In a new episode of “On Contact,” host Chris Hedges sits down with acclaimed theater director and writer JoAnne Akalaitis to discuss the decline of theater in the corporate state over the last several decades.

“The stage is a luxury,” Akalaitis tells the Truthdig columnist. “To think of a life in theater as a profession is sort of a joke, because people who have professions like doctors, or lawyers or professors — they’re paid. They’re honored in the society and paid a living wage, and they have health insurance.”

Watch the full interview, in which Hedges and Akalaitis explore why theater is crucial to the “soul of a society,” below:

—Posted by Emma Niles

WAIT BEFORE YOU GO...

This year, the ground feels uncertain — facts are buried and those in power are working to keep them hidden. Now more than ever, independent journalism must go beneath the surface.

At Truthdig, we don’t just report what's happening — we investigate how and why. We follow the threads others leave behind and uncover the forces shaping our future.

Your tax-deductible donation fuels journalism that asks harder questions and digs where others won’t.

Don’t settle for surface-level coverage.

Unearth what matters. Help dig deeper.

Donate now.

SUPPORT TRUTHDIG