There is a small but vital groundswell occurring within the American theater community today, one that has the potential to profoundly alter the way in which theaters plan and operate. A committed number of individuals and organizations – beginning as sole actors, but, as momentum grows, on the verge of forming a network of concerned citizens - have begun to see that there is a connection between their work in the theater, be it in small community playhouses or large Broadway stages, and the health and sustainability of their local and global environments.  They have begun to take action at whatever level they deem feasible, seeking to reduce the environmental footprints created at their respective institutions.

Good for them indeed! you may well say, and wish them well, believing in your heart that we all should share such a concern for the environment; and believing that you would do the same, if only your theater had the money, if only your staff had the initiative, if only you had the time to devote to it.  Perhaps you feel that, although praiseworthy, environmental action lies outside the central mission of theater companies; artistic product, fundraising, and education and outreach must, of necessity, remain paramount.  Or perhaps, in contrast, you feel there is no place for such indolence: theater companies must start making efforts to go green because this era of looming climate change makes it a moral imperative. 

However, besides thinking of environmental action as either a time-consuming hassle or a necessary obligation, I believe that we can and should frame the issue in a profoundly different way: In the current social and economic climate, those theaters that take steps to go green theaters will find themselves ahead of the curve financially, organizationally, and within their communities.  Rather than being a drag on theaters’ operations and finances, rather than simply being steps we should take for the good of the planet, green initiatives will lead to greater prosperity, lower costs, and a more profound connection to their audiences.

This idea echoes one from an earlier era, when the American theater community began to see education as an integral part of its mission.  The great regional theater boom of the past few decades can be attributed to a number of factors, but it certainly had much do with the efforts theaters made to extend their mission by forging a strong and lasting connection with their communities through education and outreach.  In turn, that connection led to increased ticket sales as surrounding communities came to know their local theaters as trusted institutions, and also garnered increased funding from institutions and municipalities.

The extension of this idea - that, like educational programs, environmental initiatives can make theaters prosper - may seem tenuous, perhaps nothing more than a flimsy cloak for an environmentalist agenda.  At first, I thought so as well: going green may be good for the world at large, but will only end up costing theaters money and organizational capital.  However, it has become clear to me it clearly articulates a plain truth because of a several noteworthy arguments.

The first and foremost is that theaters can forge a stronger and more lasting connection with their communities by going green.  Clearly, younger audiences have much more of a vested interest in the environment, as they and their children face the prospect of living in a vastly changed world; and those audiences are beginning to choose products and services that take sustainability into account. (Sustainability describes a set of practices that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.)  To cite one example, Portland Center Stage, which recently inaugurated its new green theater and office spaces, has seen a substantial increase in the number of younger ticket buyers passing through its doors.  Although few communities are as environmentally-conscious as Portland, there is no question that this increase will be seen by theaters in other locations.

This connection extends to more than simply young patrons.  Audiences young and old invariably respond when they feel that an institution is working to make positive contributions to their futures.  Theater, at least in ideal form, has always been forum in which the community sees the issues of concern to it portrayed in a visceral, dramatic form on stage; if an audience feels that the institution believes in the community’s continued existence and prosperity, it will reciprocate by contributing to the lasting existence of that institution itself.  And as climate change begins to drastically alter the face our local and global environments, audiences will consciously or unconsciously start to choose to see work at theaters that have gone green.  In a time of declining subscriber bases and competition from cheap on-demand media, that choice may have repercussions for the future viability of theaters as cultural centers.

The second argument, which takes some of its inspiration from the world of business, is that going green will inspire theaters to operate in a dynamic manner, thereby fostering innovation and creativity.   A theater that encourages its employees to take action to green their workplace will be encouraging those same employees to think outside the box.  Those employees will find unexpected solutions to longstanding problems, and will discover new and efficient modes of operation that might have remained otherwise hidden.

Corporations that have taken up the challenge of going green because of regulatory or financial concerns have often discovered that it provides a new lens by which to view their operations.  Working to reduce shipping mileage reveals supply chain inefficiencies that would otherwise have remained hidden.  Forced to reduce pollution outflow into local waterways, a clothing manufacturer discovers that its water waste can be used to create steam for a nearby power plant.  Similar opportunities will no doubt occur in the theater – looking for stage flooring harvested from renewable sources (i.e. not the Brazilian rainforest), theaters may discover alternatives that are not only environmentally-friendly but also more durable and less costly.

