Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: How many plays per season?

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Stagefryte
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Joined: 1/13/09
Location: United States
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Topic: How many plays per season?
Posted: 1/13/09 at 2:37pm

Our community theater company in Pennsylvania has two theaters: a 350 seat proscenium and a 120 movable seat cabaret. During our 12-month season we do three straights, four musicals, and one youth theater production in either of the two venues. Each production has a total of nine performances over the course of three weekends. That's a lot of performances: 76 to be exact.

We are considering trimming down our season as we're just spread too thinly...as are our audiences. We break even financially by the time all is said and done.

So, I was wondering:

1. How long is your season (months)?

2. How many different productions are included in your season?

2. How many performances per production?

Many thanks!

~ Stagefryte

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imamember
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Joined: 8/18/08
Location: United States
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Posts: 121

Posted: 1/13/09 at 2:49pm

2 plays
2 musicals
1 youth play
1 youth musical
1 teen summer musical

Youth shows get 3 performances, the rest get 6.

We don't have our own space. Youth shows are done out of a local church, summer show is done at a local high school and the 4 main shows are done either at that high school, a middle school or the community college.

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Nanette
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Joined: 8/01/06
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Posted: 1/13/09 at 3:23pm

3 plays (youth) with 3 performances each. This past summer we also toured a show with 3 total performances at 2 different locations. We rehearse/perform mainly at a local church, although we are not affiliated with them.

In a world of margarine, be butter!

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pdavis69
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Joined: 3/26/06
Location: United States
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Posted: 1/13/09 at 4:48pm

1. How long is your season (months)?

2. How many different productions are included in your season?

2. How many performances per production?

1. We run year round. Our season is April to April.

2. Our patron season consists of 5 shows. The usual make up is 2 musicals, 2 comedies and a drama. We also have "second stage" performances (1-3 per year) for edgy/off beat work.

3. Musicals run three weeks (Thurs-Sun, Thus - Sun, Thurs - Sat)- 11 shows. Comedies and dramas run two weeks (thurs - Sun, Thurs - Sat)- 7 shows. Second stage is usually one weekend a piece with 2-3 shows per weekend (Fri -Sun). That's about 50 shows a year.

Patrick L. Davis
Fort Findlay Playhouse

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KEB54
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Joined: 7/24/08
Location: United States
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Posts: 227

Posted: 1/14/09 at 12:01pm

1. How long is your season (months)?

2. How many different productions are included in your season?

Our season is Summer and winter break. We use the high school stage and so we have those times available to us. So we do one show in the summer and another show in late January/early February.

3. How many performances per production?

In the Summer we do a large musical. It plays two weekends, generally just Friday, Saturday, Sunday. So that is 6 performance for the summer show.

The winter show is generally a non-musical. It runs one weekend - Thursday through Sunday, so four performances. However, there have been times when the winter show is a small musical. Then we run two weekends same as our summer show.

We are toying with the idea of adding another production at another location, somewhere like the American Legion or a church hall. If we do it will most likely be a small cast show with a simple set that can be rehearsed elsewhere. It may be a dinner theatre type thing, possibly a fund raiser.

KEB

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SpenceKenzer
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Joined: 1/23/09
Location: Canada
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Posts: 71

Posted: 2/23/09 at 2:36pm

Our theater seats 452 in "viewing audience" configuration, and 150 to 200 in "cabaret or dinner theater" configuration.

Our season is 10 months long (September thru June)

We have 8 productions each season:
- one season-opening cabaret-style fundraising gala - 2 nights (Fri. & Sat.), attendance about 125 to 150 per night.
- five main stage (full-length) plays - 4 nights each (Wed. thru Sat.), attendance 250 to 275 per night
-two one-act plays cabarets - 2 nights each (Fri. & Sat.), attendance 100 to 125 per night.
- NO, we don't do musicals (there are 2 or 3 other CT's in town that do musicals & revues exclusively).

Our average nightly attendance at our 5 main stage plays has been declining slowly but steadily for years; 7 years ago the average nightly attendance was 275 to 325, now it's 250 to 275.

--------------------<*>
Saludos, my dahlinks, and you know who you are ... !

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John Luzaich
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Joined: 2/24/08
Location: United States
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Posted: 5/06/09 at 12:12pm

In response to the original poster,

1. We are a year round operation, our season runs April through March.

2. We produce five productions per year, a four-play season and an extra add on event called the Summer Sampler, usually an extra play produced.

