How much of your audience will you sacrifice to provide the best experience for the rest? Web designers struggle with this question in regard to determining when to cut support for a particular browser. Is Netscape with only 2% of the market share worth disregarding? How about IE 5.0 with still 20%? Would you ever be so bold as to cut out support for nearly 40% of your audience?

I wouldn’t think so, which is why I was so shocked with the staging of Jitney at the Ford’s Theatre in DC. This great new production of a classic August Wilson play, is set on a custom-built thrust stage over the first few rows of the orchestra section, the whole proscenium stage is disregarded. This directorial choice brings the action closer to the audience in the orchestra, enhancing the intimacy and intensive of the play.

But what of the 40% of seats in the balcony? I attended the production last night and had a seat in the balcony. I was losing about a third of the play due to obstructed view. I left my seat and tried another and then another. I tried six different seats in the balcony and every one was as bad as the first if now worse. This production, as compelling and intense as it may have been, could only compel the orchestra level and first row of the balcony, for the rest of us, we were the equivalent of Netscape 4, still there, but intentionally dismissed by the designers and directors of the show.