Comments on: Alms? Alms for the poor? http://thedirectorsector.com/2008/05/11/alms-alms-for-the-poor/ Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:27:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Artists in a Brave New World | The Director Sector http://thedirectorsector.com/2008/05/11/alms-alms-for-the-poor/#comment-185 Artists in a Brave New World | The Director Sector Fri, 20 Jun 2008 04:05:43 +0000 http://thedirectorsector.com/?p=76#comment-185 [...] is a great example of what he’s talking about.  Recently, I wrote a post regarding “While You Sleep” activities that theatres can do to boost revenue.  What Devilvet is doing with The Mammals is the [...] [...] is a great example of what he’s talking about.  Recently, I wrote a post regarding “While You Sleep” activities that theatres can do to boost revenue.  What Devilvet is doing with The Mammals is the [...]

]]> By: madmargaret http://thedirectorsector.com/2008/05/11/alms-alms-for-the-poor/#comment-121 madmargaret Mon, 12 May 2008 23:34:55 +0000 http://thedirectorsector.com/?p=76#comment-121 Cross-marketing is extremely important skill. One warning: tee shirts don't do well unless there's a hook. Get creative. There's a book called "Don't Just Applaud -- Send Money" available through Amazon. Mostly geared toward the non-profit theater, but it might spark something. Cross-marketing is extremely important skill. One warning: tee shirts don’t do well unless there’s a hook. Get creative. There’s a book called “Don’t Just Applaud — Send Money” available through Amazon. Mostly geared toward the non-profit theater, but it might spark something.

]]> By: Scott Walters http://thedirectorsector.com/2008/05/11/alms-alms-for-the-poor/#comment-120 Scott Walters Mon, 12 May 2008 12:38:52 +0000 http://thedirectorsector.com/?p=76#comment-120 You need to bring this post to Theatre Tribe as a new discussion forum, because this is part of the conversation about this business model. Some thoughts: why don't theatre people take control of the obvious "while you sleep" businesses? For instance, I don't care what the size of the town, there are radio stations that play commercials. Why not include a recording studio in the theatre and have the ensemble serve as an advertising firm, writing and producing radio commercials? Why not steal a page from NPR's "Selected Shorts" and record stories to sell to your patrons and anyone else who wants to order them on the web? Want to avoid copyright issues? Record OLD stories, plays, etc. And don't skip things like essays -- there are many, many colleges and universities whose students take Western Civ classes that read materials from the past -- Plato, Aristotle, the Consitution and Declaration of Independence, and so on. Make recordings, contact the university, and see whether they would let their students listen to the material rather than only read it. If you ensemble does new plays by a company playwright, make arrangements to either film or record a performance and make the DVD available for sale. Also, use print-on-demand to make the script available yourself. In England, scripts are sold in the lobby. You need to bring this post to Theatre Tribe as a new discussion forum, because this is part of the conversation about this business model.

Some thoughts: why don’t theatre people take control of the obvious “while you sleep” businesses? For instance, I don’t care what the size of the town, there are radio stations that play commercials. Why not include a recording studio in the theatre and have the ensemble serve as an advertising firm, writing and producing radio commercials?

Why not steal a page from NPR’s “Selected Shorts” and record stories to sell to your patrons and anyone else who wants to order them on the web? Want to avoid copyright issues? Record OLD stories, plays, etc. And don’t skip things like essays — there are many, many colleges and universities whose students take Western Civ classes that read materials from the past — Plato, Aristotle, the Consitution and Declaration of Independence, and so on. Make recordings, contact the university, and see whether they would let their students listen to the material rather than only read it.

If you ensemble does new plays by a company playwright, make arrangements to either film or record a performance and make the DVD available for sale. Also, use print-on-demand to make the script available yourself. In England, scripts are sold in the lobby.

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