High Class Theater
The theater world, in the largest cities of Europa, tends to be synonymous with the upper class, at least in common perception. Most of the largest cities in the continent have a large performing arts center, a public arena, or both, that either have their own dedicated theater companies, or host the most prestigious traveling companies.
The resident theater companies tend to be deeply intertwined with the local nobility, hosting fetes to attract or celebrate patrons, and most noble parties are considered to be far more exciting and entertaining if the host can secure the attendance of the more talented and famous performers. As a result, plays at the the largest venues tend to be societal events, where nobles and the rich and powerful tend to go to see and be seen, as much as to enjoy the performance (or more so, for the particularly vain and shallow.) The hour or two two before curtain tends to feel like a formal ball, with everyone dressed in their finest, with many theaters making almost as much from the sale of food and alcohol as they do from tickets. VIP areas, for the theaters’ most generous patrons, tend to be exclusive parties within the festive gatherings, and many deals and arrangements can be struck in these private events. Many merchants consider their generous patronage of the local theater to be just one of the costs of doing business, to get access to the wealthiest and most influential clients.
As a result of this symbiotic relationship with the rich and powerful, most upscale theater companies tend to stick to classic plays, ones that have been around for at least 20-30 years, that they know their patrons enjoy, and only tend to use new plays occasionally, to find new material. (This is not always the case - the Royal Workshop Players in Montaigne pride themselves on always performing new material, and most theater companies tend to send agents to watch their performances, to find new plays that show promise.) Most of the major companies would never admit it, but they also tend to scour the lower-class ‘groundling’ theaters, who have no such concern of pleasing rich patrons, and have been known to be more innovative and fresh in their material.
Participants
The question of ‘which Guild’ is the one most strongly associated with the Theater world in Europa is a surprisingly complicated issue. Most assume (and not without reason) that the Bardic Guild would be the most influential guild in the Theater world, but there are actually a number of other guilds the most influential theater companies must negotiate with - the Fellowship of Tailors makes costumes, the Beauticians Guild does hair and makeup, the Woodworkers build sets, the Laborers Guild makes up the bulk of the stagehands, and the Tinkerers Exchange provide fantastic special effects.
This confederation of Guild workers works with most forms of performing arts - dance companies, opera, and so on. The heads of the major stages and theater companies are pushing for the creation of a specific Stageworks Guild, so they only have to negotiate with one guild for their non-performer labor, but the Guilds push back, preferring not to dilute the issue with another Guild that might be considered to encroach upon their domain. The Guild members themselves tend to be split on the issue, so there is likely not going to be a resolution to the issue any time soon.
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