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Jamming Econo: Punk Aesthetics in Theatre.

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Abstract

Theatre's popularity among members of Generations X and Y is rapidly declining. Film is quickly burying the once proud literary form of Ibsen, Shakespeare, Shaw, and Chekov. Jamming Econo: Punk Aesthetics in Theatre, looks at a cultural movement that M.T.V. was quick to latch onto, hardcore punk; not so much for the music but for the aesthetic of streamlined, efficient use of time in order to entertain. While many arts have had their "punk" movement, theatre never fully embraced the movement. Instead, it pandered to wealthy patrons, and now finds itself in peril as an irrelevant art form to Generations X and Y. It is my goal to show that the aesthetics can be applied practically and in the classroom, but more theatre scholars and practitioners must acquaint themselves with the aesthetics of jamming econo.

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The worst infection theatre has is spectacle. Flashy sets and large casts for musicals (the most popular form of theatre) drive up costs and prices shows out of the range of younger audiences. That is why special care must be taken when creating the theatre for Generation X and Y. While some may criticize them for having short attention spans, I say it indicates a consciousness, on their part of not wanting to waste a moment in their entertainment. As a young theatre artist myself, I can truthfully say that theatre is becoming a grandfatherly relic which holds very little relevance to the aesthetics of my generation. Frequently my friends, students, and even theatre colleagues say, "I would rather see a bad movie than a good play."

This all leads me to a term theatre should take to heart: Jamming econo. Jamming econo is a term used by the Minutemen, which according to their bassist, Mike Watt "... is an old concept [...] the idea of scarcity and just using what you got. And maybe more of you comes through because there's less outside stuff you're sticking on--all you got is you, so you have to make something out of it" (quoted in Azerrad 73). In this paper, it is my goal to show why the punk aesthetic is what theatre needs to make it a more engaging literary form; how it (punk) impacted film and created the gap in popularity between theatre and film; and finally how educators can instill the aesthetics of punk into the theatre classroom.

During the late Seventies and early Eighties, the youth of America had little in the way of entertainment with which they could connect. Theatre was headquartered in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles; availability was limited. Young people living there though, could not afford the tickets for an art that is reliant on wealthy donors and grants, which, consequently, manifested audiences of a more mature sensibility. The superstar rock bands did not get off the beaten path of major cities with arenas to house their mammoth shows. Moreover, film spoke more towards...

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