Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: getting people to notice us

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second stage
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Topic: getting people to notice us
Posted: 1/20/09 at 8:58pm

We are a community theatre in a small town that has been active for the last five years. We have put on at least 4 shows a year, some with big names to over sold out houses sometimes (although not this year). Our major problem is that our theatre is very old and was closed for 25 years until 5 years ago when we started using it. Eventhough we have written articles and had many write ups, and produced shows in there I can't count how many people tell me everyday that they thought that old theatre was closed. What should I do to get people to realize that the building is being used again?

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imamember
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Posted: 1/21/09 at 10:45am

Do you own the building? If so maybe you could paint it all cool looking.

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75director
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Posted: 1/21/09 at 11:27am

It's difficult to break into some people's thoughts. Our theatre, for example has been around for 34 years, gets terrific attention from the local press, in the same downtown location for 25 years and is located right between the police department and the the public works building -- so everyone in town has to go to one or the other building at some point .

Despite this there are still life-long residents who look at you in shock and say, "Wow, there's a community theatre here? Did you guys just start?" As the old saying goes you can take a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. Unfortunately for some people that's also the case with building community awareness. But I"m open to any thoughts people have on building awareness!

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vickifrank
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Posted: 1/21/09 at 11:45am

Have you considered a banner to hang on the front of the historic building--"Open for fun! Now in our 5th season!" Give your website so people can look up what's playing or have a signboard with the times and show name.

Then consider giving the local radio dj's 2 tickets to a performance to give away. If you make this part of a contest, make it a part of "Find the Theatre Contest". The caller has to give street directions to the next show, including time and date.

Then invite the mayor to celebrate your 5 year anniversary--invite the press to the ceremony and get a picture in the paper.

If your shows are kid friendly, invite the local high school english class to a dress rehearsal. Have a few of the actors talk about their roles.

Get permission to dress the sidewall (chalk art) before a show, and even to dress the trees in front of the building. (My city did a tree cozy contest as part of city fun). You could sponsor a contest to put the trees in costume, invite local classrooms to participate. Trees dressed as characters would be eyecatching. No trees? Ask the city if you can dress the lampposts or life size paper dolls (cut outs in front of the theater). Again, this is a good visual for the local paper.

_____________

http://www.studio-productions-inc.com
1-800-359-2964

The theater scrim people

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second stage
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Posted: 1/21/09 at 1:53pm

these are great suggestions. we don't own the building and the owner has actually painted the building once but he just painted it exactally the same color as before so no one really noticed. The best publicity we have gotton so far was when an elderly gentlemen ran into the front of the building with his car but unfortunatly the publicity didn't include us.

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imamember
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Posted: 1/21/09 at 2:59pm

I know it's a whole year away bu does your town have a yearly christmas parade? You could always enter a float.

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jayzehr
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Posted: 1/23/09 at 10:07am

Originally posted by 75director

Despite this there are still life-long residents who look at you in shock and say, "Wow, there's a community theatre here? Did you guys just start?"

That's always amazing, isn't it? The same thing happens with businesses, too. I guess part of it is, if you don't go to theater and aren't interested, how and/or why would you know? Any more than you would know there's a model rocket club that meets every month at the fairgrounds if you're not into that. (Or whatever.)

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KEB54
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Posted: 1/23/09 at 10:56am

Marketing. Advertise your productions but market your company.

Do you have a marketing person on your board? My guess is no. Can you get one, or at least get a marketing plan?

What kind of groups do you have in town -- Lions, Kiwanas, Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, etc? Can you join or at least get up in front of them for a presentation a few times a year?

Do you make friends? Do you talk up the theatre at the grocery store, hardware store, lumber yard, etc? Have you asked the mayor to join your board? Even if he/she says no you get great value in educating him/her about your theatre and keeping him/her informed of the value of community theatre in the community. The same with local business people, bankers, etc. Sell them on the fact that you are an asset to the community.

Get people with varied backgrounds involved. Make sure they know that theatre isn't just actor-types. Some of our biggest supporters are folks that would never get on stage but do work or give us in-kind donations - carpenters, electricians, contractors, etc. They love having their names in the programs. They come to our shows with their friends so they can point out aspects of the set they built, or electricals they installed, etc.

In short it is getting the community involved and have a vested interest in your theatre. The building is just a building. You want them interested in what happens inside the building.

KEB

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vickifrank
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Posted: 1/23/09 at 12:06pm

Good advice from KEB. We sometimes start thinking from either the actor's point of view or the audience's. Those are both valid ("I want to perform!"; "I want to see a good show and have fun!"). But there are lots of other people who take part in putting a show on--and tons of people who benefit from shows taking place. To a marketter these are important consitituencies too.

Those vendors that donate in kind are as important as the donors who donate cash. They all have a stake in the theatre and how it grows. So do educators in the area, who can point to "literature come alive!" by pointing to a show. How many kids have learned the importance of books, english, and history by being part of its stage protrayal. Similarly parents who want their kids to have a cultural background benefit from arts that aren't on TV and have a local flavor. Businesses and government trying to attract business can point to theatre as part of what makes their community different and great. Local couples find a live performance just a little more exciting than a movie.

Now what about all the folks who haven't gone nuts because they have a chance to come out and play? What work-week doesn't go better with a little play? As an engineer (turned businesswoman)/set designer myself, I have to think I was a better engineer in my day work when I did shows at night.

Finally, little community theaters give folks a chance to see themselves differently for a moment. The guy who leads the tech crew may not be a manager at work, but leading that crew might make him see himself as someone who can lead. A director who gets a chance to put their vision on stage may see their other visions just a bit more 3-dimensionally. A producer who contacts businesses in hope of sponsorship also builds a network in the community. Placing a teenage kid next to a 65 year old retired guy both working on the construction crew brings together generations in new dynamic ways that just don't happen anywhere else these days.

(In community theatre especially) We think of ourselves as lowly sometimes, but the local arts reach is deep and broad and impossible to quantify. Like the Jimmy Stewart show, A Wonderful Life, we ought to ocassionally imagine what our communities would miss without us.

And we do all that without a touch of ego--LOL

As KEB said, its what happens inside the building--and its what that means to the folks outside the building too.

_____________

http://www.studio-productions-inc.com
1-800-359-2964

The theater scrim people

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75director
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Posted: 1/23/09 at 12:53pm

Very well put vicki!

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