Student Blog: Urinetown and Policy

A musical entitled Urinetown is an immediate attention grabber. Most will cringe and give a confused look: “Why would a musical be called that? That is disgusting!” It is equally difficult to describe its contents: a dystopian world where the people must pay to use public toilets provided by an oppressive, dictatorial organization. However, once one becomes accustomed to the strange and vulgar title and equally odd concept, the musical reveals itself as a complex story about capitalism, environmentalism, government, societal movements, and the nature of policy. In Urinetown, Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann use satire and meta-theatricality to critique the privatization of public resources, environmental scarcity, and corporate governance. Its absurdity invites the audience to consider these issues in a new light. Ultimately, the musical argues that neither authoritarian capitalism nor impulsive revolution can resolve structural inequality; instead, it suggests we must find new ways to manage communal resources before the system collapses entirely.

Urinetown tells the story of a dystopian society where a drought has ravaged the land for twenty years. Much of the musical is narrated meta-theatrically by cop Officer Lockstock and a young citizen named Little Sally. They explain that, in order to control the water supply, the Urine Good Company (or UGC) has legally enforced the citizens to only be able to relieve themselves in public restrooms that they must pay a fee to utilize. If they are caught doing otherwise, they are sent to a mysterious place called "Urinetown" and never seen again. CEO Mr. Cladwell runs the company with a corrupt hand and many worshipping subordinates.

The musical begins with Everyman Bobby Strong in line to use the bathroom at one of the worst public restrooms in town, run by the intense and cruel Penelope Pennywise. When his father is not able to pay the fee, he is reprimanded and sent to Urinetown. This event radicalizes Bobby, and with the encouragement of Cladwell’s daughter, Hope, he begins an uprising against the UGC. Tensions between the “rebels” and Cladwell become increasingly intense, leading to the kidnapping of Hope and the death of Bobby. Eventually, Hope and the rebels succeed in overthrowing the UGC, making toilets free and unlimited access. However, the musical ends on a somber note: because the water supply isn’t carefully regulated, the society quickly crumbles under Hope’s leadership, and many of the people die of thirst.

Despite its seemingly absurd concept, Urinetown is grounded in many real-world policy concerns, chiefly, water rights and corporate monopoly control. While the setting exaggerates the issues in a ridiculous way, it mirrors current governmental policy trends. Water scarcity is an increasingly intensifying issue for the modern world. Particularly in developing countries, access to clean, drinkable water is becoming increasingly scarce. Climate change is exacerbating the issue by increasing the likelihood and severity of drought and flood events and intensifying the global temperature. Specific, data-driven policy is required to save the planet from this resource disaster.

In Urinetown, this policy takes the form of the UGC’s oppressive regime. By privatizing the toilets, the society has done away with water-intensive private bathrooms. This policy is unkind and inhumane, but as it is revealed later, did keep the limited water source from disappearing. Through its unhappy ending, Urinetown suggests that the policy we enact to control water policy must be harsh but fair; not as intense as Cladwell’s, but not ignoring the severity of the issue. Because society has abused this natural resource so terribly, we must find a way to regulate it effectively yet fairly.

Urinetown addresses the issues created by corporate monopolies through its portrayal of the UGC. The UGC, controlling all of the toilets in the region with an intense grip, represents capitalistic corporate monopolies. They regularly increase the prices to utilize the bathrooms; they are able to exploit the people like this because of the harmful system they created. The UGC displays another problem with large, unethical corporations: they are exploiting a terrible environmental reality and scarcity to create profit. Where fair yet intense policy may be effective to control the water supply during the intense droughts, Cladwell and his employees decide to cash in on the tragedy. Fossil fuel companies destroy and pollute the planet, but they circumvent legislation and greenwash their practices in order to appear socially responsible. Cladwell is employing a similar tactic: he presents an image of helping the citizens control their water supply, but secretly benefits from the riches he acquires from the intense prices he charges the citizens.

While absurd, the themes about policy and government presented in the piece invite the viewer to consider how they may better their society. Implicitly, the musical states that shared resource management, transparency, public accountability, and ethical leadership are all requirements to the creation of effective policy to combat these societal issues. By broadening the audience perspective, a future of effective and innovative policy that protects citizens and natural resources can begin to take place.