Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Performance Start Times

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GElliott
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Joined: 3/05/07
Location: United States
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Posts: 33

Topic: Performance Start Times
Posted: 4/30/09 at 10:56am

Hey All,

What time do you start your performances, not including matinees? We have been discussing trying to start before the traditional 8:00 pm beginning time, but are hesitant to do it. Mainly because it feels like the time is so deeply ingrained in habit and tradition.

If you are starting earlier then that, did it take a lot of reeducation for the public to get the concept?

Thanks,
Gene

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John Luzaich
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Joined: 2/24/08
Location: United States
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Posts: 174

Posted: 4/30/09 at 11:25am

Hi Gene. I managed an off-broadway theatre in New York and everything everywhere used to be 8pm. Actually, that's the advertized start time. (theatre owners and the unions know that every union theatre has an 8:05 or 8:08 start, depending on the theatre). Anyway....

Now I'm in Iowa, and we have a 7:30pm curtain. We used to be 8pm, along with many other theatres, venues, symphony, University Theatre, etc. It started about 10 years ago, but basically most all of the arts organizations in the Midwest have moved to 7:30pm., including the Guthrie Theater. As far as the community theatre side of our business, we were concerned about performers. Many work full time, then get home from work, eat, change clothes, etc. Depending on the play, as we all know, we have call times where we need to be at the theatre early to warm up, make-up, costumes, check props, notes, etc. We had a lot of discussion or concern about not being enough time for turn around for performers between work and the start of a show. It's not been a problem. Everyone gets used to it. Same with the audience. Especially with some of the older audience. The show gets over sooner and they don't have to stay out so late. Now, when we do a start of anything but 7:30, people don't like it.

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

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pdavis69
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Joined: 3/26/06
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Posts: 437

Posted: 4/30/09 at 11:29am

Here in Northwest Ohio most places go with the 8PM start. We in Findlay start at 8PM for our Thurs through Sat shows and 5pm on Sundays (Dark Mon-Wed). We had done a 2pm Sunday show for a while but found that to be poorly attended and went to 5. That works out well for us.

Patrick L. Davis
Fort Findlay Playhouse

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75director
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Joined: 8/19/05
Location: United States
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Posts: 122

Posted: 5/01/09 at 11:47am

For a long time we started at 8 p.m., but changed to 7:30 p.m. about seven or eight years ago. It took a little adjustment the first couple of shows of the season but everyone likes the early start time, since they can get home earlier - esspecially with some of those long older musicals.

While it hasn't happened for a little while, we still every once in a while get someone who walks in half hour after the show starts and is suprised they are late, despite the fact the curtain time is printed on the ticket they are holding in their hand. Ahhh reading things people give you, a lost art form all its own.

We're in Nebraska and 7:30 is now pretty much the standard start time for most venues around here. Everyone started making the change about the same time we did.

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KEB54
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Joined: 7/24/08
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Posts: 227

Posted: 5/01/09 at 2:16pm

Ditto John and 75. Ten or 15 years ago it was tradition in our area to have an 8:15 curtain and then it changed to 7:30. Everyone in the region made this change (we're in the midwest, too). It didn't take long for the audience to catch on. I think there were two reasons for that: (1) everybody started the new time - the unviversities, the private companies, and the area CTs all went to 7:30 at the same time, and; (2) The new start time was pointed out to every person purchasing a ticket and when possible was given a call the day before to remind them. Sure there were a few latecommers but not many.

One of the strange things was the support we got from the resturants. We thought they wouldn't like it. Afterall we were getting their patrons to leave 45 minutes earlier and so would spend less money. But what happened was that the resturants could "turn the tables" -- that is, seat a new set of patrons! The theatre-goers would leave, but it was still early enough to seat and serve a new group at the table they vacated. Resturants increased the number of reservations, people served, and income generated.

So look to the resturants for support for the idea ... and maybe some sponsorships and additional program ad sales.

KEB

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Nanette
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Joined: 8/01/06
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Posts: 399

Posted: 5/01/09 at 3:43pm

Our start time is 7pm (we're in Iowa, too). We have a lot of much older and much younger people in our audience who wouldn't attend if it was much later than a 7pm start.

We also do a Saturday matinee at 2pm which is wonderful for people w/ the stroller set or those who go to bed at 6pm.

In a world of margarine, be butter!

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jungle16jim
Walk-On
Walk-On

Joined: 7/16/08
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Posts: 0

Posted: 8/12/09 at 12:27pm

Circle Players is in Nashville, TN and we start at 7:30. Last season, we were forced by the theater to start at 8 and it really hurt ticket sales. Our $10 Thursday shows are sell-outs when we start at 7:30, but at 8pm, it's much harder to get an audience.

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cincyactress
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Joined: 10/23/07
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Posted: 8/23/09 at 9:46am

Here in Cincinnati, the standard curtain for the 15+ community theatres in the city is 8:00 PM. Matinees on Sundays are at 2:00 or 3:00 PM depending on the theatre. Our matinees are well attended by the older crowd who don't like to drive after dark.

It is a hopeless endeavour to attract people to a theatre unless they can be first brought to believe that they will never get in.

