Theater Seasons
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Theater Administration
Forum Name: Running Your Theater
Forum Discription: General questions about how to make it work
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2282
Printed Date: 11/22/24 at 7:21am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Theater Seasons
Posted By: flsawyer
Subject: Theater Seasons
Date Posted: 3/05/07 at 11:04am
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Greetings and salutations from Elko, Nevada's community theater, the Silver Stage Players. Herr Chairman here to ask a very simple question and hopefully garner a little insight into other companys. My question is; "In regards to the calendar, what defines your season?" Our company is thinking of aligning our theater season with the calendar year. Traditionally we have gone from Fall to the Summer to define our season but I am curious to see how other companies define their season and see if there are an opinions on our proposal to realign our season with the calendar year. We would greatly appreciate your feedback.
Thank you very much and here's to each and every one of you in theater!
Frank L. Sawyer SSP Chairman 2004-07
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Replies:
Posted By: 75director
Date Posted: 3/05/07 at 11:43am
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We run with a July-June calendar. Based on my observations of theatres around my area (Nebraska) I'd say 75% of the theatres function that way. The rest go with the calendar year.
Running this way puts our budget year to match our state arts council's fiscal year. It makes things simplier that way since we get a fairly good sized opperating grant from them.
We do occassionally get the confused person who calls in December wanting to order season tickets thinking it starts in January, or they want to buy a relative season tickets as a Christmas present. We tell them the season is half way over, but we can sell them "mini-season" passes good for the rest of the shows.
But back to your question, I say set up your season however you think will work best for your organization and your community.
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Posted By: JohnnyOneNote
Date Posted: 3/05/07 at 12:17pm
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Our theater runs Aug to May for our mainstage season
Our summer stock is May - July
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Posted By: dboris
Date Posted: 3/05/07 at 12:58pm
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Many years ago our seasons started in September, but now we run on a calendar year. A lot of the other community theaters in my area still start thier season in the Fall.
Dan
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Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 3/05/07 at 7:00pm
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With the season calender most groups here run January to December. But the do the fiscal year for their accounting books & annual elections. ------------- Joe Western Gondawandaland turn right @ Perth. Hear the light & see the sound. Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"} May you always play to a full house} |
Posted By: Theatrestation
Date Posted: 3/06/07 at 5:04am
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Our season runs March to October/november. ------------- http://www.castbuilding.com http://www.theatrestation.com |
Posted By: Nanette
Date Posted: 3/06/07 at 9:05am
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The season for my children's theatre runs the same as the school year ... August to March (we stop before planting season for all the country kids who help on the farms). Starting next summer we're planning on adding a summer workshop. ------------- In a world of margarine, be butter! |
Posted By: B-M-D
Date Posted: 3/28/07 at 12:51pm
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Most ct's in my area the season starts in September and runs to May or June. We don't have alot of summer ct activity. If you go according to how our area "awards" season goes then it runs August thru July. ------------- BD 
"Dying is easy, comedy is hard." |
Posted By: Kibitzer
Date Posted: 3/29/07 at 9:54am
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As you can see from these posts and from what I've seen around the country, there seems to be a tendency to run a season from September to May or June, leaving summer either time off or for special summer programs, but that's not universal. For much older theatres, way back when, it made sense to avoid summers -- no air conditioning! It was also a time when participants, as well as audiences, did a lot of vacationing, etc. Of course, I know one theatre that had no heat until a couple of years ago, so they ran from April or May through October or so! I think seasons are determined first by tradition (i.e., the way it's always been); by administrative needs (for example, corresponding to a funding cycle from a state or local arts agency) and/or by the audience being served (e.g., a tourism location might correspond to the tourist season). I wonder why your theatre is considering a change? I ask because so often, organizations make changes for the sake of change rather than to address some strategic need. It may be helpful to look at such a consideration from a marketing point of view. Personally, I couldn't recommend such a change if it's to address some internal administrative need. I think your audience and your participants have to come first. If a change will better suit them, then by all means, it makes sense. Or will the change just confuse them? There's danger in confusion. When the market becomes confused, they tend to say "no". That may not have a significant impact on single ticket sales, but could have a critical impact on subscriptions. There are just some things that it doesn't much matter what the rest of the country is doing. What matters is what's going to work best for the needs of your constituency. ------------- "Security is a kind of death." - Tennessee Williams |
Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 3/29/07 at 12:54pm
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Our theater, and most in our area, run from end of May (with show in July) to the begining of May... Our last show always ends before our state theater associations regional competitions. That being said, unless you are the lone theater in your area and you do not draw from other theaters for talent and tech, I would concider gearing the season run time to coencide with the other theaters in your area. We have about 6 theaters within about 30 miles from my home. I work them all from time to time. All but one of them is on the July to May performance schedule and you can look to them announcing thier seasons some time in March or April. This gives directors and other gypsy theater types a view of whats being done where and what they want to commit to. That one other theater runs with the January to Dember type calendar. Every year, by the time they announce and put out a call for directors and other help, we are all already commited..
The other factor is our annual meeting/end of fiscal year... ------------- Marty W "Till next we trod the boards.." |