training the audience
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URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2636
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Topic: training the audience
Posted By: drose
Subject: training the audience
Date Posted: 9/03/07 at 2:49pm
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The way I phrase this may offend someone (what doesn't offend someone?), but how do you go about training your audience to want to see shows that they don't know? Maybe urban areas don't have the same problem, but as a med.-small town community theatre, if we aren't doing the Sound of Music or Seven Brides, we barely stay afloat. Sondheim musicals are even iffy and god forbid we do a straight play! Our community would rather see a bad performance of Oklahoma than a stellar performance of A Little Night Music or The Woman In Black. I want to be able to do shows that challenge the audience and the actors. I don't have some need to offend or shock, but I have 8 or 10 actors who want to do something meaty and be able to play to a house of more than 12 people. (In a theatre seating >150, 12 looks pretty lonely!) |
Replies:
Posted By: eveharrington
Date Posted: 9/03/07 at 3:33pm
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it's difficult I feel your pain on this one. We aren't quite as restricted, we do two straight plays and one musical a year, but the straight plays are usually all comedies and doing one that everyone hasn't already heard of, seen, or even seen the movie or tv show based on, is risky. Well, risky implies we don't know what will happen, thats not really accurate either, we know. It's all marketing, you need to get out there and make your plot seem fascinating, even do preview scenes. Local talk radio is often a good outlet for this. If you have an actor or director that people are familiar and comfortable with, use that, get them quoted when the newspaper comes to write their blurb, send them to the radio station. The bottom line is, a lot of people think plays are boring and they only like musicals because they like the singing and dancing, you have to try to show these people that they are wrong, plays can be every bit as exciting and entertaining as any TV show. Show them once or twice and they'll start to come around.
PS it doesn't hurt to have an accessible bar in your lobby either.  ------------- "If nothing else, there's applause... like waves of love pouring over the footlights." |
Posted By: Topper
Date Posted: 9/03/07 at 4:26pm
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How many shows do you do during a season?
If you do your musical or "popular" plays first, you can offer incentives to the audiences who attend them. Since tickets sales are scarce anyway for the more "adventurous" programs, you might try offering ONE free ticket for every TWO (or 3, or 4) tickets purchased to the musical. These freebies would be good ONLY for opening night (or opening weekend), trusting that word-of-mouth from reluctant theater-goers might increase sales for the remainder of the run. "I didn't know anything about this play, but I got a free ticket and thought 'why not?' and it was WONDERFUL, you must go see it!" At least this way you might get a few more butts in the seats and if you can make up the money in concessions (as most theaters do) then it's a write off as advertising. ------------- "None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone |
Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 9/03/07 at 9:08pm
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Ofendies nah? - Saddies - yes! As topper suggested with the dozen lonely souls, by getting them to BOGOF as a future door opener! Similar to what your P J Barnam was forced to do, way back when. By giving your captivated punters, a couple of free comp each. Then look to recover by premium vending, as an added value the same as the scottish cafe does, on the bar or other concessions - as suggested. Even if you give away the whole season as 'paper houses' & fill the venue each show. only making a dollar a head with a full house/show, you have not lost nothing, from what you are doing now - Rather than trying t flog the seats at say $10 each, except it has the potential to increase future box office. It might feel a bit like applying the chineese water torture.[that brought about lithograph printing - or was it viky verka?] Produce a good quality meaty product, that's juicy enough to satisfy your hungry warm props. Then as they say, run it up the flag pole, as long as it's full of glitzy colour & it is not just a limp white flag! Make it a big & special season, by using the as much of the free media promotions available in the manner Eyve posted about, even with fundraisers as a special promotion. Tackle it with as much gusto, as a rat does going up a drain pipe. Pick out a prime burger of a play now & then, serving it up with 2 whole beef patties & add a special sauce, on presentation [you eat with your eyes first] Which also will help to train the punters, as you would a puppy. By offering tit bit rewards & keep it up each time, as though they were performing seals - they will love it & clap thier little flippers for more!  ------------- 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: tdsands
Date Posted: 9/03/07 at 9:59pm
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I have to agree that word of mouth is so important! The first showing is critical. If you put up a good show and impress, they will come.
Try partnering with a charity of some kind for the first night. $5.00 from each ticket will go to .... whatever you think worthy. This gets you good press and people to help sell tickets.