CHARLES DICKENS, Nicholas Nickleby

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

Author	Message
GElliott Lead Joined: 3/05/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 33	Topic: Performance Start Times Posted: 4/30/09 at 10:56am
	Hey All, What time do you start your performances, not including matinees? We have been discussing trying to start before the traditional 8:00 pm beginning time, but are hesitant to do it. Mainly because it feels like the time is so deeply ingrained in habit and tradition. If you are starting earlier then that, did it take a lot of reeducation for the public to get the concept? Thanks, Gene

	IP Logged

John Luzaich Celebrity Joined: 2/24/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 174	Posted: 4/30/09 at 11:25am
	Hi Gene. I managed an off-broadway theatre in New York and everything everywhere used to be 8pm. Actually, that's the advertized start time. (theatre owners and the unions know that every union theatre has an 8:05 or 8:08 start, depending on the theatre). Anyway.... Now I'm in Iowa, and we have a 7:30pm curtain. We used to be 8pm, along with many other theatres, venues, symphony, University Theatre, etc. It started about 10 years ago, but basically most all of the arts organizations in the Midwest have moved to 7:30pm., including the Guthrie Theater. As far as the community theatre side of our business, we were concerned about performers. Many work full time, then get home from work, eat, change clothes, etc. Depending on the play, as we all know, we have call times where we need to be at the theatre early to warm up, make-up, costumes, check props, notes, etc. We had a lot of discussion or concern about not being enough time for turn around for performers between work and the start of a show. It's not been a problem. Everyone gets used to it. Same with the audience. Especially with some of the older audience. The show gets over sooner and they don't have to stay out so late. Now, when we do a start of anything but 7:30, people don't like it.
	John cfct@cfu.net http://www.osterregent.org http://www.facebook.com/osterregent
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pdavis69 Celebrity Joined: 3/26/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 437	Posted: 4/30/09 at 11:29am
	Here in Northwest Ohio most places go with the 8PM start. We in Findlay start at 8PM for our Thurs through Sat shows and 5pm on Sundays (Dark Mon-Wed). We had done a 2pm Sunday show for a while but found that to be poorly attended and went to 5. That works out well for us.
	Patrick L. Davis Fort Findlay Playhouse
	IP Logged

75director Celebrity Joined: 8/19/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 122	Posted: 5/01/09 at 11:47am
	For a long time we started at 8 p.m., but changed to 7:30 p.m. about seven or eight years ago. It took a little adjustment the first couple of shows of the season but everyone likes the early start time, since they can get home earlier - esspecially with some of those long older musicals. While it hasn't happened for a little while, we still every once in a while get someone who walks in half hour after the show starts and is suprised they are late, despite the fact the curtain time is printed on the ticket they are holding in their hand. Ahhh reading things people give you, a lost art form all its own. We're in Nebraska and 7:30 is now pretty much the standard start time for most venues around here. Everyone started making the change about the same time we did.
	IP Logged

KEB54 Celebrity Joined: 7/24/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 227	Posted: 5/01/09 at 2:16pm
	Ditto John and 75. Ten or 15 years ago it was tradition in our area to have an 8:15 curtain and then it changed to 7:30. Everyone in the region made this change (we're in the midwest, too). It didn't take long for the audience to catch on. I think there were two reasons for that: (1) everybody started the new time - the unviversities, the private companies, and the area CTs all went to 7:30 at the same time, and; (2) The new start time was pointed out to every person purchasing a ticket and when possible was given a call the day before to remind them. Sure there were a few latecommers but not many. One of the strange things was the support we got from the resturants. We thought they wouldn't like it. Afterall we were getting their patrons to leave 45 minutes earlier and so would spend less money. But what happened was that the resturants could "turn the tables" -- that is, seat a new set of patrons! The theatre-goers would leave, but it was still early enough to seat and serve a new group at the table they vacated. Resturants increased the number of reservations, people served, and income generated. So look to the resturants for support for the idea ... and maybe some sponsorships and additional program ad sales.
	KEB
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Nanette Celebrity Joined: 8/01/06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 399	Posted: 5/01/09 at 3:43pm
	Our start time is 7pm (we're in Iowa, too). We have a lot of much older and much younger people in our audience who wouldn't attend if it was much later than a 7pm start. We also do a Saturday matinee at 2pm which is wonderful for people w/ the stroller set or those who go to bed at 6pm.
	In a world of margarine, be butter!
	IP Logged

jungle16jim Walk-On Joined: 7/16/08 Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 8/12/09 at 12:27pm
	Circle Players is in Nashville, TN and we start at 7:30. Last season, we were forced by the theater to start at 8 and it really hurt ticket sales. Our $10 Thursday shows are sell-outs when we start at 7:30, but at 8pm, it's much harder to get an audience.
	IP Logged

cincyactress Walk-On Joined: 10/23/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 8/23/09 at 9:46am
	Here in Cincinnati, the standard curtain for the 15+ community theatres in the city is 8:00 PM. Matinees on Sundays are at 2:00 or 3:00 PM depending on the theatre. Our matinees are well attended by the older crowd who don't like to drive after dark.
	It is a hopeless endeavour to attract people to a theatre unless they can be first brought to believe that they will never get in. CHARLES DICKENS, Nicholas Nickleby
	IP Logged

Topic: Performance Start Times( Topic Closed)