I see a lot of theatre but to be honest I just love OFF OFF Broadway theatre (or as Martin Denton of nytheatre.com and Indietheater.org calls it “INDIE” Theater.)  Why? Because in Indie Theatre, one can take risks.  You can try stuff out to see if it works. You can play.

But on Off-Broadway or Broadway when you have a capitalization for a show at at least 1 million dollars, playing and trying stuff out is dangerous.  When THERE IS MONEY involved, well …”this just better be good!”  So often, the easy choice is made.

Avenue Q:  A Broadway Musical about a Naughty Sesame Street. Was there really anything Naughty or really risky there? Just a dumb song about how the internet is made for porn and one moment when two puppet simulate copulation for about 10 seconds.

There was nothing in this show that was on the edge in anyway shape or form.

It was simply billed as a naughty take on Sesame St. and then homogenized for the masses because if it wasn’t, they would never make any money with the tourists.  The tourists would be offended and then tell their friends back home not to come to New York to see it.

Ugh.

Spring Awakening: Wow, I am not impressed.  A nude scene at the end of Act 1, which was about as quick as the puppets copulating for 10 seconds in Avenue Q. There was nothing new here, or shocking.

Wow, they pull out microphones and they sing in the late 1800’s!  Wow, isn’t that shocking?  Gag me with a boom mic.

And the whole premise was about coming of age, the awakening of sexuality, yet when they dealt with the two homosexuals in the second act, THEY MADE IT ALL A POLITICALLY CORRECT JOKE.  What?  Really telling the story of how two men in the 1800’s who are in love deal with their feelings and their desires - now that is interesting.  That is exciting.  Spring Awakening just turned the love of two men into a stereotype Homosexual joke.  Boo.  Hiss.

But would the masses from Idaho, and Missouri, be able to deal with it?  I guess the creative team thought no.  So they took the cheap conventional way out.  Because they had to make money.

Now, I am not saying there is anything wrong with making money.  There isn’t.  But wouldn’t it be nice to follow your creativity and not worry about the commercial end.

That is where INDIE theatre is cool.  You can try stuff. You can explore new ways to tell a story, and you can fail miserably.  And you can succeed beyond your wildest imaginings.

Last year, I put up my one man show The People in my Hips at Manhattan Rep.  The People in my Hips is the true story of how I developed severe PTSD and multiple personalities in my hips from doing Yoga and how over the course of three years I cured myself.  During that time in my life, I filmed myself and my condition as I bounced around from the PTSD and literally communicated with people in my hips.

I was never more frightened in my life than on opening night for I was sharing my story and real video of my self which was so unattractive, and downright scary.  But I knew in my heart of my heart, that the story needed to be told.  Remarkably, it was a huge success and a personal triumph for me, and I received awesome reviews….but it never could have worked in any other forum but Indie Theatre.

Who would invest in a show about PTSD and multiple personalities?  Would that interest the folk from Thumbtack, Idaho?

Indie Theatre is the place to take risks. To tell truthful stories, new stories, and connect intimately with your audience.

Manhattan Rep is Indie theatre at it’s best. We are here in the heart of the city, Times Square, exploring, playing, inventing, and ultimately, celebrating ART in all of it’s amazing forms.

Come join us.

Ken Wolf, Artistic Director

Manhattan Rep