(Free wine & cheese sometimes works too). ------------- tdsands @ NRT |
Posted By: Nanette
Date Posted: 9/03/07 at 10:22pm
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drose ... might I suggest doing something with children in the cast? It always brings in the parents, the siblings, the teachers, the aunts, the uncles, etc. ------------- In a world of margarine, be butter! |
Posted By: drose
Date Posted: 9/03/07 at 10:59pm
| I'm a little concerned about how it would look for an established non-profit community theatre of 20 years to do alot of freebies as incentives. Besides looking desperate, it seems that it might rub people the wrong way - since we are always fundraising and soliciting money, then giving away tickets? I understand (and agreee with) the theory, I'm just worried about appearances. What do you think? I do like the idea of pairing with another non-profit for opening nite, especially if it were topic/content appropriate. Like pairing Talking With with a women's awareness program or heck, even Harvey with the local animal shelter/humane society (ok, that's a stretch, but you get the idea). In fact, the more I think about it, the more I like that idea. Hmmm. |
Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 9/04/07 at 3:01am
I'm not advocating liberaly papering every production. only those which are not considered because it is doubtful of getting the BOS's thru the stiles. The initial justification is the lack of an audiance & it helps the luvvies do it better, when there is more punters in the dark. With the paring/sharing this forms the back bone of most ameatres here. Which are called 'charity nights' for want of a better title. Most of them have focused on these to give them at least one show a week of a season as a charity performance. A number can bank on at least 2 full houses out of an average 8 performance season, before they even set thier future annual calender. By biulding up a list of community groups prepared to take a half, full or block bookings at a rate, they can sell them on to thier members, as fund raiser. This is also done by the major pro venues & is very lucrative to all concerned. But there has to be someone again, prepared to powder the noses & cultivate theses groups. To the extent of accomodating them to run raffles & put on wine 'n bikkies. Making it thier show & all they have to do is sell the tickets, take the money & fundraise while being entertained - nothing else. Also thru the cast & FOTIT's [friends of those in theatre] who are members of smaller charity groups, that for whatever reason can't avail themselves of this or being able to sell a half or full house, the theatre makes available block seating for specified charity peformances or links them up with like orginsations to buy tickets for the particular members charity group. There is a miriad of permitations used. ------------- 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: Debflo
Date Posted: 9/04/07 at 12:02pm
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I've been studying a lot recently on marketing and how to fill the house when the play is not a known play. And from all of the folks I have spoken with here, it is all about the benefit. When you advertise a known play (or musical,) people know what they are getting so the benefit is already known. But if you are doing the Woman in Black (great show by the way) then people don't know what they are getting. Whats in it for them? I would suggest you figure out what benefit they get from seeing this new play and advertise it as such.
We have been doing this with our most recent show and I am already seeing results. Granted, I am in a large city, but there are over 60 theatre companys in this city, so to fill a house is rare.
I hope that helps!
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Posted By: biggertigger
Date Posted: 9/04/07 at 12:45pm
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Deb is right. It comes down to proper marketing. This isn't just talking about papering your town with more posters. This is the type and way of marketing your show. If you ever get a chance to take a class I would suggest you take it. If not, look for people that have a degree in Marketing, they can give you many suggestions and guide you into the realm of marketing.
This website should give you a better understanding of marketing and some suggestions.
http://www.managementhelp.org/mrktng/mrktng.htm - http://www.managementhelp.org/mrktng/mrktng.htm
------------- The two greatest days in a theater persons life, the day you start a new show and the day the damn thing closes. |
Posted By: AngelSong76
Date Posted: 9/12/07 at 10:13pm
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This is an important question that I'm about to start working on, actually. I was just named publicity chair for a CT and the first play on our 2008 slate is Misery. This is a huge departure from what this theatre usually does, so we will probably not have as much attendance from our usual crowd (an older, more conservative group.) Unless they surprise me and show up anyway, we will need to really promote this show. I'm thinking about making up some "wanted ads" for Annie Wilkes and some "missing posters" for Paul Sheldon using pictures of the actors to go in the local newspapers, and I'm going to deliver the press releases and publicity photos to the local entertainment editors tied to a plastic axe (if you've read the play or the book, you know why I would use an axe!) I think this show has amazing potential to bring new blood into our theatre, and I'm extremely excited about promoting it. (I'm also auditioning for Annie)
Anyway, I think the best approach is to catch everyone's attention. Do something that applies to the play, something that will get people talking. Even if you can't "train" your audience to accept unknown or different plays, you may find a new audience that is willing to experience something new. Chances are, your old audience will still be there when you do plays that they know they will enjoy, and you will have introduced a new group of people to your quality in the meantime.
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Posted By: Topper
Date Posted: 9/13/07 at 1:02am
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How about giving a sneak preview to a local company's employees?
Then you can put a headline in the newspaper "Company Loves Misery!" ------------- "None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone |
Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 9/13/07 at 1:24am
Good one Topper! Or how about;- Actor in Misey after recieving the chop! ------------- 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: AngelSong76
Date Posted: 9/13/07 at 2:53pm
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hahaha... those are hilarious! |
