"The primary function of a theater is not to please itself, or even to please its audience. It is to serve talent"

Robert Brustein’s assertion that the primary function of a theater is "to serve talent" reshapes conventional assumptions about the purpose of the stage. Common wisdom often assumes that theaters exist fundamentally for the enjoyment of audiences or to perpetuate the institution of theater itself. Brustein challenges this, placing talent, meaning the creative force of playwrights, actors, directors, and designers, at the center of theater’s mission.

To serve talent is to recognize and prioritize the nurturing, development, and expression of artistic abilities. The implication is that a theater is not simply an entertainment venue or a business concerned primarily with ticket sales, nor is it a monument to its own legacy; rather, it is a platform and crucible for creative growth. By serving talent, theater enables artists to take risks, innovate, and fully realize their visions, even if these do not always align with the immediate preferences of audiences or the conservative instincts of institutions.

This philosophy underscores the responsibility of theaters to foster new writing, avant-garde performance, and bold reinterpretations of classics, regardless of possible commercial or critical danger. It is a vision of theater as an incubator for artistry: a place where emergent voices can evolve without being suffocated by the need to cater to popular trends. The well-being of the art form, then, rests not on pleasing crowds or maintaining the status quo, but on supporting those who possess the skill and inspiration to advance it.

By making talent the primary concern, theaters can act as catalysts for cultural and societal reflection, transformation, and renewal. When talent is given priority, audiences ultimately benefit as well, encountering work that is vital and challenging rather than formulaic or self-congratulatory. In serving talent, theater fulfills its highest calling as a dynamic, ever-evolving art.