Money Talk: Papering the House

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Papering the House - Comps

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Theater Administration
Forum Name: Money Talk
Forum Discription: Questions about fundraising and promotion
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5005
Printed Date: 11/21/24 at 5:43pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Papering the House - Comps

Posted By: ccaldwell
Subject: Papering the House - Comps
Date Posted: 3/17/11 at 3:18pm

We have just finished our first show of the season, with poor audience attendance...selling only 43% of potential take. The play was a drama, and unfortunately our lead actor had a hard time remembering his lines--word got out rather quickly, and on the Thursday of the last weekend of a four week run we had only sold 15 tickets for Friday's performance and 7 for Saturday's.

Many Board members are now concerned about this low attendance and they are talking about giving comps away to various groups in order to fill seats if this happens again.

My question is this: Does anyone think the Board of a CT owes the director and actors in a production an audience, or do we let the chips fall where they may, pick up the pieces and move on? Dollar income is rather important to us as we have a mortgage and a full time employee to pay, along with all the rest of the bills of a CT.

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Char

Replies:

Posted By: David McCall
Date Posted: 3/17/11 at 7:50pm

Having people in the seats is always a good thing even if they are comps. You can probably find clever ways to pay for your comps. You can give them out to your sponsors, but give them one ticket per night and hope they bring somebody with them. You can raffle comps at the old folks home in hopes that they will bring the family. Then there's the refreshments during intermission. Some of those comps might buy a couple cookies and a drink. The trick is to get the comps to people that might not normally come to the theater.

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David M

Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 3/18/11 at 3:18am

We consider the groups Committee/Board as the 'Producer' & one of their concerns is putting bums on seats/

When we did our first production a few years ago, I gave out offers of comps to every member theatre of the Independent Theatre Association in the State, but it still took at least a year to gain average season number of around 40% punters/production.

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[western] Gondawandaland
"Hear the light & see the sound!
TOI TOI CHOOKAS
{may you always play to a full house!}

Posted By: claymabbitt
Date Posted: 3/18/11 at 3:30am

I would think the board members owe it to themselves to get an audience. Would you rather be on the board of an underperforming theatre or one that regularly packs the house?

Even from a strictly financial perspective you're talking about giving away seats that you weren't selling anyway. No loss of money there, but a house full of empty seats affects the perception of the people who did show up. When your next production comes along, they certainly won't feel any need to buy tickets in advance.

It's human nature to be affected by social proof. If it looks like everyone else wants to go to a particular show or even theatre, that makes us slightly more inclined to go to. If all the seats are empty, that has the opposite effect.

So if income is important to you, I would think a free seat is better than an empty one.

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Clay Mabbitt
http://soldoutrun.com - http://soldoutrun.com

Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 3/18/11 at 7:36am

One small ameatre group here have a number of what they call 'charity performances' spread over each season, usually on a night they don't perform for the public, early on in the weak.

The whole house is taken up by various charity or non profit service groups, such as the Red Cross, Rotary or Lions. They pay around 1/2 price/seat & inturn can sell them for whatever price their members are willing to pay. Also they can hold raffles & do hatever other fundraising during the night as though it was their own show.

The group now have a waiting list of organisations who want to participate & are booked out a year in advance. This also reflects on them now having mostly sold out seasons, but it took a few years to cultivate their own theatre going audience.

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[western] Gondawandaland
"Hear the light & see the sound!
TOI TOI CHOOKAS
{may you always play to a full house!}

Posted By: JGarrick
Date Posted: 3/18/11 at 11:27am

People running the concession stand don't care about the ticket price. Fill the seats.

Posted By: David McCall
Date Posted: 3/18/11 at 4:43pm

Where did that come from?

In many venues, the people doing the show also manage the concessions. I have seen situations where the owner of the venue provides the concessions,

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David M

Posted By: ccaldwell
Date Posted: 3/18/11 at 5:37pm

Thanks for you feed back so far. I guess I should have expanded a bit on our particular situation...maybe it makes a difference...maybe not.

Our theater has been in existence for thirty plus years, and ordinarily we sell between 70 - 100% of the house depending on the show. Musicals sell out, comedies do well, dark comedies do not and dramas are a toss up, but attendance is usually down, but not as far down as this last show.

Our theater seats 110 and we have 12 performances for each production. It seems everyone here knows everyone else, and if we gave away comp tickets to some while others have paid we were afraid that it might cause more problems than it solved...and would patrons wait and see if free tickets were available for the next show before they paid to see it.

What are others experiences with papering the house? Did it sales for future shows?

If we see a show is failing, do we owe the actors an audience--in the end this is what it was all about--worry about the actors feelings/reactions to a very empty house.

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Char

Posted By: Theatermama
Date Posted: 3/29/11 at 5:42pm

I think the charity night is brilliant - shared that with our CT.

What I have learned is opening night when there is a reviewer or 2 in attendance it is important to have a strong audience. I would definitely seed the audience with great laughers (if it is appropriate) as they can bring the audience with them and then the reviewer will enjoy it more as will the cast and hopefully all will spread a good word.

You could trade word of mouth advertising for a ticket or give them away with some trivia questions so you aren't "just giving them to anyone."

I think the giving 1 encourages people to bring a friend, or offer 2 for 1 on low attended nights.

I like to have budget matinees and really go after senior citizens who like a bargain and often have to only be out in daylight.

Posted By: jayzehr
Date Posted: 4/17/11 at 4:33pm

Originally posted by ccaldwell

Musicals sell out, comedies do well, dark comedies do not and dramas are a toss up, but attendance is usually down.

I'm guessing that's the experience of many here.

Posted By: Majicwrench
Date Posted: 4/17/11 at 10:57pm

Working for a radio station, if some group came up and said "Give away 20 tickets for us" we would be all over it pronto. We would come up with some sort of easy contest, so it would not seem like you are just throwing tickets at strangers walking by. As a bonus, the show would get some air time.

Posted By: ccaldwell
Date Posted: 4/17/11 at 11:09pm

Majicwrench, what a wonderful idea--radio give-a-way--thanks for sharing!

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Char