Arts Wonky Theater Post II: -re or -er?
Yesterday, I posted this thing about the imminent destruction of the Guthrie Theater (which I praised for spelling theater with an -er), and poked fun at regional theater as pompous “theater-with-an-re,” inspiring this comment from Laurence Ballard, a talented local actor and all-around smart guy:
I think you might be conflating pomposity with clarity.
A ‘theater’ can be many things - a place where something happens: war, a medical operation, a place to show movies, a lecture, any room with tiered seats.
‘Theatre’ is from the Old French, or Latin, ‘theatrum’ and is not affiliated with or construed to be anything but a place where actors perform.
I’ve worked in both.
I responded thusly:
There are many explanations for the variant in spelling theater/re, none of them definitive:
1. re=pompous/er=democratic, humble
2. re=edifice for dramatic presentations /er=place-where-something-happens
3. re=theory or idea of (Theatre of Cruelty)/er=edifice, simple fact of
4. [my favorite] re=proper noun (ACT Theatre)/er=common noun (I like theater)
The Oxford English Dictionary does not outline any of the above distinctions, but only says there are variant spellings. It shows both “operating-theatre” as well as “high towers, faire temples, goodly theaters” (Spenser, 1591).
So, in the interest of clarity, I propose we dispense with the conflicting explanations of when to use “re” and when to use “er” and just go with one or the other in all cases. I’m stumping for “er” because I prefer the way it looks.
(Because the “r” looks rigorous and disciplined, like a sentinel guarding the end of the word.)
What does the polis say? (And does anybody besides me even care? Would Ms. Wagner deign to chime in?)
Isn't this just another case of American versus English spelling?