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You are going to have to connect with some other people. If you have to use a partner to do it, that's fine. We talked to people at clubs and organizations we belonged to and at work to find actors and tech people. I remember recuiting people over club luncheons.
We started with finding a group that wanted to raise money through a dinner theatre. They found the space, chose the dates, and arranged for the food and advertising. It was a Girl Scout troupe so they had a built in audience of family and friends. The scouts had a leader who loved dinner theatre and knew there was an audience for it in the community. (It's not Hamlet, but it's a practical way to start.)
We found a director and a script--small cast comedy, of course, with lots more women than men--A Bad Year for Tomatoes is a good choice. We put a story in the paper and said we were having auditions at a certain time and place. We had a rehearsal space in a school; the director had access. The sponsoring group paid for the royalty and gave us a so much a person for the people who attended. We paid for the scripts (about $75 nowadays) ourselves upfront and took the money later from the profits. We did it on a stage with just curtains as a backdrop.
We got plenty of people to audition. We had virtually no tech on the first show.
The first show was a success. We then got incorporated and found a local service club to donate money for building flats. We got the local community college to let us store our flats in their space. Getting incorporated first might be important today.
You need people and rehearsal and performance space first, plus enough money for the scripts and royalty (and advertising if you are going it alone). If there is a local arts group that brings in musical groups or sponsors art shows, they might be willing to help you find an audience. You (or someone) will have to make contact and see if they can help you with a mailing list. After you prove yourself, they might be willing to put you on their season ticket for a set price. That gives you an audience for other shows.
Finding space to store flats/props was our biggest challenge. We mostly performed in schools that had stages. Teachers with access to such spaces made up the core of our group and continue to be a core. Connections with local media are important, too. We had a sports writer who performed with us in the early years. She is now the editor and still promotes the shows in the newspaper.
As we got money, we purchased lighting and sound equipment. Eventually, the community refurbished a small theatre in the library, so we mostly perform there now.
Our company began 30 years ago. We do 3 shows year now and have continuously over the years. We are in a community of 2000, so our experience may not work for you.
Best wishes for success. Keep us posted.
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