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Running Your Theater
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Message Icon Topic: Re-Selling Tickets. We can't do that, can we?(Topic Closed Topic Closed) Post Reply Post New Topic
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Kibitzer
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bullet Posted: 9/24/07 at 12:16pm
Anytime moose are a factor in the production and presentation of any art, special considerations must be made. 

Many of us, myself included, use the airline ticket comparison to theatre seats.  Here's the problem I now have with it:  at a certain time, the door shuts and the plane leaves.  If you're late, you can't run down the runway and expect the plane to stop and let you on board!  The theatre seat, on the other hand, is still accessible no matter how late the patron is. 

And I don't think we're going to be better off to think of theatre tickets more like hotel rooms.  Although they aren't going anywhere, there may be penalties if you try to cancel a reservation and once you paid for the room, they don't care if you stay in it or not. 

One suggestion I have is to leave it up to your patron.  Let your subscribers know that there are often people who don't get to see shows and if they are not going to show up, please notify the theatre.  In this day and age of cell phones, even a moose detained patron may be able to call and say they're running a little late.  (I don't want to ignore the possibility that if moose are involved, there is the issue of remote regions with no cell phone reception.)  But patrons may also call and say they can't make it and give you permission to re-sell their seats.  In return, if you are an established non-profit organization, you can offer them a tax receipt for their donation. 

What is important here is what someone has already pointed out:  you must be clear about your policies and they must be written.  My bottom line on this:  That seat has been "rented" for that show and if the "renter" chooses not to use it, that's their business.  But they may choose to "sublet" and you can be there to help them with that.
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TonyDi
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bullet Posted: 2/06/08 at 8:38am
VERY interesting question and equally interesting answers. On this issue - the company I've worked with for the last 20 years (and THEY have been in business for 55 years) have ALWAYS done it this way.  Like many, we sell season tickets to subscribers (pre-paid at a discounted rate) - a limited portion of the house OR as many as we CAN sell.  Though that number is never going to fill the house as season ticket holders (who go for prime seats and then new potential subs look at the seating chart and decide against doing it that way) we never have a problem with the house being ALL season ticket holders.  NEVER has happened in the 55 years they've been there.
 
The rest of the house - we take PHONE reservations and the information is gathered up until the day of a performance (big job - we hired a company who does that locally).  At any rate, we ALSO ADVERTISE what our policy is with ticket sales.  If someone reserves a seat (and has NOT paid for it - the majority of the seats in the house) then as others have said, 5 mintues before the show starts, any walk-ins who want to be on a waiting list (and who wait till they see if they can get in) are offered those tickets at the regular price.  If a season ticket holder who HAS paid for a ticket to "reserve" a specific seat - either chooses NOT to show up or is late (after the show starts) we have the right to resell that seat if we want to make the money - even though it is double-dipping to a degree (though season tickets are usually at a reduced rate for the season).  Is that morally wrong or not - don't know??  But it's business as usual for the last 50 some odd years.  And we ALWAYS find them a seat if they choose to stay or change their desired reservation (day and seat) to another day to accommodate as much as we can.
 
This dredges up another question that some have already alluded to - is LATE-COMERS to the show.  TWO WAY CONTRACT is MY personal viewpoint as well.  It really angers me that people - regardless of MOOSE, or any other natural phemonenon, don't have the ADULT RESPONSIBILITY of making sure they leave in plenty of time to arrive to the theater before a show starts - KNOWING what the problems potentially could be - if they've seen a moose cross the road before.  I just think in MOST cases that occurs - it's RUDE and should not be rewarded or condoned by giving in.  The opera house here in town - does Broadway touring shows.  If you're late to a performance (and $50 - $90 a ticket) you usually DO NOT get in until the first break, scene change or intermission.  THAT is PROFESSIONAL theater and might be harsh but it's how THEY do business.  I think if you don't plan your time and your life better than that, you have no business walking into the theater and disrupting everyone else's enjoyment while you're crawling all over them to your seat when THEY were on time.  Sorry - might be harsh but that's the way it is in my book.  AND I almost ALWAYS NEVER start a show late - ever.  If people aren't in their seats at the ADVERTISED, TRADITIONAL and WELL KNOWN curtain time - too bad.
 
Anyway, what is right - legally?  Don't know - I don't think there IS any particular precedent for it unless someone were to push the issue.  And after 55 years they've NEVER EVER been challenged on it. Maybe it's a thing with non-profit organizations as CT is.  AND we report ALL income to the TAX people anyway - so it's not like we're not reporting it.  So I don't know.  BUT THIS IS an interesting question and I'll continue to watch to see if others have legal answers on this subject.  By the way our treasurer - or former treasurer for nearly 40 some odd years - was a lawyer and a tax accountant so I guess he knew!
 
Interesting indeed.
 
TonyDi
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