Rhetorical Analysis Part 1: Is Theater Reaching a Decline?

Is it reasonable to think that live theatre today may be facing a crisis of survival? Before we can ask that question, there is another question that needs to be explored first: Has theatre attendance been facing a decline in recent years? Patricia Cohen’s article in the New York Times, (2013) goes into depth on the results of a survey published by the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA). This particular survey was conducted in order to measure the participation of adults in the attendance of performing arts events.

Firstly, Cohen shares the results of the NEA’s survey. Despite Broadway’s highest attendance rate in the last two years, the article reveals that American performing arts institutions are still struggling to fill their seats and bring in audiences. This is especially true for musical and non-musical theater, who according to the NEA’s survey have faced the greatest decline out of all the arts. The survey also revealed worsening attendance of art galleries and museums within the last ten years. On a positive note, there are larger proportions of African American and Hispanic attending performances, while classical and jazz show steady support. But even so, such numbers seem to suggest that the performing arts could one day face a struggles greater than itself.

Further in the article, individuals within the arts industry share their take on the results. Surprisingly, their interpretations show that they feel the least threatened by such numbers. The author includes executive director of the American Theater Wing Heather Hitchens and president of Americans for Arts Robert Lynch’s opinions on the new data. While Hitchens trusts that the abundance of technology will not substitute the art of live performance, Lynch suggests that the shifting numbers mirror the changes in how we participate in and define art. Towards the end of the article, the leader of the endowment study Sunil Iyengar himself pointed out that the survey may not be wholly accurate because of the constantly shifting demographics. Overall, these results shouldn’t lead us to jump to conclusions too soon. Vice president for research and policy for Americans for the Arts explains that it is the traditional ways of presenting art that we are shifting away from, not the arts itself. The evidence shows that people are changing the way they engage in art.

Since this author’s other news articles vary greatly and are not exclusive to the arts, it would be safe to assume that Cohen writes this article motivated by personal interest or curiosity rather than personal passion. However, that doesn’t take away from Cohen’s purpose. Because of this article’s nature in dealing with data, Cohen primarily engages her audience with the use of Logos, rather than Ethos or Pathos. She does so by presenting the interpretations of various figures within the industry. With her target audience being adults and people with interest in the arts, Cohen writes this article with the purpose of not only bringing attention to the results of this survey, but also to engage our thinking. The article suggests that she wants her audience to think about the ways in which we engage in art today that may be different from the past, and what this may mean for the arts in future years to come.

Cohen, P. (2013, September 26). A New Survey Finds a Drop in Arts Attendance. The New York Times. Retrieved April 10, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/26/arts/a-new-survey-finds-a-drop-in-arts-attendance.html