4. Other Similarities May 27, 2010 Rebecca A. Johnson History Organizational Structure Similar staff positions and functions Board of Directors vs. Owners Season Structures Audition, practice, perform, repeat
5. The Game versus the Performance May 27, 2010 Rebecca A. Johnson Football Audience can eat, talk, cheer, move around Usually brightly-lit arena Theatre Many times the audience cannot eat, talk, or move around In the dark *This has evolved over time
6. Audiences as Active Participants May 27, 2010 Rebecca A. Johnson By now, audience is used to the general environment of a dark, quiet space for performances Also, if we turned the lights on, the stage lights wouldn’t be as bright Engaging patrons in behind-the-scenes aspects Perhaps a Shakespeare workshop with the actors, to teach them iambic pentameter Idea is for patrons to gain an appreciation for what they are seeing in front of them
7. Intermission May 27, 2010 Rebecca A. Johnson Football Halftime – 20 minutes Filled with other forms of entertainment – bands, dancers, games Theatre Intermission – 10-15 minutes Audiences walk away and disengage from the event
8. Filling the Space May 27, 2010 Rebecca A. Johnson By letting the audience walk away for 10-15 minutes, they are able to shut down, making it harder for them to come back Some possible space-fillers Giving a “sneak peak” of an upcoming performance Chance for design staff or actors to interact with audience Discussion with Artistic Director about Act I A game with trivia about the organization Winner receives a prize with organization’s brand
9. Season Structures May 27, 2010 Rebecca A. Johnson Football 20 games in six months, plus a few with playoffs One game is one production, with only one chance to see it live Theatre 6-8 productions in a season Upwards of 30 performances of each production
10. Supply and Demand May 27, 2010 Rebecca A. Johnson Do we provide audiences with too many opportunities to see one production? Performance costs vs. attendance If 3000 people buy tickets for a production with 30 performances, that is an average of 100 people at each production If those 3000 people only have 15 performances to choose from, there is now an average of 200 people at each production That could be the difference between breaking even each night and making a profit
11. Athlete and the Actor May 27, 2010 Rebecca A. Johnson Professional football player 3 years out of high school 2 week tryout before draft Must be approved to participate in draft Professional actor Could have a degree or training Could attend a casting call and be selected 90 second (average) audition + callback
12. Changing the Perception May 27, 2010 Rebecca A. Johnson What we currently do Promoting the unlikely “discovery” stories What we should do Promote the hardworking, trained actors Avenues to do this Intermission, when the audience gets a sneak peak – could meet a new actor and hear their story Reason for doing this If audiences recognize acting as being a talent and skill, they will gain more respect for the art form
13. Accountability and Forgiveness May 27, 2010 Rebecca A. Johnson Football Halftime interviews with the coach Acknowledge good and bad moments Theatre Escape from reality Everything is supposed to be perfect
14. Regaining Forgiveness May 27, 2010 Rebecca A. Johnson Preview performances There are people who love seeing the show while it is still rough around the edges If we want to produce perfection, do we also need to know when to say a production is not ready yet Can producing an unfinished piece, while marketing it as finished, be giving audiences the wrong impression?
15. Access to Information May 27, 2010 Rebecca A. Johnson Football (and sports) ESPN Available in basic cable and satellite packages Examine the good and bad stories Preview upcoming events, with discussions Theatre (arts) Ovation Must have the most complex cable or satellite package Documentary-based No real commentary on current happenings
16. Ease of Information May 27, 2010 Rebecca A. Johnson Discussion If it isn’t talked about, does it exist? Ovation Model after ESPN More of a news network that also airs productions Opportunity for performing arts organizations to join together and support the industry
17. Purpose May 27, 2010 Rebecca A. Johnson Why does someone want to go to a football game? Or a theatrical production? Football People can become fans at any point; many during college Theatre Young audiences lead to adult audiences Difficult to get a 30-something to a play for the first time
18. Young Audiences May 27, 2010 Rebecca A. Johnson Kids need to become important in this industry Young audiences are more open-minded Open-mindedness leads to trying more things Which leads to higher level of acceptance More than one initiative A 5-year old has different interests and dislikes than a teenager Needs to be more than one production each year for young audiences You’ll only attract a portion of youth
19. Fan or Spectator? May 27, 2010 Rebecca A. Johnson Sports fans follow teams Spectators come to one event and leave Are not invested in team or organization Arts organizations promote productions or events – thus creating spectators Need to be promoting the organization Branding Additionally, we should want to make that branding easily available – t-shirts, coffee mugs, pens, etc.
20. Audience Development Manager May 27, 2010 Rebecca A. Johnson Not a marketing position Liaison between fans and theatre company Represent the audience member’s perspective If the fans’ opinions are ignored, there is no need for them to be fans
21. Developing Arts Fans May 27, 2010 Rebecca A. Johnson Start from the inside Those who work in the performing arts industry Creation of partnership among organizations – “free tickets to our productions in exchange for free tickets to yours” If people become fans of the organization: More faithful ticket-buyers More forgiving of the organization More attentive to the happenings of the organization Will promote the organization
22. What Do We Want? May 27, 2010 Rebecca A. Johnson Important questions for arts administrators: Do we want fans or spectators? Will fans take over our mission? Can we find a balance between taking artistic risks and pleasing a fan base?
23. For more information, please contact Rebecca Johnson at rajohnson2@hotmail.com For more information, please contact Rebecca Johnson at rajohnson2@hotmail.com May 27, 2010 Rebecca A. Johnson
