What's In A Name?
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=2345
Printed Date: 10/31/25 at 12:29am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: What's In A Name?
Posted By: P&M Sales
Subject: What's In A Name?
Date Posted: 4/12/07 at 12:13pm
In the UK there are many community theatres still with the archaic
title of 'Sometown Amateur Operatic And Dramatic Society' (or similar).
I replied to a thread on the www.amdram.co.uk forum suggesting that if
these theatres wanted bigger audiences one of the things they should do
is to upgrade their names to sound a little bit more professional.
My questions to the US Community Theatre fraternity are ...
1) Would your potential audiences be put off if they saw the word 'amateur' on your posters and playbills?
2) Is there a naming convention chosen by many or a large percentage of CT's which is seen as beneficial to ticket sales?
3) Has anybody got a story to tell about the name of their CT affecting sales (either improving or reducing sales)?
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best regards
David
http://www.stagescripts.com - http://www.stagescripts.com
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Replies:
Posted By: Nanette
Date Posted: 4/12/07 at 6:51pm
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Personally, I would be put off if I actually saw the word 'amateur' on a poster or playbill, although I know CT's to be (for the most part) just that. We are not professionals, but to advertise it just seems to ask folk not to come. Some feel, too, that adding the word "children" or "youth" would be a turn off to potential audiences ... however, I've never found that to be the case.
I've always favored (insert name) Theatre, (insert name) Theatre Troupe, (insert name) Players, etc.
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In a world of margarine, be butter!
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Posted By: dboris
Date Posted: 4/12/07 at 8:10pm
I thought this was an interesting topic, so I did an analysis of the names of the theaters on the AACT member list looking for word frequency. Here are the results from the 686 groups on their list. This shows the top 17 words found in the theater names with thier frequencies.
Theatre 321
Community 142
Players 121
Little 59
Playhouse 43
Theatre 41
Civic 35
Company 34
Theater 33
Arts 32
Center 21
Association 20
County 20
Guild 18
City 17
Stage 15
Performing 12
... and how many times did the word Amateur appear? ZERO!!!
Dan
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Posted By: red diva
Date Posted: 4/13/07 at 3:44pm
I agree about the inadvisability of including the word "amateur" in your theatre's name. We know what it means, but to the average joe citizen it might imply that the efforts of said theatre are "amateurish" rather than simply done "for the love of" it (wich is the dictionary definition of the word).
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"I've worked long and hard to earn the right to be called Diva!"
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Posted By: Stageman
Date Posted: 5/23/07 at 12:19pm
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1. Yes
2. Not really, but I think the simpler the better: Name of Town Community Players, etc.
3. I don't have a story, but except to not having "amateur" in the title, I don't think the name would have that big an effect on it.
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Posted By: whitebat
Date Posted: 8/13/07 at 11:09pm
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Our defunct CT was "Boomtown Players". The current incarnation started out informally as "The Theater Group" and became "Craig Performing Arts Project". We didn't like that name because 1. it sounds pretentious 2. neighboring Steamboat already has a "Performing Arts" school or something and 3. the initials are CPAP... which looks awfully close to another word
Now we are "Black Mountain Theatre". It's a good name with good initials, though some people still think we're in Steamboat (geographically, Black Mountain is NOT in Steamboat). I think the name had more effect on who tried out for plays than audience.
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Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 8/14/07 at 3:25am
A very good piot David & analisation of the generic name choices
Dboris. Mind you I'm sure every group wants to have a recognisable &
descriptive name, yet do tend to fall into using generic terms to
identify themselves. Such as the 'AODS' hook in the UK. There is
a tendancy here lately to hang up less geographical shingles & more
odd non descript handles. Though there still is a few of the
traditional marque names floating about, such as the 'Lyric'
& others.
My mob was the Pheonix Senior Theatre orginally. Which covers a
geographical locality. However when I coined it & formed the group,
after my last stroke. I thought of calling it after most City
orientated endeavours, starting with 'Co' for the designation of
Cockburn City [Pronounced Coburn City, because of the puritan edwardian
founders.] So I thought of the Cockpit Theatre However it would be
pronounced as the Co'pit or copit theatre?
Thinking about the orginal Cockpit Theatre in London, which after
burning down was rebuilt & resurected by Indigo Jones as the
Pheonix Theatre. Which fitted both the Pheonix Allotment &
connection to Cockburn City.
However because I got a grant from the Government Department of
Seniors, to start the group, A lot of the members wanted to use
'Seniors Theatre' in the name. I put this to the Govt Minister for Seniors
of the time, who strongly suggested to drop the word senior, as it
would pidgeonhole the group. But in hindsight I think I made a complete blue, as wee should have
retained it.
As our most reliable & backbone members are from the blue rinse set
or the old farts like me. Who are always there to get things done,
unlike the younger fly by nights, who are all mouth!
But this is not answering you question David.
So yes I believe in thinking about the 'senior' handle, it may have the
same effect as the word amatuer being used, as was feared by the
Minister, But looking at the lack of bums on seats anyway, it would not
hurt. As it is promoted as a community theatre & we might get more,
by reverting back to using the 'Seniors' in the name.
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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}
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