Ensemble Theatre Group

We may take for granted now that the arts in this country are prone to relatively little external censorship. However, this has only really been the case since 1968, when the Theatre Act was passed by government to allow for freer artistic expression in British playhouses.

Before this time all play-scripts destined for production were required to be sent to the Lord Chamberlain for his approval. Not technically an instrument of the government but of the monarchy, the Lord Chamberlain’s ‘readers’ had the power to fine, censor or ban outright any play that they deemed unsuitable for public performance.

Famously, the censorship encompassed outlawing nudity, swearing and anything regarded as ‘promoting’ homosexuality or homosexual acts.

In 1968 however, bowing to much public and artistic pressure, the matter was brought before the House of Lords and the Theatre Act of 1968 was enforced abolishing theatrical censorship.

Key figures in proceedings were the playwright John Osborne and the outspoken critic Kenneth Tynan who both gave evidence at the hearing.

The liberation of theatre came at a time synonymous with cultural revolution. The 1960s, a decade famed for its radical uprooting of social conventions, had already legalised homosexuality and begun to alter the way it viewed casual sex, racial inequality and recreational drug use. What’s more, many young playwrights (often grouped together under the banner “The Angry Young Men”) where producing thought-provoking works that tested and scrutinised the boundaries of what could and could not pass for ‘legitimate’ theatre. Great writers like John Osborne, whose play ‘Look Back in Anger’ is often cited as the quintessential work of the movement, and Harold Pinter were quickly amassing reputations as challenging, and even dangerous, theatrical practitioners.

Of course, in such a turbulent political and cultural climate theatre censorship became completely untenable. The Theatre Act of 1968 was brought in and the American musical Hair opened in the West End just 24 hours later. Featuring scenes containing nudity, drug taking and boasting a stringent anti-Vietnam War message, the show was a complete break from the repression of theatre censorship that preceded it.

Since then, it might be argued, that theatre has ‘gone the other way’ and now shows little regard for staging any material that might offend. The comedian Peter Cook once quipped: “I don’t want to see plays about rape, sodomy and domestic abuse; I can get all that at home.” Though, of course, Cook was taking a fairly surrealist swipe at the prevailing middle-class (often hypocritical) sensibilities, perhaps there might be a germ of truth in what he’s saying. Namely, just because theatre can show things like rape, sodomy and domestic abuse, should it?

The answer, it would seem, is entirely dictated by an individual play and the motivations and intentions that it possesses. Gratuitously exploiting a subject is not the same as fearlessly addressing it.

A more pressing consideration might be concerned with taking another look at the idea that opened this article, that theatre is prone to little external censorship. Though now there are no legislative restrictions in place to curtail playwrights’ artistic vision, other factors may seem to limit theatre in ways not altogether obvious. For example, Margaret Thatcher’s government cut public funding to the arts dramatically in the 1980s. Such a financial stranglehold might not have directly censored dramatic material, but it certainly forced many playhouses to stage fewer new plays and even close outright.

In more recent times, when the Birmingham Repertory Theatre staged Behtzi in 2004, the theatre was the scene of angry rioting by a portion of the sikh community that felt the play mocked their faith.

Whether theatre and the arts can ever be totally free to express itself in the way it chooses is debatable, the debt owed to those that ended the formal censorship however is not. Quite simply, without the efforts of people like Osborne and Tynan, the West End might not be the respected home of expressive theatre that it is today.

Pantages Theatre is a famous venue built in the city of Los Angeles, America. This city of America is also known as the entertainment capital of the world.

A city which is known for many activities going around, here it focuses on a lot of entertainment events. Pantages Theatre is a venue wherein one can come and watch a plethora of dramas and plays.

The Pantages Theatre was built in the 1990″s. The Pantages Theatre has to its credit of showing some very interesting plays having great storylines and performances par excellence.

The Pantages Theatre is also present in other cities of the America to keep the spirit of live entertainment alive in the eyes of the people. It is not just plays that are shown in the theatre but there is other entertainment that surrounds the Pantages Theatre.

