Conflicts with annual schedule of plays
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=2609
Printed Date: 11/22/24 at 5:01pm
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Topic: Conflicts with annual schedule of plays
Posted By: GoldCanyonLady
Subject: Conflicts with annual schedule of plays
Date Posted: 8/27/07 at 8:56pm
I am curious about what you do when there is more than one CT in an area? How do you go about planning your plays so you and another local CT aren't doing the same play(s) in the same year? Do you just wing it and hope there are no problems or do you meet with the competition? In the Phoenix area, I have seen different companies doing the same play at the same time. How do you avoid that?
Barb
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Barb Hofmeister,
MountainBrook Village Players, Gold Canyon, Arizona.
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Replies:
Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 8/27/07 at 9:47pm
With theatre here, if you flush the tiolet in one, you empty a bath in another.
In most cases it is word of mouth & rumours, especialy with the
luvvies [warm props] who cross polinate between groups, following
auditions.
Other wise as most groups insulate them selves behind their 4 walls
generaly. They don't tend to comunicate, other than on the local
website forum.
We have an eceptional relation ship with the 3 main groups around us,
which didn't start off that way at first, untill I sent them all double
comps for our season. It broke the ice & they all recipricate, with
double comps for each of thiers.
Frankly I treat it all like water, allowing it to find it's own level.
we don't consider any being competition, just complimentry.
With any play that works one area, may not work in another or vice versa.
I have always advocated & don't under stand why, after a group has
spent resources on a production, they don't take it to another
location. Which exsposes it to a wider audiance & have a better
chance to maximise on the returns.
Each year a lot of groups. list thier next year season infomation, but clashes still hapen.
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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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Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 8/28/07 at 8:16am
I agree with Gaafa reguarding communications modes.... and the lack there of... Groups usually know whats going on at the other venues... (and still you can find at least five theaters within 50 miles doing the same plays in the same year..) My big "wonderment" is why we can't find a way to not overlap time slots allowing for the sharing of assets, audience and "warm props"..
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Marty W
"Till next we trod the boards.."
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Posted By: GoldCanyonLady
Date Posted: 8/28/07 at 11:05am
In our small village, there are two CTs and they are less than one mile apart. We both use the same actors and some behind-the-scenes helpers but other than that there is no sharing. Up through this year, we each only do one play and that is in February. Next year we will do two shows, one in November and one in February.
Barb
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Barb Hofmeister,
MountainBrook Village Players, Gold Canyon, Arizona.
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Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 8/28/07 at 12:05pm
It always seems amazing to me, we are in the same game & cross
polinate. Yet we act more, like spiolt ankle biters, in the same
sand pit.
When 'we' started up the phoenie theatre group, I was acosted a number
of times, at other theatre functions & drama festivals. With edicts
of "how dare you start a group on our door step", 'Your stealing our
punters' & a sterner warinings of "You can't pinch any of our blokes!"
I couldn't help but just laugh at them & say "Please keep complaining more about
us. in the media & tell all your fruends as well - fantastic - free
publicity at last!
Any how as for for pinching the men, you know I'm not built that way!
So when we put on our first show I sent a pile of comps to all the
presidents & commitee members - worked a treat, we have cooperated
ever since.
Yet this never seems to happen in with Proeatre venues, who help each other out, unlike ameatre.
years ago 'we' started off 'Swap Tech' with all the venues in the
State. If a venues tech became crook or on holidays, leaving them short
of full time crew, The word would go out to see if any venue could help
out. Which inverably a tech was sent to help them out, there was no
short time costs to the recieving venue, other than transport &
accomodation, but not even wages in most cases.
The same with the loan of spare equipment, which only cost the borrower, for transport & marine insurance.
I remember when Circus Oz was booked to tour the state. Unfortunetly
the cast arrived in Kalgoolie. But thier props, set & costumes,
which came by road, were stuck in the middle of the Nulabor plain,
because the road was washaway & flooded.
So the call went out & venues some thousands of Km's away sent them
enough gear to do the show & carry on tour, at little or no cost.
This would be the case all the time back then, don't know how it is now, but I doubt it would be any different.
However i can't say the same for good old Ameatre though.
Beyond snarls & being caty between each other - must be caused by money - I suppose?
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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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Posted By: biggertigger
Date Posted: 8/29/07 at 9:23pm
Joe, I had the same problem when I started creating a new theater group. They hated the competition and bad mouthed me and the group (or anyone involved). Yet if they need something, they never hesitated calling for our help. The group I started had some highly knowledgable, technically educated people. We would get calls for a specific costume from the 1800s, and my costume designer would have one designed and created in days for them. I was asked the day of a huge gala event to run follow spots (I had two professional lighting people just off tour) for their show. Everything was curteousy of the Production company we started to help augment the local theater scene and to produce shows that would otherwise get overlooked because of "small minds".
Anyways, back to the topic at hand. We plan our season but are very flexible with other suggestions. Then after the other theaters list their season, we will change out duplicate shows and then publish our season. We do enough business and loyal following to not have to worry about duplicating shows, but trying to be "good neighbors" we wait for them. Of course, if the time came that they didn't post their seasons in a timely manner, then we'll go ahead and post ours.
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The two greatest days in a theater persons life, the day you start a new show and the day the damn thing closes.
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