The Mainline Theater Project, a sponsored project of the Austin Circle of Theatres, is a non-profit arts organization, located in Austin, TX, with a desire to evolve within the world of entertainment while performing the very best in theater. The Mainline Theater Project strives to produce theatrical works that are new and cutting edge, as well as bring a fresh perspective to established pieces; all endeavors are thought-provoking, meaningful, and of the highest production value.
"Theater is always in a dismal state". Playwright George Bernard Shaw made this statement over 70 years ago. Considering that the fact that the majority of persons who frequently attend theatrical performances in Austin are over the age of 35, while persons under the age of 35 make up almost 40% of the population in Austin, Shaw's sentiment holds true today. These statistics represent a serious disparity in the collective theater audience. According to Performing Arts Research Coalition Community report findings from a 2002 household survey in the Greater Austin Metropolitan area, 27% of the population does not attend any performing arts events. Of that number, 43% are under the age of 35. While a significant percentage of the population is not attending, the survey also finds that over 30% of the people who do not attend performing arts events believe that the performing arts are important and play an important part of our culture and community.
Many factors need to be taken into account regarding this younger audience's non-attendance of theatrical productions. The majority of those persons who are not currently attending cite cost of tickets and difficulty in making time to get out to the productions as two of the biggest barriers to attendance. In addition to this, 67% say the performing arts not appealing to them is not a reason for not attending the performing arts. This indicates not only the desire of these persons under 35 to attend theatrical performances, but also that lower ticket prices and more accessible performances would encourage their attendance.
There is a rising phenomenon of "Quarterlife Crisis", people in their mid 20's to early 30's wrestling with the kinds of issues long associated with middle age. Alexandra Robbins, co author of the book Quarterlife Crisis: The Unique Challenges of Life in Your 20s says, "With the quarterlife crisis, [panic is caused by]: no stability, no predictability, no certainty." The result, she adds, is a "cycle of intense self-doubt." Relating to this, actor and teacher Michael Chekhov said, "...we suffer breakdowns, rush to psychoanalysts, search for mental panaceas and stimuli or periodically seek escape in cheap thrills, superficial sensations, swiftly changing fads and amusements, and even drugs. In short, we pay dearly for our refusal to recognize the necessity of sanely balancing the practical tangibles with the artistic intangibles. And art is a sphere which suffers most easily and acutely from such an imbalance". The Mainline Theater Project was founded by artists who share these sentiments and experiences and who had a strong desire to address and cope with this "quarterlife crisis" through theater, to break "cycle of intense self-doubt."
In the preface to his play The Big Funk, John Patrick Shanley says "Theatre is a safe place to do the unsafe things that need to be done. When it's not a safe place, it's abusive to actors and audiences alike. When its safety is used to protect cowards masquerading as heroes, it's a boring travesty". Mainline embodies this ideal with all of its productions. Mainline believes that this is vital service to the Austin community, especially those persons in its target audience.
The Mainline Theater Project fulfills the needs described above by 1) producing shows that deal with characters, themes, and subject matter that is identifiable to their target audience, 2) hiring staff, performers, and designers who are in the same age group as the target audience, 3) having more affordable ticket prices, and 4) offering more opportunities for attendance.
Mainline Theater Project was founded in 2002 by a group of St. Edward's University alumni. The Mainline Theater Project's long term goal is to become a guiding light for artisans within the local, as well as global, artistic community. They are striving to encourage local playwrights, directors, producers, and stage talent to continue their journey by giving them a stage on which to live their dreams. By presenting new, relevant works as well as fresh takes on established works, and dealing with material that is reflective of and accessible to young, new, and underserved audiences, Mainline is growing the collective theater audience and introducing theater to new people.
