Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Getting Started

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StarshineJ
Walk-On
Walk-On

Joined: 12/08/08
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 7

Topic: Getting Started
Posted: 12/09/08 at 11:25am

Hello all - I have experience serving as Artistic Director of community theatres, but not really experience getting one started. I moved to a new state about a year ago, and the town I'm living in has no community theatre. My job is demanding, but I'm desperate to have some CT in my life again, and I would like to get one started. Wondering if anyone has any advice that's not in the books - such as how do you find the people who have the time and resources to invest? How do you determine the interest level? How do you find out who your audience will be? I'm hopeless when it comes to asking people to invest time or money, do is it acceptable to ask someone to partner with me for the sole reason that I know he is better at that stuff? Anything you can give wisdom-wise, I'm dying for advice here, and desperate to get started.

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belle
Star
Star

Joined: 9/12/06
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 75

Posted: 12/09/08 at 1:23pm

You are going to have to connect with some other people. If you have to use a partner to do it, that's fine. We talked to people at clubs and organizations we belonged to and at work to find actors and tech people. I remember recuiting people over club luncheons.

We started with finding a group that wanted to raise money through a dinner theatre. They found the space, chose the dates, and arranged for the food and advertising. It was a Girl Scout troupe so they had a built in audience of family and friends. The scouts had a leader who loved dinner theatre and knew there was an audience for it in the community. (It's not Hamlet, but it's a practical way to start.)

We found a director and a script--small cast comedy, of course, with lots more women than men--A Bad Year for Tomatoes is a good choice. We put a story in the paper and said we were having auditions at a certain time and place. We had a rehearsal space in a school; the director had access. The sponsoring group paid for the royalty and gave us a so much a person for the people who attended. We paid for the scripts (about $75 nowadays) ourselves upfront and took the money later from the profits. We did it on a stage with just curtains as a backdrop.

We got plenty of people to audition. We had virtually no tech on the first show.

The first show was a success. We then got incorporated and found a local service club to donate money for building flats. We got the local community college to let us store our flats in their space. Getting incorporated first might be important today.

You need people and rehearsal and performance space first, plus enough money for the scripts and royalty (and advertising if you are going it alone). If there is a local arts group that brings in musical groups or sponsors art shows, they might be willing to help you find an audience. You (or someone) will have to make contact and see if they can help you with a mailing list. After you prove yourself, they might be willing to put you on their season ticket for a set price. That gives you an audience for other shows.

Finding space to store flats/props was our biggest challenge. We mostly performed in schools that had stages. Teachers with access to such spaces made up the core of our group and continue to be a core. Connections with local media are important, too. We had a sports writer who performed with us in the early years. She is now the editor and still promotes the shows in the newspaper.

As we got money, we purchased lighting and sound equipment. Eventually, the community refurbished a small theatre in the library, so we mostly perform there now.

Our company began 30 years ago. We do 3 shows year now and have continuously over the years. We are in a community of 2000, so our experience may not work for you.

Best wishes for success. Keep us posted.

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KEB54
Celebrity

Joined: 7/24/08
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 227

Posted: 12/09/08 at 1:26pm

Kids and Teachers.

Teachers have gone to college and probably have been exposed to theatre and understand its value. Many english and speech teachers probably had a theatre class in college. Others will have, too. The president of our board is a math teacher and another board member is a math teacher as well. One of the guys building our sets is a physics teacher. Teachers are a good place to start recruiting.

In addition, teachers may be able to help you get access to other resources. We are able to use the HS stage because our CT is part of Community Education.

Also, when you get to musicals you have access to school choir directors and band directors -- ie music directors and conductors -- and their assets.

Kids. Kids draw in audiences -- parents, grandparents, siblings and other realatives. It is also sort of a grow-your-own-talent-and-supporters. Get them young and keep them as they grow up. You also get their parents involved with everything from ticket sales, concession sales, costumes, set building, etc. There is something every family member can do in/for the theatre.

Our theatre started with just kid acted productions. Then two things happened: 1) the kids grew up, and 2) parents wanted to be on the stage, too. Now after 6 years we do a kid-heavy musical in the summer, and a aduldt acted play in the winter. We still develop the kids into active member and have the adults on board, too.

