Got the group but no space
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Topic: Got the group but no space
Posted By: Scott B
Subject: Got the group but no space
Date Posted: 9/26/05 at 1:53am
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What the heck do you do when you just can't find a space? We've
been in existance since 1998 and the largest obstacle is finding a
place to perform. We only want to do two shows a year, but places
like the school auditorium is way too expensive. We've done Music Man in a church ... and a small church at that. Forever Plaid was in a church and we're just finishing up Smoke On the Mountain in a church. Trouble is ... we're running out of churches.  It's not that we're problems for a church ... but they do have to consider their Praise Bands, choirs, bell choirs, etc. Also ... it's hard to do anything like Lend Me a Tenor or something along those lines in a church. Is there somewhere I should be looking or someone I should be checking with? I would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks |
Replies:
Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 9/26/05 at 2:30am
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Have you thought of doing it outside in a park, municipal gardens.
Courtyard or Carpark of your local council offices or a shopping centre.
------------- Joe Western Gondawandaland turn right @ Perth. Hear the light & see the sound. Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"} May you always play to a full house} |
Posted By: Poppie
Date Posted: 9/26/05 at 11:26am
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Although we haven't produced a show yet... We are planning on doing many of our productions in a local coffee house and an art gallery. The art gallery has terrific space that is available between their shows. The coffee house is excited to have us because we will increase sales! Also, the coffee house has an upstairs that is used as a yoga studio. Its great open space that is available to us.
------------- If we could read minds, we wouldn't need headsets. |
Posted By: Linda S
Date Posted: 9/26/05 at 12:29pm
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Our company are wondering Minstrals too. Keep in mind we are in a very rural area. We perform in two places. Our summer home is an old Academy Building. It is an historic building.That brings it own set of problems. All of our sets have to be self-supporting; no nails or paint on the original structure. It does have a stage on the second floor. Our winter residence is a Grange. Again they have a stage on the second floor. They actually approached us. Granges are dying out across the country and they wanted the building used. I have a friend who has a theater in in Odd Fellows Building and another who has one in an old church. Good luck with your search. Linda |
Posted By: Scott B
Date Posted: 9/26/05 at 3:10pm
Actually yes on both counts. Our area has a park with a new ampitheatre type of setting. Great band shell with the seating being raised so the sound goes out to the audience instead of over their heads. Still, we would have to have amplification. I've pushed for an a show outside, but everyone is afraid of rain and what that would do to us financially. It also has a fenced in area around the seating, but you can easily sit outside of the fence and watch for free. I'm guessing the fenced in area will hold around 200 to 250, but that's just a guess. A shopping mall has some empty space. We were going to do our latest production there, but then were told they had someone interested in it and we should find another spot. Of course no one took it and it remains empty today. The cool thing is that they will let us use it for free. It's somewhat nasty in there, though and we would need to clean it first. Perhaps I need to continue looking at those venues. Still ... a spot with seating for 150 would be great. Hey ... I can at least dream. |
Posted By: dougb
Date Posted: 9/27/05 at 11:17am
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Our home is now a Grange building. As mentioned above the Granges
are falling on hard times and are looking for a reason to exist and to
serve their community. I love our home at the Grange and they
love us. Before that we were also a moving theater having a
different venue each evening. We still move sometimes just to
serve those who supported us during our moving days. I think the secret to being a successful nomad is the play selection. We did small shows like Three Viewings and The Gin Game. We also did big plays like Chapter Two (five cars and trucks worth of sets and costumes - 2 hours to set up and 90 minutes to take down each night). As to places we did our shows: Conference rooms at local resorts, front rooms and back rooms at restaurants, bars (bad!!!), community clubs, senior centers, all sorts of halls like the Odd Fellows, and small performance venues. With very few exceptions the rooms were free to us. We did a revenue sharing with those that were not free. The best part of our arrangements is that there are no on-going expenses. We do not have a single recurring monthly expense. |
