It is difficult to keep a theater company going, and this has been true pretty much every time and every place in the history of the world. It is a bit more difficult these days, however, where the art form that’s one of the most revered, and seriously under-funded, is caught in an endless struggle to survive. It’s harder still in the midwest, where the practical sensibility of the people in the place are not always supportive of the arts. It’s one of the first corners to get cut, and this is why the work of Echo Theatre is so very hopeful.
They’ve managed to stay modest without disappearing, having begun in 1997, and staying afloat through these difficult years. The mission is one that is both reasonable and necessary, and gives locals and travelers reasons to check out the Saint Louis hotels , and stay in town to see the work. Their work is process-oriented rather than the usual products of entertainment that are often seen on the stage. Process over product has been a point of contention among artists for some time, because it does make for great art, but it hard to sustain economically. In this case, there is nothing to sustain if the art is not great, so there is no choice but to do work that reflects the artists and community.
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