Charles Seymour Jr's Theater Special Alert - Week of June 2, 2008 - StageMagazineOnline.com

Friends,

The Economy Has Slowed… How To Recession-Proof Your Theater!

If you read BottomLine Personal, you may have seen this information in their June 15, 2008 issue, but did you pay enough attention to apply it to your Theater?

Here's what their headlines say, and my take on it from a theater's viewpoint:

1) Be Nimble!

Stay lean and mean and keep an eye on your cash flow (and monitor receivables closely). If you have slow-playing subscribers, they maybe be suffering with this $4 a gallon economy. And if you need help, perhaps some temporary help or independent contractors can get the job done for now.

2) Cut Costs

Sometimes you just need to look at your theater as if it were a boat - and jettison everything that isn't essential so you can stay afloat. And watch your energy costs - heat, a/c, lighting, and driving your car. I can hardly tell you how many people have told me that they're "mapping" their travel routes MUCH more carefully so that errands can be done to and from their major destinations rather than a special trip by itself. (And if you expect gasoline to come down, did you notice the other day when it was reported how high prices are in Europe - the equivalent of $10 - 11 a gallon! Ouch!!)

3) Keep Marketing

Well… you've certainly hear THIS one from me over and over again. If your present customer base isn't bringing in enough income for you, expand your horizons. "Find out what your customers want and help them get it," I've said many times. If your houses haven't been full, maybe it's time to look in the mirror for two reasons: a) your marketing just isn't up to snuff and you have to stop doing the same old things while expecting different results (that's the definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result!) and b) you're not listening to your audience and not giving them what they want. People do what they WANT… you just need to find out what it is and give it to them. When's the last time you surveyed the audience you have… what do they want? And if you can't live with the results, go out and get a NEW audience… but don't keep doing the same old advertising that got you into this dilemma.

4) Cater to customers

Whoops… looks like I jumped the gun in #3 by touching on this too… but it is SO important. Listen to what your customers tell you and most importantly: watch their behavior. They are telling you loud and clear what they want, but are you paying close enough attention? One theater I know had a smashingly successful final production this season and drew larger than normal crowds, but they fell into the same pattern of sending out information about next season several weeks later. Why wasn't that material sitting there waiting for their best supporters when they came home all excited about the show they just saw? The season was announced from the stage, but then they waited to "take the order." (Sound like your theater?)

5) Use technology

Are you tracking the results of your marketing? Do you get EVERYONE who purchase a ticket to sign up for your (at least) monthly newsletter and enewsletter (or are you still using the excuse: it's too hard to get that information, Charlie… or That would hold up our lines at the box office if we did that). Listen: you can be good at marketing or good at making excuses. It pains me to see so many theaters continue to use what I call Not Knowing Marketing^TM - people see your shows, they leave, and you have NO idea who they were or how to ask them to come back. Seriously - does that make any sense to you? But YOU can change that. You can improve your marketing 37% just by capturing names and email addresses. And it's soooo easy to do!

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Productions Opening This Week:
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Old Academy Players presents A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, opening Friday June 6th.

The Centre Theater presents Footloose, opening Friday June 6th.

Village Productions presents Almost, Maine, opening Thursday June 5th.

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Auditions Coming Up:
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Village Productions will be holding auditions for Miracle on 34th Street on Tuesday June 10th.

Please remember: Theaters publish their own information on our site, so if any are missing, please be sure your person in charge of your StageMagazineOnline.com membership updates everything right away. And these can appear for up to 60 days BEFORE an audition, so check the site often!

Full information is on our site.

If You Need Some Help Publishing Your Theater Information On Our Site, Please Contact Kate Now!

NB: Always be sure to check with the theater AFTER their auditions if you REALLY want to be in that show. Who knows… maybe they didn't cast the very part that you want!

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Job Postings:
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Act II Playhouse has an opening for a Part Time House Manager.

Haddonfield Plays and Players is looking for a Part Time Lighting Designer, along with part time Production help.

Langhorne Players is looking for a Part Time Director.

Rose Valley Chorus & Orchestra has Part Time Technical positions available.

Sketch Club Players has positions open for Part Time Director, Lighting Techs, and Sound Techs.

Village Producitons has Part Time Administrative, Instructor, Intern, Production, and Technical positions available.

Willow Manor Players is looking for a Part Time Set Designer and Technical Director.

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Read A Good Review Lately?:
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If YOU Are Interested In Writing Theater Reviews, Please Write To Maribeth Waddington!

We're gearing up for the summer and next season (assuming theaters feel that what we're doing is good for them: they should watch their USPS mail in early June for a VERY important note from Kate), so if YOU want to join our Reviewers, get in touch with Maribeth! Join us now while we still have openings. Interest is building for Reviewers and if YOU have ever wanted to tell people why they should see a production you loved, please consider reviewing with us.

(Please remember that this is NOT the complete information. You need to log into your membership area on StageMagazineOnline.com to see everything!)

Also, if you are NOT yet a member of StageMagazineOnline.com and want to join or have your theater join:

1. Click Here To Go To The Main Site

2. On the lower left side click on "Visitors, Click Here To Tour The Site"

3. Indicate if you are there as an individual or representing a theater

4. Read the information and join us! It's very simple to do and all the details are there!

Enjoy the information on the site, and now go see a show!

Charlie Seymour Jr
StageMagazineOnline.com
Charlie@StageMagazineOnline.com
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