Going green also contributes to the health and satisfaction of both audiences and employees.  Studies have consistently shown that employees in a green workplace take more pride in their jobs, get sick less, and are more productive.  Moreover, it is likely that those same employees enjoy added benefits to their long-term health, as they are subject to fewer of the carcinogens, neurotoxins, and endocrine disruptors that increasingly permeate our environments.  Office workers at desks cleaned with green cleaners will not absorb through their hands and forearms the hazardous chemicals used in conventional cleaners.  Actors will be happy to work at a theater that they know to be concerned with their health; singers, in particular, will rest easier knowing that their voices will incur less strain when local ozone levels are lower because greener chemicals are being used.  Audience members with respiratory problems, informed that only non-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints were used in set painting, will be able to avoid the indoor air pollution caused by VOCs, which can be far worse than what Los Angeles experiences during a smog alert. 

Perhaps the most obvious pillar of the argument is that many of the steps taken to go green can save theaters a substantial amount of money.  Yes, the majority of those steps will cost money up front - replacing a lightbulb will cost a few dollars; putting up solar panels may require significant capital outlay.  However, the majority of them will also pay for themselves - a new lightbulb, in six months or so; solar panels, in ten to fifteen years.  Some steps that cost nothing at all can reap significant benefits.  Encouraging employees to turn off lights, or simply unplugging a few clip lights, can shrink energy bills quite a bit.  And as energy prices are only forecasted to continue rising, these efforts will reap a larger and larger payback over time.

In a recent survey, building managers suspected that green products would cost 17% more than conventional products, when, in fact, the real figure was close to 3%.  We tend to think of these alternatives as expensive tools for the financially well-off, but as these products become more and more available, they are increasingly achieving cost parity with traditional alternatives.  Most office supply companies, for example, offer office paper with 30% recycled content for the exact same price as unrecycled paper.

The last pillar is one that may not apply at the present moment, but that undoubtedly will within the coming decade: Funding dollars, institutional and municipal, will be increasingly directed to institutions working to implement green practices.  Scientists and policy makers assure us that one of the greatest challenges we face over the next century is the mitigation of impending climate change.  Inevitably, the urgency of that message will make its way into every corner of our society, and charitable money will funnel itself to green causes.  Capital grants will become available for large improvements such as solar panels or green roofs; corporations will more readily sponsor productions that are backed by a sustainability initiative; local governments will shine their largess on theaters that are concerned with the health of their audiences and the sustainability of their communities.  Moreover, greening a theater can galvanize board members to improve the theater spaces they oversee.

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So whether or not we feel that climate change is worrisome enough that something must immediately be done, these arguments make clear the fact that theaters of all types, from small community theaters to Broadway houses, from regional theaters to hole-in-the-wall 99-seaters, will benefit by going green; indeed, that those theaters that ignore the issue will end up suffering for it in the long run.  The Green Theater Initiative takes this belief as a core tenet, and its first purpose is share that belief with theater managers and professionals of all stripes.

All very well, you may say, but where to begin?  What are the steps we can take to go green?  How are we to get theater staff on board?  How can we let audiences know of our efforts?  What are other theaters doing to go green?  What can we learn from other arts institutions, or from event planners, or from the corporate world?  Where can we ask questions and share solutions?

That is the Green Theater Initiative’s second purpose - to provide a space in which these questions can be asked, explored, and answered.  In the hectic day-to-day that we all generally face as theater artists, we have little time to search around for advice and answers.  Indeed, the huge amount of information about the environment and steps to take to heal it can be overwhelming, anxiety-provoking.  The Green Theater Initiative aims to be a one-stop-shop where information can be distilled down to its simplest components, and where advice and insight can be easily found.

We can be blunt: this is indeed a call to arms.  But it is a call that can serve as an inspiration - as a new way of connecting with our audiences, as a new way to invigorate our operations, as a new way to inspire our staffs.  Going green is an opportunity that the American theater community cannot afford to let slip away.