For instance, the theatre acts as home for the melodious music played and as a concert venue for people who love listening to music. Although office meetings and work occupation makes it difficult for professionals to take time out for fun activities.

And same is the case with children who tend to enjoy their holidays by trying something different which they have never done earlier, well for them the Pantages Theatre acts as a blessing in disguise making their weekends very enjoyable.

The Pantages Theatre works as a real break through for them. In a stressful environment where there is always a hustle bustle seen just about every where and people who intend to wind up their tasks before they could even think of having some time off from their hectic routine and same goes for the youngsters studying in the educational institutes of any level.

In the fast track global changes where everything demands to be completed in a swish and where the people think of having a magic wand in their hands that could take them far away from the worries of life with just a swift move and take some time out of their monotonous and hectic routine life to entre a place where they would get a dream come true sort of environment and refresh themselves.

All the worries and problems that they come across daily refreshing themselves for some time however, eventually going back to the reality where stress awaits them rather they face the stresses with great new ways.

Where they could close their eyes and sit in a cozy serene environment with melodious music entering their ears and getting a soothing effect and relaxation which seemed to have been lost somewhere under the piles of problems of the daily lives and it is the Pantages theatre that acts as a rescuer and believes that one should adapt to the social changes.

A Hollywood landmark, Pantages Theater signifies both the glorious past and adventuresome future of the world’s entertainment capital. Situated in the heart of Hollywood, on Hollywood Boulevard, this glittering theater has served as a movie palace, music hall and all-around venue for big-budget productions since its opening in 1930. The Pantages’ history is as grand and diverse as its stage and screen fare. Founder Alexander Pantages originally stacked the bill with MGM flicks and vaudeville acts, while center stage gave a way to live theater. The Pantages has also been the site of many gala premieres and spectaculars.

The Pantages Theater was one of the first movie houses built after the advent of talking pictures in 1930. It was designed for maximum audience comfort, with over 40% of the interior space devoted to public areas, lobbies, lounges and restrooms. The opening night audience was more impressed by the interior of the theatre. The Pantages also gained attention for boasting the most elaborate sound equipment anywhere in the world. In 1959, Universal Pictures booked Spartacus into the Pantages as a long-run, sure-fire attraction. To run the event, the house had to scale own its capacity to 1,512 seats. This reduction in seating capacity forced the Oscars to relocate, but there were still star-studded evenings at the Pantages.

The Pantages Theater was a home to the glittering Academy Awards Presentations from 1949 to 1959, and in 1967 it was sold to Pacific Theatres. Pacific briefly closed the house down for refurbishing. After undergoing a major restoration, the Pantages reopened, refreshed, again taking its place as one of the finest movie houses on the west coast. It continued as such for nearly a decade till 1977, when the silver screen went dark. Once again work was begun on the Pantages’ latest and greatest incarnation in preparation for the L.A. run of ‘The Lion King’. The production brought back the magnificent art deco gleam to the facility that had been covered by years of tarnish and deterioration.

Today, the Pantages Theatre is one of Los Angeles’ leading homes of legitimate theatre and a favorite location for TV shows, movies and music videos. Restored to its original conditions, the Pantages offers a variety of performances. It has also hosted rock concerts, for bands including Dream Theater, and Foo Fighters to name a few. Shakira graced the staged in 1997, while in 2006 Mexican pop-group RBD recorded their CD/DVD ‘Live in Hollywood’ at the Pantages. The Pentages Theater is now operated by an arm of the Nederlander Organization.

The Pantages Theatre has recently presented large scale production musicals such as Disney’s The Lion King, which ran at the theatre for over two years. It is currently playing host to the Los Angeles production of the Broadway musical Wicked. So, get your tickets and see the season’s most exciting event in the intimate setting of Pantages Theater. Nearby the place, you’ll find bars, tatoo shops and t-shirt shops. There are several excellent restaurants within walking distance that you might like to try out!
For more information about Pantages Theatre tickets visit:
http://www.ticketluck.com/venues/Pantages-Theatre-ca/index.php