage them with their character and story. Straight plays need stellar actors to tell the story. Musicals can rely on songs to hold the production and move the plot along; straight plays reply on only the actors themselves. Now, I don't mean to point out flaws in musicals. Trust me, I'm a musical junkie just like the rest of the community. I just want more for straight plays. We, as a community, need to support plays more. We need to attend their performances, enjoy their runs, and talk about them. We need to give straight plays the same support we give musicals. Straight plays are a dying art form. Their runs on Broadway shorten every year, their actors move to television and film, and their theaters are filled with revivals of musicals like Miss Saigon.

I know the alternative opinion in this discussion is that musicals are more complicated and enjoyable. But that's just it: sure, musicals are more complicated because of the dancing and singing, but relying on just acting and character to tell a story is far more complicated. Further, watching someone stand on stage and nail their character is just as enjoyable as watching someone tap dance and sing. I know my opinion in this discussion might not be shared by everyone, but I am positive we can all agree that straight plays need more love. So let's go support them.