Is Theater Dying? The Future of Performing Arts

Tine Milz
Theaters are moving quite slow in a lot of trends, and I think we had the chance during lockdown, but it was not used that well. So I think we’re running a little bit behind, especially concerning digital formats.

Catalina Tejero
We always look for labels. You go to a show and you want to understand if you’re going into dance, theater… and maybe that’s not really even necessary anymore. You just jump into a place where maybe what you should be looking for is to be surprised.

Tine, thank you so much for being here today. I would like to ask you, what does it entail for you to really stay so innovative in the scenic arts?

Tine Milz
Thank you for inviting me. I think it’s all about pushing out to the boundaries, especially in a world facing so many crises right now. I totally believe that a theater institution is a hub for experimental forms and for questioning the world’s biggest questions, but maybe sometimes also the smallest questions—follow trends but also grasp the questions of society at its heart.

Catalina Tejero
When you think about scenic arts, the feeling we have is that you are not only thinking about dance or performance or music. In which way do you think you’re pushing the boundaries of these disciplines? The theater is very well known for your innovative approach to staging. Do you think those boundaries within the different arts still make sense? Or what is your approach to that?

Tine Milz
We invite collaborators from all different fields. It can be classical theater directors or emerging artists coming from the performing arts, but we also invite people from scientific backgrounds, environmental practices, visual arts, architecture and music. We try to blend different disciplines to shape something that represents our society.

That’s why it becomes so interesting when you invite someone from a collective called SEADS, who work on exomoons, and bring them together with actors from our ensemble to create something immersive where people walk around and discover exomoons. Or when we build a sauna on stage and turn the whole theater into a spa, where some people come for a sauna and others come for a lecture on the critical aspects of wellness.

Sometimes we stage very classical formats to attract people from all over. I think that’s our recipe: to be open to different art forms.

Catalina Tejero
The feeling I have is that you come from an interdisciplinary background. You have a background in economics. You studied political science and had training in the performing arts. Do you think that shaped the way you think about scenic arts? And do you feel this is a trend across different countries and institutions—that a more holistic, plural outlook about what should be seen on stage is impacting the way you see things?

Tine Milz
My background is very diverse because if you want to tell a story, you need different knowledges—not only theater. I always quote Joan Didion, who says, “We tell each other stories in order to live,” and I would say even to survive. It helped me shift between disciplines and have a diverse network with colleagues from different fields.

I think there’s a small trend toward this direction, that people are more open to discovering theater in different formats—especially when it doesn’t carry the label “theater.” People expect classical Hamlet, but what happens when you’re surprised? When the storytelling is new and not the classical notion of theater?

Also, in times of the attention economy, how do you gather people in a space when we’re constantly on our phones? The phones connect us, but basically we’re alone at home. I still believe in the togetherness of theater and bringing people together.

And for that, you need to move between lives, ideas and stories to attract people from different backgrounds.

Catalina Tejero
It’s interesting what you’re saying. As spectators we always look for labels: is it dance, is it theater? And maybe that’s not necessary anymore. Maybe what you should be looking for is to be surprised, to come out with different ideas from the ones you had going in.

That helps me bridge to the next question: how has technology shaped the way we think about performing arts and the way we enjoy scenic arts? What is your take on how technology, in a holistic sense, has transformed scenic arts?

Tine Milz
I think it really changes the way we tell stories, especially the speed of storytelling—matching the pace of social media and the fast editing style of movies, which is based on attention and “what’s happening next.”

I saw a very good production in London by Alexander Zeldin called The Other Place, a modern adaptation of Antigone. He captured this Netflix-style storytelling. It was 70 minutes of pure joy with great actors, and the audience was young and engaged. That could be one direction.

Another direction is the counterbalance: a meditative space of togetherness. I think both paths are possible.

But theaters are moving slowly in many trends. We had the chance during lockdown, but it wasn’t used well. We’re running behind, especially concerning digital formats. I’m not sure theater works only digitally—you can go to the cinema for that. Theater is a great medium because people come together to witness one moment unfolding on stage.

I still believe the togetherness of being in a room will survive.

Catalina Tejero
It’s interesting, because young people often watch a series while scrolling on their phones. People are used to consuming several things at once. WhatsApp at the same time. How are you connecting with your audiences? Who are your audiences? Do you think the kind of people who go to the theater has changed?

Tine Milz
Our audience changed a lot from six years ago. But I wouldn’t say there is one audience. There are different sections of audience.

We communicate to specific communities. For example, when we did a project called All the Sex I’ve Ever Had with six local Zurich people over 65 talking about all the sex they’ve had, it attracted many people. It was interesting to see Gen Z coming with parents and grandparents.

In these six years, we shifted from a middle-aged white audience to a very diverse group—young people, people with different race and class backgrounds. It’s very mixed. Sometimes you create for a certain bubble. That’s fine. The important thing is balance.

Catalina Tejero
Nowadays we have everything but certainty. This is ambitious, but what are your intuitions or wishes about how this industry will transform? Will it stay as it is? Will it be completely transformed? Could it disappear? How do you envision it?

Tine Milz
That’s a big question. I think theater will survive in some form. It’s a very old medium. People have said “theater will die” for 2000 years, and it never died. It will transform into something different.

The next years will be crucial for the independent scene and big institutions because funding cuts are coming. It will be complicated. I hope policymakers are courageous enough to not only support big names but also young, emerging experimental formats. I’m afraid those might fall off the table when money is cut. Times of crisis often produce the most beautiful art forms.

Catalina Tejero
You talked about the scarcity of public funds. Do you think there’s an opportunity to engage the private sector and find other finance sources to support artists and theaters?

Tine Milz
I hope so, but I’m not 100% sure. We see trends from the US becoming more critical toward LGBTQ people and minorities. These groups especially need money to produce. I’m not sure the private sector, given the trends, will support these young makers.

I’m afraid the private sector might enable bigger names to become even bigger. I hope they fill the gap by supporting people who actually need funding, not just those who already have it.

Many artists are ambivalent about building that bridge. What values are you selling, and for what return? There are potential profits but also downsides.

Catalina Tejero
Excellent. Let’s hope your words inspire a few of them. In moments of struggle, talent and creativity sometimes flourish. Let’s stay positive and hope we can co-create an exciting and creative future for all of us.

Thank you Tine, it’s been a pleasure.

Tine Milz
Thank you.