Running Your Theater: Membership Rates?????

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Membership Rates?????

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=4057
Printed Date: 11/23/24 at 12:49am
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Topic: Membership Rates?????

Posted By: imamember
Subject: Membership Rates?????
Date Posted: 6/03/09 at 7:32pm

I'm with a relatively small CT in a smaller town/community.

Our membership rates are:

Students: $12
Individual Adults: $24
Individual Seniors: (62+) $12
Household: $36

We do not require membership to participate in any way.

Some of us on the board have proposed that we lower our membership rates to a flat $10 per person. We currently have all of about 55 members.

My thought is that if membership were lower, more people would be inclined.

The rest of the board's position is that if membership is cheap, people will assume the product (shows) are low quality and stated that plenty of other groups charge upwards of $80. I know for a fact of some groups that only charge $7

My hypothesis is that groups that charge a lot for membership, also require membership in order to be cast in the shows and groups that have lower memberships do not have a "pay to play" policy.

So what say you? Am I right or is it more complicated?

What do you charge, how large a community are you in and do you have a pay to play policy or not?

Replies:

Posted By: moonstruckcarol
Date Posted: 6/04/09 at 11:17am

The reason I started my summer production company (in Worcester, MA) was because the local existing companies don't do shows in the summer...and the ones that do want a TON of money. One group requires ADULTS to pay something like $500 to be in a show!

So we don't charge a production/membership fee, although we do require everyone who is on board for the summer to sell $25 - $50 worth of ads for our program. We take individual circumstances into consideration, but stress to the group that we need this money and every little bit helps. Selling ads is better, I think. Then the financial burden doesn't fall on the person who really just wants to do a show.

Lower it to $10, and consider only requiring it when the person has been cast/officially signed on to the crew?

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Caroline Fonseca
Artistic Director
Moonstruck Theater Co (Worcester, MA)
www.moonstrucktheater.org

Posted By: lighthouse
Date Posted: 6/04/09 at 12:36pm

Originally posted by imamember

My thought is that if membership were lower, more people would be inclined.

The rest of the board's position is that if membership is cheap, people will assume the product (shows) are low quality and stated that plenty of other groups charge upwards of $80.

In the 3 CTs I've worked with, 2 have $20 membership fees (a whole season) and 1 has only per-production fees around $150. I find the talent to be better in the "cheap" groups but the sets/costumes/lighting to be better in the higher-cost group. All want a minimum Ad revenue from each performer.

If you want more participation, keep the fees low. In today's economy you have to be doing a show I REALLY want to be in for me to fork over $150.

Posted By: imamember
Date Posted: 6/04/09 at 1:56pm

Good interesting info....keep em coming!

We don't require ads sold by performers at all.

We have a guy that does mailings to businesses asking for ad sales and when someone buys an ad, it's in every mainstage and summer program we have. Let's say we sell $2,500 in ads, we split up the money by how many shows it's for so if we have 3 main stage and 1 summer, it'll get split 4 ways and included as revenue in those shows budgets.

I think it's also done this way to have a template built for the program so ads don't have to be fit in like a puzzle every show.

Posted By: moonstruckcarol
Date Posted: 6/04/09 at 2:09pm

Sure, I see what you mean...my ad suggestion was only because then it's not on the performer/crew member to provide the money....they go and find it from another donor.

We do ads for each show's program so the money is for THAT show. The $1500 we make in ads this summer won't be split up to our three shows--it all goes to this summer's production of Spring Awakening.

-------------
Caroline Fonseca
Artistic Director
Moonstruck Theater Co (Worcester, MA)
www.moonstrucktheater.org

Posted By: kaygreen
Date Posted: 6/09/09 at 1:27am

We are also small and fairly rural. We have annual membership-donor categories, beginning at $25, and going up from there. Anyone can join at any level. we have about 35 members.

We don't require membership to participate in a show.

We have tried to get by selling ads and sponsorships, but it is very hard. This economy isn't going to help.

Last year we introduced cast fees of $25 per show (or $50 for a family of up to 4); half price if you are a member.

We emphasize that cast fees are not meant to prevent anyone from participating. On the registration form, we include a box to check if paying half price would enable you to participate, and invite you to see the director if you would like a scholarship.

This has worked well so far. No one has complained about the cast fees, and no one has asked to pay half price. We've given out three scholarships (two broke college students, and a teen whose parents have both lost their jobs).

It doesn't raise a lot of money, but enough to pay for the scripts, for cast teeshirts or buttons (which help advertise the show and build community), some insurance costs, and a venue for the cast party.

Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 6/09/09 at 8:37pm

I have just moved from the south to north of the river Swan & just jioned a theatre group here.

The fees are $25 Single & $35 Family. Participation is expected, but they don't charge any other fees for scripts or costumes ect.

Actualy this will be first time for a long time, I have actually paid to be a member! [life Member of my old group]

Generaly a lot of 'Warm props' are members of upto five different groups, they are like d

Dyddicons, they just tour from group to group picking up a part in some show or other. Primarly the blokes, they gypsy from show to another & invarably don't bother in paying fees, just for one season. Techies are much the same, except they normally have a Home Group, where they pay membership.

-------------
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: KEB54
Date Posted: 6/16/09 at 5:30pm

I have to say that all this is a new concept to me. None of the CTs in my region have membership fees ... at least that I am aware of. Fundraising, yes. Ticket sales, yes. Ad sales in the program, yes. Sponsorship from area businesses, yes. Donations, yes. Appeals, yes. Membership fees, no.

I'm not necessarily against it, but I am interested in the responses I see here.

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KEB

Posted By: Stageref
Date Posted: 6/23/09 at 10:37am

I agree with the above. I've never heard of membership fees.

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