Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: People to show up

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sonshine
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Topic: People to show up
Posted: 8/17/10 at 5:52pm

Hi everyone. Our new theater located in Indianapolis keeps having problems getting people to audition for plays. I have written press releases and e-mailed just about everyone about the auditions. I have no idea about what I am doing wrong.

Does anyone have any suggestions? FYI-our site is http://www.sonshinetheaterindy.yolasite.com

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jayzehr
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Posted: 8/17/10 at 6:21pm

We also use event calendars both online and in newspapers and hang up posters around town. We also have an email list that we've built up over a period of time. And we still wind up scrambling around to find actors sometimes.

Have you tried recruiting at churches since you're a religious group?

It also depends on what show you're having auditions for. If it's a well known show that people want to be in you'll probably get more people at auditions. If it's a play no one's heard of it's harder to cast. Some people won't audition for plays they find objectionable and going by my experience the reverse is true and there are actors who wouldn't audition for a Christian theater group.

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sonshine
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Posted: 8/17/10 at 6:30pm

For some really strange reason churches in Indianapolis do not seem to want to participate. I think it is because we do not the typical church play (ie lots of music, dancing) we concentrate on acting and traditional theater.

We usually do not require someone to be Christian to audition. We do e-mail some larger congregations that have drama ministries but they seem to be doing their own programs and have little time for collobration.

As far as flyers our budget is really low. I mean really low. Do you suggest we get a few places to post or ask people to print flyers themselves?

Thanks for your help.

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Theatermama
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Posted: 8/18/10 at 12:24am

You might send your audition notices to local churches and try to tap the actors there.

It appears that you have a Christian based theater company though I couldn't get your address to work, I found your audition notice. Wish I had the time to make the drive, I would audition for you but I am an hour south at least and work 2 nights a week. However, I have found in my dealings that my faith is in the minority among my theater friends. I am actually a very liberal Christian and my friends think I am exceedingly conservative.

I don't think you are going to get actors through the traditional means though you should still announce that way but go after other like minded individuals in places where they hang out.

Good luck. Sorry I missed that Jayzehr had answered this already, sorry for the redundancy. Maybe you can find other churches - did you try the Episcopal or Catholic or Lutheran, they typically don't have drama ministries, aren't as easily offended and often like theater.

Have you invited theater friends you know to audition? Have you put on any show yet? If so how did it go? It does take a while to get a reputation and if you are not careful you can get a bad reputation that is hard to shake no matter how good your shows become.

Is there a Christian College in Indianapolis that does theater? They might be a good place to tap.

Edited by Theatermama - 8/18/10 at 12:31am

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Theatermama
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Posted: 8/18/10 at 12:40am

You can make pretty cheap flyers black and white and for color take to copy shop and print some on a bright color - something that leaps out at them. Put them at churches, e-mail copies to people, put them at the public library, get on the calendars of all the local bulletin board calendars in the area. All churches need to agree to do is put it on their community board near their coffee hour location. You will have to start out hand delivering them but once you are established you could probably e-mail the secretary and they would print it and hang it for you. But if you want to assure it is there - put it there yourself. If there are Local Christian Bulletin boards online you might try posting there.

You could put it on bulletin boards at local colleges.

I applaud what you are trying to do. A friend and I were considering forming a similar company but feared exactly what is happening to you and we didn't have the energy to fight for it so it never happened. Good luck.

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jayzehr
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Posted: 8/18/10 at 4:20pm

Originally posted by sonshine

As far as flyers our budget is really low. I mean really low. Do you suggest we get a few places to post or ask people to print flyers themselves?

I use Kinkos for our audition posters. I just make regular copies on 8.5" by 11" colored paper. 100 flyers is around ten bucks. If that's out of your budget you've got bigger problems than no one showing up for auditions! Smile

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vickifrank
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Posted: 8/18/10 at 4:39pm

If you don't mind doing some leg-work, consider slowly building a cast list from surrounding theaters...then send out postcards to invite them to audition for the next show. At the bottom of the postcard say friends are welcome to audition.

For Example in Columbus Indiana (south of you) is a group called Millrace Players, who do some musicals every year. If you were to look for the cast list online, you might be able to find ten or so people that you can contact.

Also consider sending information to the various local colleges. IU, BallState, even Purdue and IUPUI all have theatre departments. Students might audition to gain the stage credits.

_____________

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

The theater scrim people

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Theatermama
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Posted: 8/18/10 at 4:41pm

Yes, that is what I do too jayzehr because they don't charge extra for colored paper and you can do them yourself.

Edited by Theatermama - 8/18/10 at 4:42pm

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sonshine
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Posted: 8/18/10 at 4:43pm

Thanks to everyone for their ideas. I didn't even think of sending notices to theaters. Also whoever suggested printed two flyers on the same page, thank you ten million times I will defintely try these ideas out. It can't hurt. Push to come to shove we could do one person shows, but that is a last last resort. Keep the ideas coming.

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Topic: People to show up( Topic Closed)