the business of theatre
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TRANSCRIPT
The Business of Theatre
Commercial Theatre
For Profit - “It’s a Business”
Commercial Producer
runs the business (like a CEO)sells the idea raises money: Angels (stockholders)
The Producer can be an individual or a consortium of people.
Producer negotiates Union Contracts
11+ Unions on Broadway (from actors to ushers) – for example: AEA – Actor’s Equity Association (1917) - for actors
and stage managers
SDC-Society of Stage Directors & Choreographers
Musicians Unions (3-4) ASCAP, AFM, etc
Other AFL-CIO union affiliates: Ironworkers, painters, makeup artists, hairdressers, wardrobe and costume, carpenters, electricians, ushers/house managers, backstage hands
Phantom of the Opera - 1988
As of January 2011, it is the longest running Broadway musical
June 2013…. Phantom statsThe Producers employ:
10,000 people a year - 1,200 AEA (Eauity)
There are 5 National Tours
Internationally 150 Million people have seen itin 29 countriesin 13 languagesFor a total of: 65,000 performances !
The only B-way show with 28 instruments in the pit
Phantom of the Opera
Money to Open $8mmThe “Nut” $400K/wk
Ticket Sales $540K/wkNut $400KProfit $140K
Compare to Week Ending December 30, 2012 - $1.75 Million Gross for the week !
Phantom (cont.)
40 Weeks to pay off Money to OpenRevenues from:
Ticket Sales National/International Tours CD’s & other merchandise
$900+ Million Gross over 25 years nationally
$4.2 Billion Gross – internationally
But . . .
90% of all ventures lose 100%!
“Spiderman”….Lights Out !
Spiderman closed this fall because the producers lost too much money and couldn’t get it technically ready for international rights
It cost the producers $75 MILLION to open the show in 2010 !
The “nut” for the show in the first year was $1 mill ++
NEW YORK CITY
Several different business types of theatre in NYC: Broadway (Commercial) Off-Broadway (Commercial and Not-for-
Profit) Off-off Broadway (Non-profit) Regional theatres (Non-profit)
Times Square – 1938
BROADWAY-COMMERCIAL
Broadway is a Theatre district in NYC with currently 40 B’dway theatres operating
House Size: 500+ seat spaces work under a
“Production” or “Commercial Broadway” Contract
“National Touring” contracts are like Broadway contracts but include clauses for housing
Commercial appeal: lots of musicals and spectacle
Commercial theatre is produced outside New York in the form of: Dinner Theatres Comedy Improv Theatre Tours Las Vegas-type shows
OFF BROADWAY
House Size: 200-499 seatsHas its own “Off-Broadway” ContractLocated all over NYCAlternative to pricey, commercial
BroadwayMany new plays and works Non-profit “farm-team” for Broadway
Manhattan Theatre Club, NYC
Roundabout Theatre, NYC
OFF-OFF BROADWAY
Greenwich Village, East Village, Uptown – where ever !
Experimental and Avant-garde Always non-profit, rarely ever Commercial Actors, Directors, Designers work for little money or
travel expenses only Good showcase for young professionals
Examples: LaMama in the lower east side T.Schrieber in Chelsea district Symphony Space in Chelsea district
COMMERCIAL vs. NOT-FOR-PROFIT…..
NOT-FOR-PROFIT legal, tax status: 501(c)3 Advantageous for small operations
Regional Theatres, Community Theatres, Educational Theatres are all NON-PROFIT
RESIDENT PROFESSIONAL THEATRES or REGIONAL THEATRES Professional non-profit theatres
League of Resident Theatres, or L.O.R.T. – special contract with unions (5 kinds of LORT contracts – “A” through ”E”, depending on size of theatre
Traditionally perform “in rep” (repertory) with a resident company of actors and designers
Owned by: Board of Directors (Trustees) - own & manage facilities –
governs Run by:
Producing or Managing Director - runs the business, produces Artistic Director - responsible for the artistic values
Financed by
Box OfficeCorporationsIndividualsGovernment (Grants)
Arena Stage -- Washington, DC. (f. 1950)
Alley Theatre – Houston, TX
Denver Center Theatre Company
SHAKESPEARE FESTIVALS
About 80 across the USOperated in same manner as
LORT/Regional TheatresMostly Summer Seasons -- some
have moved to year-round
Colorado Shakespeare Festival
Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre (AST)
OUTDOOR DRAMA
The Great Passion Play Eureka Springs, AR
The Lost Colony Outer Banks, NC
Tecumseh Chilicothe, Ohio
The Great Passion Play
The Lost Colony
Tecumseh
COMMUNITY THEATRE
EDUCATIONAL THEATRE
SUMMER STOCK THEATRE
Other Types of Theatres
Improv Comedy GroupsDinner Theatres (commercial)
SUMMARY - BUSINESS CATEGORIES
Commercial Theatre: Broadway & ToursOff-Broadway (mostly NFP in NYC only)Off-off-Broadway (NFP in NYC only)Regional (LORT)Theatre (NFP)Educational Theatre (NFP)Community Theatre (NFP)Shakespeare Festivals (NFP)Summer Stock (NFP)