In December 2008 and January 2009, the board of directors of Theatre Communications Group reached out to it's 495 member theatres to gauge the state of the field. These conversations generated an executive summary available in pdf called "The New Normal." Here are the good parts, full of neat ideas:Several theatres mentioned reducing the number of Equity actors in the current season and planning further reductions for next season
Know Theatre (Cincinnati, OH) has eliminated all but one matinee per run (on the final weekend) and seen an increase in attendance at evening performances. This allowed them to extend the run, giving them more time for word-of-mouth to build up. The show they just closed was the first with the new schedule and it has been their highest grossing so far this season.
Our theatres are turning to blogs, email, newsletters, the phone and in-person face time to connect with donors, subscribers, community members, artists and boards. Many are phoning each and every donor to say, “thank you”—some are using staff to do this, some are using their boards. They are maintaining contact with non renewers (both subscribers and donors) in anticipation of an eventual upturn—Development officers are leaving notes on the seats of current subscribers who can no longer donate saying, “we’re glad you’re here.”
They’re exploring viral fundraising and marketing through social networking sites and are using their own websites as proactive information tools.
Some have speculated that with people traveling less, audiences are pursuing opportunities closer to home and buying theatre tickets instead of plane tickets.
Writer’s Theatre (Glencoe, IL.) is experimenting with demand-based ticket pricing (a.k.a. yield management). Prices are adjusted on a daily basis according to demand—i.e., when there are only a few tickets remaining for a given show, those are available at top ticket price only. The net effect has been an $8-$10 increase in revenue per ticket.
Chance Theater (Anaheim, CA) repackaged its subscription series from a one-ticket- per-show model to a “sustaining membership” model—with a monthly ongoing donation you can get as many tickets as you want for each show. They’ve converted 90 percent of their subscription base to this new model, which is priced 30-40 percent HIGHER than regular subscriptions.
Stage One (Louisville, KY), a children’s theatre, is sharing their production shop with the Louisville Ballet and is also sharing administrative resources with Louisville Orchestra and Opera—the three organizations have set up a single finance department that serves all of them. The companies are now exploring how to merge marketing and P.R. for next season.
Those who are holding fundraising galas generally see a 50 percent drop in attendance and are pricing considerably lower.
Common cost-cutting strategies for next season include doing more local casting and using fewer guest artists, producing more popular work to the extent that it fits with the mission and, where possible, producing smaller shows.
Michael Alltop, Brat Productions (Philadelphia, PA): We plan to buck the trend and increase our capacity for marketing and development and add staff as quickly as possible.
Act II Playhouse (Philadelphia, PA) is trying to draw a younger audience. They are targeting area high schools and have embarked on an American Idol-style competition to cast four student understudy positions.
2009 Orlando Fringe: Our Guide | Write reviews | Read reviews | Patron Choice Awards