KEB

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JoeMc
Celebrity

Joined: 3/13/06
Location: Australia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 832

Posted: 12/09/08 at 11:45pm

Articles on the front page of this site, which can help;-

http://www.communitytheater.org/articles/business/startcompany.htm

Also check out the AACT site as well, as it is in your currency;-

http://www.aact.org/start/index.html

[western] Gondawandaland
"Hear the light & see the sound!
TOI TOI CHOOKAS
{may you always play to a full house!}

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Running Your Theater
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Theater Administration :Running Your Theater

Author	Message
StarshineJ Walk-On Joined: 12/08/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 7	Topic: Getting Started Posted: 12/09/08 at 11:25am
	Hello all - I have experience serving as Artistic Director of community theatres, but not really experience getting one started. I moved to a new state about a year ago, and the town I'm living in has no community theatre. My job is demanding, but I'm desperate to have some CT in my life again, and I would like to get one started. Wondering if anyone has any advice that's not in the books - such as how do you find the people who have the time and resources to invest? How do you determine the interest level? How do you find out who your audience will be? I'm hopeless when it comes to asking people to invest time or money, do is it acceptable to ask someone to partner with me for the sole reason that I know he is better at that stuff? Anything you can give wisdom-wise, I'm dying for advice here, and desperate to get started.

	IP Logged

belle Star Joined: 9/12/06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 75	Posted: 12/09/08 at 1:23pm
	You are going to have to connect with some other people. If you have to use a partner to do it, that's fine. We talked to people at clubs and organizations we belonged to and at work to find actors and tech people. I remember recuiting people over club luncheons. We started with finding a group that wanted to raise money through a dinner theatre. They found the space, chose the dates, and arranged for the food and advertising. It was a Girl Scout troupe so they had a built in audience of family and friends. The scouts had a leader who loved dinner theatre and knew there was an audience for it in the community. (It's not Hamlet, but it's a practical way to start.) We found a director and a script--small cast comedy, of course, with lots more women than men--A Bad Year for Tomatoes is a good choice. We put a story in the paper and said we were having auditions at a certain time and place. We had a rehearsal space in a school; the director had access. The sponsoring group paid for the royalty and gave us a so much a person for the people who attended. We paid for the scripts (about $75 nowadays) ourselves upfront and took the money later from the profits. We did it on a stage with just curtains as a backdrop. We got plenty of people to audition. We had virtually no tech on the first show. The first show was a success. We then got incorporated and found a local service club to donate money for building flats. We got the local community college to let us store our flats in their space. Getting incorporated first might be important today. You need people and rehearsal and performance space first, plus enough money for the scripts and royalty (and advertising if you are going it alone). If there is a local arts group that brings in musical groups or sponsors art shows, they might be willing to help you find an audience. You (or someone) will have to make contact and see if they can help you with a mailing list. After you prove yourself, they might be willing to put you on their season ticket for a set price. That gives you an audience for other shows. Finding space to store flats/props was our biggest challenge. We mostly performed in schools that had stages. Teachers with access to such spaces made up the core of our group and continue to be a core. Connections with local media are important, too. We had a sports writer who performed with us in the early years. She is now the editor and still promotes the shows in the newspaper. As we got money, we purchased lighting and sound equipment. Eventually, the community refurbished a small theatre in the library, so we mostly perform there now. Our company began 30 years ago. We do 3 shows year now and have continuously over the years. We are in a community of 2000, so our experience may not work for you. Best wishes for success. Keep us posted.
	IP Logged

KEB54 Celebrity Joined: 7/24/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 227	Posted: 12/09/08 at 1:26pm
	Kids and Teachers. Teachers have gone to college and probably have been exposed to theatre and understand its value. Many english and speech teachers probably had a theatre class in college. Others will have, too. The president of our board is a math teacher and another board member is a math teacher as well. One of the guys building our sets is a physics teacher. Teachers are a good place to start recruiting. In addition, teachers may be able to help you get access to other resources. We are able to use the HS stage because our CT is part of Community Education. Also, when you get to musicals you have access to school choir directors and band directors -- ie music directors and conductors -- and their assets. Kids. Kids draw in audiences -- parents, grandparents, siblings and other realatives. It is also sort of a grow-your-own-talent-and-supporters. Get them young and keep them as they grow up. You also get their parents involved with everything from ticket sales, concession sales, costumes, set building, etc. There is something every family member can do in/for the theatre. Our theatre started with just kid acted productions. Then two things happened: 1) the kids grew up, and 2) parents wanted to be on the stage, too. Now after 6 years we do a kid-heavy musical in the summer, and a aduldt acted play in the winter. We still develop the kids into active member and have the adults on board, too.
	KEB
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JoeMc Celebrity Joined: 3/13/06 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 832	Posted: 12/09/08 at 11:45pm
	Articles on the front page of this site, which can help;- http://www.communitytheater.org/articles/business/startcompany.htm Also check out the AACT site as well, as it is in your currency;- http://www.aact.org/start/index.html
	[western] Gondawandaland "Hear the light & see the sound! TOI TOI CHOOKAS {may you always play to a full house!}
	IP Logged

Topic: Getting Started( Topic Closed)