it's difficult I feel your pain on this one. We aren't quite as restricted, we do two straight plays and one musical a year, but the straight plays are usually all comedies and doing one that everyone hasn't already heard of, seen, or even seen the movie or tv show based on, is risky. Well, risky implies we don't know what will happen, thats not really accurate either, we know. It's all marketing, you need to get out there and make your plot seem fascinating, even do preview scenes. Local talk radio is often a good outlet for this. If you have an actor or director that people are familiar and comfortable with, use that, get them quoted when the newspaper comes to write their blurb, send them to the radio station. The bottom line is, a lot of people think plays are boring and they only like musicals because they like the singing and dancing, you have to try to show these people that they are wrong, plays can be every bit as exciting and entertaining as any TV show. Show them once or twice and they'll start to come around.

PS it doesn't hurt to have an accessible bar in your lobby either.

  Ofendies nah? - Saddies - yes!
As topper suggested with the dozen lonely souls, by getting them to BOGOF as a future door opener!
Similar to what your P J Barnam was forced to do, way back when.
By giving your captivated punters, a couple of free comp each. Then look to recover by premium vending, as an added value the same as the scottish cafe does, on the bar or other concessions  - as suggested.
Even if you give away the whole season as 'paper houses' & fill the venue each show. only making a dollar a head with a full house/show, you have not lost nothing, from what you are doing  now - Rather than trying t flog the seats at say $10 each, except it has the potential to increase future box office.
It might feel a  bit like applying the chineese water torture.[that brought about lithograph printing - or was it viky verka?]
Produce a good quality meaty product, that's juicy enough to satisfy your hungry warm props. Then as they say, run it up the flag pole, as long as it's full of glitzy colour & it is not just a limp white flag! Make it a big & special season, by using the as much of the free media promotions available in the manner Eyve posted about, even with fundraisers as a special promotion.
Tackle it with as much gusto, as a rat does going up a drain pipe. Pick out a prime burger of a play now & then, serving it up with 2 whole beef patties & add a special sauce, on presentation [you eat with your eyes first]   Which also will help to train the punters, as you would a puppy. By offering tit bit rewards & keep it up each time, as though they were performing seals - they will love it  & clap thier little flippers for more!

 

drose ... might I suggest doing something with children in the cast?  It always brings in the parents, the siblings, the teachers, the aunts, the uncles, etc. 

Originally posted by drose god forbid we do a straight play!  Our community would rather see a bad performance of Oklahoma than a stellar performance of A Little Night Music or The Woman In Black.  I want to be able to do shows that challenge the audience and the actors. I don't have some need to offend or shock, but I have 8 or 10 actors who want to do something meaty and be able to play to a house of more than 12 people.  (In a theatre seating >150, 12 looks pretty lonely!)

I'm not advocating liberaly papering every production.
only those which are not considered because it is doubtful of getting the BOS's thru the stiles.
The initial justification is the lack of an audiance & it helps the luvvies do it better, when there is more punters in the dark.
With the paring/sharing this forms the back bone of most ameatres here. Which are called 'charity nights' for want of a better title.
Most of them have focused on these to give them at least one show a week of a season as a charity performance. A number can bank on at least 2 full houses out of an average 8 performance season, before they even set thier future annual calender.
By biulding up a list of community groups prepared to take a half, full or block bookings at a rate, they can sell them on to thier members, as fund raiser.
This is also done by the major pro venues & is very lucrative to all concerned.
But there has to be someone again, prepared to powder the noses & cultivate theses groups. To the extent of accomodating them to run raffles & put on wine 'n bikkies. Making it thier show  & all they have to do is sell the tickets, take the money & fundraise while being entertained - nothing else.
Also thru the cast & FOTIT's [friends of those in theatre] who are members of smaller charity groups, that for whatever reason can't avail themselves of this or being able to sell a half or full house, the theatre makes available block seating for specified charity peformances or links them up with like orginsations to buy tickets for the particular members charity group. There is a miriad of permitations used.

Deb is right.  It comes down to proper marketing.  This isn't just talking about papering your town with more posters.  This is the type and way of marketing your show.  If you ever get a chance to take a class  I would suggest you take it.  If not, look for people that have a degree in Marketing, they can give you many suggestions and guide you into the realm of marketing.