For those that love me, those that tolerate me and all others, it's time for my theatre show...
Every year right after Christmas, I rent a theatre and do a new show.
Why?
Because, I'm a theatre performer, that's how I started, being in a theatre is like being in a church to me. I love being there, I'm at peace.
Doing a theatre show is also a huge challenge. It's scary, will I get an audience? Will it come together? Will I bomb? Will I lose money? So far I've broken even every year. I hire my two sons to do tech for the show. They make more money than me. But I like that, I get to be with them.
If you've wondered how to do a theatre show, I'll let you know what I'm doing right now.
I rented a theatre. This is a theatre I have a relationship with. He's charging me less than standard rate because he knows me and I'm doing shows at 11am. Theatre's make money at 8 at night. I'm paying $175 per show. This is about half rate of normal. Life's expensive what can I say. This theatre seats about 60.
I pay $50 to each person helping me. I need someone at the front door selling tickets and opening the door before showtime. I need someone running lights and sound.
There's no storage in the theatre so I have to pay for parking nearby. Because this is San Francisco, parking will be $20 to $25 for the 4 hours I'm there. Yup. big city living.
My set is a red dresser, ladders, a yellow picket fence and a chair. I'll probably have a table for my classic 8 nights of channukah song. (it's original)
I put my show on a ticketing service. I use Brown Paper Tickets, they are large and pretty easy to deal with. It's a lot of complicated work. I've done this for many years, I still can't figure out their web site.
You need a web page people can go to.
Write up a press release announcing to the papers, radio stations, family web sites there's a show in town.
Write an email to your former customers. I offer half price to my customers, this is where I get most of my audience.
In the middle of all this I need to pick music for each routine. Create an order to the whole thing. Figure out my theme. (I think it's going to be magic. This is only for me, it drives me in creating. Other years it's been whimsy, water, flight).
I also offer my show as a fundraiser for schools. We split the door sales. It's ok, I get about 20 or 30 people this way and it's a nice way to help.
Every year I wonder why I do it.
I realized this year, I live life in uncomfort. This is where I feel alive. Creating a show from nothing makes me sleep 3 hours a night and makes me feel alive. My two sons make money and after it's done, I have a little self superiority. It's pretty cool that I can do what very few children's entertainers can. I create a one hour show that keeps kids and their parents laughing.
Every year right after Christmas, I rent a theatre and do a new show.
Why?
Because, I'm a theatre performer, that's how I started, being in a theatre is like being in a church to me. I love being there, I'm at peace.
Doing a theatre show is also a huge challenge. It's scary, will I get an audience? Will it come together? Will I bomb? Will I lose money? So far I've broken even every year. I hire my two sons to do tech for the show. They make more money than me. But I like that, I get to be with them.
If you've wondered how to do a theatre show, I'll let you know what I'm doing right now.
I rented a theatre. This is a theatre I have a relationship with. He's charging me less than standard rate because he knows me and I'm doing shows at 11am. Theatre's make money at 8 at night. I'm paying $175 per show. This is about half rate of normal. Life's expensive what can I say. This theatre seats about 60.
I pay $50 to each person helping me. I need someone at the front door selling tickets and opening the door before showtime. I need someone running lights and sound.
There's no storage in the theatre so I have to pay for parking nearby. Because this is San Francisco, parking will be $20 to $25 for the 4 hours I'm there. Yup. big city living.
My set is a red dresser, ladders, a yellow picket fence and a chair. I'll probably have a table for my classic 8 nights of channukah song. (it's original)
I put my show on a ticketing service. I use Brown Paper Tickets, they are large and pretty easy to deal with. It's a lot of complicated work. I've done this for many years, I still can't figure out their web site.
You need a web page people can go to.
Write up a press release announcing to the papers, radio stations, family web sites there's a show in town.
Write an email to your former customers. I offer half price to my customers, this is where I get most of my audience.
In the middle of all this I need to pick music for each routine. Create an order to the whole thing. Figure out my theme. (I think it's going to be magic. This is only for me, it drives me in creating. Other years it's been whimsy, water, flight).
I also offer my show as a fundraiser for schools. We split the door sales. It's ok, I get about 20 or 30 people this way and it's a nice way to help.
Every year I wonder why I do it.
I realized this year, I live life in uncomfort. This is where I feel alive. Creating a show from nothing makes me sleep 3 hours a night and makes me feel alive. My two sons make money and after it's done, I have a little self superiority. It's pretty cool that I can do what very few children's entertainers can. I create a one hour show that keeps kids and their parents laughing.
Very interesting thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletestay tuned, I have more post mortem from the show. If you have questions about putting together a theatre show, please ask. I'm out of the stress now and full of advice.
ReplyDelete