How do US community theatre groups keep their heads above water? Kevin Brass reports the experiences of three such groups.
All the world may be a stage, but theater is a tough way to make a buck.
Lots of people dream of starting a local theater. It’s a way to get into show business on their own terms or share their passion for live performance with their neighbors—and perhaps make some money doing what they love.
But raising the curtain can be much more of a challenge than they imagined. Typically, they end up having to scrimp, save and beg to stay afloat. They survive on ingenuity—cobbling together public and private funding, low-cost attention-getting stunts and strong local support.
“Putting on a show can be fueled by great, infectious enthusiasm, but creating an organization to sustain a series of shows and build a place in the community takes much more,” says Julie Crawford, executive director of the American Association of Community Theatre.
All the world may be a stage, but theater is a tough way to make a buck.
Lots of people dream of starting a local theater. It’s a way to get into show business on their own terms or share their passion for live performance with their neighbors—and perhaps make some money doing what they love.
But raising the curtain can be much more of a challenge than they imagined. Typically, they end up having to scrimp, save and beg to stay afloat. They survive on ingenuity—cobbling together public and private funding, low-cost attention-getting stunts and strong local support.
“Putting on a show can be fueled by great, infectious enthusiasm, but creating an organization to sustain a series of shows and build a place in the community takes much more,” says Julie Crawford, executive director of the American Association of Community Theatre.
Here’s how three theaters of different sizes, ages and budgets used different strategies to beat the odds... Keep reading on the Wall Street Journal