Posted By: Scott B
Date Posted: 9/27/05 at 3:47pm
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We did Music Man in '98 in a church and wow ... was it ever crowed! We did it, though. We could stay in churches but then we're limited in the scope of our productions. Doug ... I think you sent me a link to your site at one time, so I've seen the setup you have. Something like that would have been great. What I need is a rich farmer that needs a tax write off!!  |
Posted By: dougb
Date Posted: 9/28/05 at 11:45am
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Talking about being crammed into a small space brings back a memory: We were doing Neil Simon's Chapter Two (two complete apartments: two sofa's, chairs, various tables, paintings for the walls - you get the idea - a bunch of 7'9" high self supporting flats - to fit in places with an 8' ceiling and give the actors a place to change costumes) in a small community center room that really wanted us to do a show for them. By the time we had the set in place we had room for two rows of folding chairs - a total of 25 seats and the actors had to watch out they did not stumble over the feet of those in the first row. Then 75 or 80 people showed up for the show. We squeezed about 35 in and told the rest to come to the show at another venue the next night. The audience joked that they had to take turns breathing. |
Posted By: Kathy S
Date Posted: 9/29/05 at 2:20am
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When we started our theatre 5 years ago and looked for a place to perform, we couldn't find anything permanent enough or for the right price (very inexpensive or free) in our hometown. When we learned of an old school gymnasium in a neighboring town and checked into it, we fell in love and knew we had to have it. We have worked really hard on a building that we do not own and probably never will own it, but it seems to be working for us. Not ideal, but you do what you have to do. If there isn't anything in your town, check out a neighboring town...or even a village (ours has a population of about 180). Another nice feature is that we feel that we can more easily draw from other neighboring communities to support what we do since we are in such a tiny little spot on the map...Of course there are trade offs (no services in our town). Once again, you do what you have to do. |
Posted By: Shatcher
Date Posted: 9/29/05 at 12:02pm
| A friend of mine had a play he had written and wanted to do a production. He went into a coffe shop that had a small stage and asked if he could do his show. It went over so well that we formed a company that is still running (10 years). the shop owner liked it so well he offered us the space for future shows. when he decided to close the coffee shop he gave the space to the theatre free of charge. the shop owner get a nice tax write off and the company has a perment home. |
Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 9/29/05 at 10:32pm
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Here in Seaforth Kenwick/Gosnells in West Australia is the Acorn
Theatre, which is officially the smallest theatre in the world [Guineas
Book of Records] It has now the seating capacity for 28 patrons. They lost the tittle for a couple of years at one stage, because of a theatre, some where in Italy. Which was a converted Pitza shop holding about 23 patrons, but it was closed apparently because it?s owner wanted to make more dough! The Acorn has been around for a lot of years & still going strong. So Steve why don?t you send you membership out and about individually or in teams all over town, for a set period of say a few weeks to find possible venues. Bring them all together on a set date, for a brain storm & listing any & all the possibilities on a white board. Then discuss which ones to investigate further. I?m sure they will come up with weird & wonderful places. Don?t discount any place until they are checked out. Keep the initial list & all the lists from future forums. Go back over these possibilities until something pops up! If nothing else it would be a good promotion & may get the other villagers, also coming up with venues & even boost your membership. Get them to chase down any joint & see everyone they talk to as a potential lead. ------------- Joe Western Gondawandaland turn right @ Perth. Hear the light & see the sound. Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"} May you always play to a full house} |
Posted By: PatrickArmagh
Date Posted: 10/25/05 at 1:30am
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Check with your county/ city government Office of Facilities and Services. You may learn that they own a vacant building/ old school etc that will suit your needs. You would be surprised what you may find. In the state of Maryland, a small theater group gout a deal from the county for a $50.00 a month lease, folding chairs for 250+ seats. They bought their own facility five years later, and went bankrupt two years later. All you can do is ask. |