3. We have six performances of each production, only three for the Summer Sampler. On some productions we have added an extra performance. (but not over the last two years).

We are in a town of 36,000 people and own our own venue of 472 seats. We have other events scheduled in between our shows that either we present, or are rentals. Some of those things have included Leo Kottke, Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Ozark Jubilee from Branson, Roger McGuinn, Glenn Miller Orchestra, Greg Brown, von Trapp family singers, and others. We have a number of community groups rent our facility and that generates some good revenue.

John
cfct@cfu.net
http://www.osterregent.org
http://www.facebook.com/osterregent

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kiwiholly
Player
Player

Joined: 10/01/06
Location: New Zealand
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12

Posted: 5/07/09 at 6:26pm

My current company doesn't have their own theatre, so how many we do each year depends on the performance spaces which are available, but this year we're doing three...
1x kids musical (which opens tonight!!)
1x variety show
1x adult musical

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chelserin
Lead
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Joined: 3/02/08
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 47

Posted: 5/07/09 at 9:04pm

Our season runs August to May (first auditions to last performance)

We produce 4 shows per season and each show has 12 performances.

We try to have a mix of shows so that there is a youth show, musical, drama, and comedy.

To be in the world, and of the world, and never to stand aside and watch.

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David McCall
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Joined: 1/28/09
Location: United States
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Posts: 299

Posted: 5/08/09 at 1:12pm

We don't have a "season" as such.

We have a winter show that usually falls too close to Easter. Up 'till now, we have been using a not so great 900 seat middle school auditorium that we haven't filled for many years.

There used to be a spring/summer straight play, but that has been dropped for the time being.

Then comes our 6 week kids theater camp. This is our most financially successful activity and helps pay for the rest of the year's losses. We do this in a neighboring middle school that is new and quite nice.

We also have a smaller fall show that we do in the church hall. Not a great facility with uncomfortable folding chairs. This show can be a musical or straight play.

There is talk of adding a small show that we can take to competition too.

Next year's spring show is Evita and we don't expect a big audience, so it may go into the church.

David

David M

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Topic: How many plays per season?( Topic Closed)
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Author	Message
Stagefryte Walk-On Joined: 1/13/09 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 2	Topic: How many plays per season? Posted: 1/13/09 at 2:37pm
	Our community theater company in Pennsylvania has two theaters: a 350 seat proscenium and a 120 movable seat cabaret. During our 12-month season we do three straights, four musicals, and one youth theater production in either of the two venues. Each production has a total of nine performances over the course of three weekends. That's a lot of performances: 76 to be exact. We are considering trimming down our season as we're just spread too thinly...as are our audiences. We break even financially by the time all is said and done. So, I was wondering: 1. How long is your season (months)? 2. How many different productions are included in your season? 2. How many performances per production? Many thanks! ~ Stagefryte

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imamember Celebrity Joined: 8/18/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 121	Posted: 1/13/09 at 2:49pm
	2 plays 2 musicals 1 youth play 1 youth musical 1 teen summer musical Youth shows get 3 performances, the rest get 6. We don't have our own space. Youth shows are done out of a local church, summer show is done at a local high school and the 4 main shows are done either at that high school, a middle school or the community college.
	IP Logged

Nanette Celebrity Joined: 8/01/06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 399	Posted: 1/13/09 at 3:23pm
	3 plays (youth) with 3 performances each. This past summer we also toured a show with 3 total performances at 2 different locations. We rehearse/perform mainly at a local church, although we are not affiliated with them.
	In a world of margarine, be butter!
	IP Logged

pdavis69 Celebrity Joined: 3/26/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 437	Posted: 1/13/09 at 4:48pm
	1. How long is your season (months)? 2. How many different productions are included in your season? 2. How many performances per production? 1. We run year round. Our season is April to April. 2. Our patron season consists of 5 shows. The usual make up is 2 musicals, 2 comedies and a drama. We also have "second stage" performances (1-3 per year) for edgy/off beat work. 3. Musicals run three weeks (Thurs-Sun, Thus - Sun, Thurs - Sat)- 11 shows. Comedies and dramas run two weeks (thurs - Sun, Thurs - Sat)- 7 shows. Second stage is usually one weekend a piece with 2-3 shows per weekend (Fri -Sun). That's about 50 shows a year.
	Patrick L. Davis Fort Findlay Playhouse
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KEB54 Celebrity Joined: 7/24/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 227	Posted: 1/14/09 at 12:01pm
	1. How long is your season (months)? 2. How many different productions are included in your season? Our season is Summer and winter break. We use the high school stage and so we have those times available to us. So we do one show in the summer and another show in late January/early February. 3. How many performances per production? In the Summer we do a large musical. It plays two weekends, generally just Friday, Saturday, Sunday. So that is 6 performance for the summer show. The winter show is generally a non-musical. It runs one weekend - Thursday through Sunday, so four performances. However, there have been times when the winter show is a small musical. Then we run two weekends same as our summer show. We are toying with the idea of adding another production at another location, somewhere like the American Legion or a church hall. If we do it will most likely be a small cast show with a simple set that can be rehearsed elsewhere. It may be a dinner theatre type thing, possibly a fund raiser.
	KEB
	IP Logged

SpenceKenzer Star Joined: 1/23/09 Location: Canada Online Status: Offline Posts: 71	Posted: 2/23/09 at 2:36pm
	Our theater seats 452 in "viewing audience" configuration, and 150 to 200 in "cabaret or dinner theater" configuration. Our season is 10 months long (September thru June) We have 8 productions each season: - one season-opening cabaret-style fundraising gala - 2 nights (Fri. & Sat.), attendance about 125 to 150 per night. - five main stage (full-length) plays - 4 nights each (Wed. thru Sat.), attendance 250 to 275 per night -two one-act plays cabarets - 2 nights each (Fri. & Sat.), attendance 100 to 125 per night. - NO, we don't do musicals (there are 2 or 3 other CT's in town that do musicals & revues exclusively). Our average nightly attendance at our 5 main stage plays has been declining slowly but steadily for years; 7 years ago the average nightly attendance was 275 to 325, now it's 250 to 275.
	--------------------<*> Saludos, my dahlinks, and you know who you are ... !
	IP Logged

John Luzaich Celebrity Joined: 2/24/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 174	Posted: 5/06/09 at 12:12pm
	In response to the original poster, 1. We are a year round operation, our season runs April through March. 2. We produce five productions per year, a four-play season and an extra add on event called the Summer Sampler, usually an extra play produced. 3. We have six performances of each production, only three for the Summer Sampler. On some productions we have added an extra performance. (but not over the last two years). We are in a town of 36,000 people and own our own venue of 472 seats. We have other events scheduled in between our shows that either we present, or are rentals. Some of those things have included Leo Kottke, Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Ozark Jubilee from Branson, Roger McGuinn, Glenn Miller Orchestra, Greg Brown, von Trapp family singers, and others. We have a number of community groups rent our facility and that generates some good revenue.
	John cfct@cfu.net http://www.osterregent.org http://www.facebook.com/osterregent
	IP Logged

kiwiholly Player Joined: 10/01/06 Location: New Zealand Online Status: Offline Posts: 12	Posted: 5/07/09 at 6:26pm
	My current company doesn't have their own theatre, so how many we do each year depends on the performance spaces which are available, but this year we're doing three... 1x kids musical (which opens tonight!!) 1x variety show 1x adult musical
	IP Logged

chelserin Lead Joined: 3/02/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 47	Posted: 5/07/09 at 9:04pm
	Our season runs August to May (first auditions to last performance) We produce 4 shows per season and each show has 12 performances. We try to have a mix of shows so that there is a youth show, musical, drama, and comedy.
	To be in the world, and of the world, and never to stand aside and watch.
	IP Logged

David McCall Celebrity Joined: 1/28/09 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 299	Posted: 5/08/09 at 1:12pm
	We don't have a "season" as such. We have a winter show that usually falls too close to Easter. Up 'till now, we have been using a not so great 900 seat middle school auditorium that we haven't filled for many years. There used to be a spring/summer straight play, but that has been dropped for the time being. Then comes our 6 week kids theater camp. This is our most financially successful activity and helps pay for the rest of the year's losses. We do this in a neighboring middle school that is new and quite nice. We also have a smaller fall show that we do in the church hall. Not a great facility with uncomfortable folding chairs. This show can be a musical or straight play. There is talk of adding a small show that we can take to competition too. Next year's spring show is Evita and we don't expect a big audience, so it may go into the church. David
	David M
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