Legit Theatres should be in Malls next to the Gourmet Pretzle Store

[Dixon Carter Lee]

My theatre company had its annual meeting this week, and, again, it was full of speeches about how we all have raise the level of our art and increase income with garage sales and how we need more "energy" and how it's "okay" to do plays without sets because the actors can translate all that with their "imagination" and, Christ, it's turning into a community theatre and I can't stand it.

Actors are SO fucking stupid. Not one of them realizes it's 2002 and that audiences have a choice between 20 movies at the Cineplex, 200 channels on cable or satellite, billions of web sites on the Internet, Video on Demand, DVDs with tons of extras...Who the hell wants to pay $15 to go out to a theatre to a sit and watch a play with crappy sets, and have nothing to eat and nowhere to go afterwards?

In a Burbank Mall there is a store that has been empty for about 4 years. It's huge, and sits near the entrance to Macy's. It's an extremely popular Mall. THAT'S where a theatre company should set up residence. Be somewhere where the people already are, where they congregate in community, where they can shop, eat, and stroll. Theatre is all about community, yet most small companies still think they can present mediocre entertainment in the woods or in some abandoned industrial part of the city and think people will come because they should.

My feeling is that the theatre experience begins with the parking. How easy is it? Does it cost anything? What does the lobby look like? Is the program nice? Is it cool inside? Is coffee available? Are there enough seats for everyone to comfortably chat? Is the stage dressed well? After all THAT you ask, "Was it a good play?"

People pick and choose where they're going to go based on creature comforts and the promise of stimulation. Too many theatre companies put all their energy into the play (and development of Endowments and wealthy subscribers), and very little in creating an atmosphere of community and expectation.

What was the last non-Broadway play you saw (not musical)? Was the whole evening a hassle? I expect at least part of it was.

 

[Mistress]

I like the musicals...so I guess I can not answer this You are righ though, with so many options to pick from people rarely go to an actual theater production anymore. I wish I could however, I love theater, but I ADORE musicals

 

[RosevilleCAguy]

Shakespeare up in Ashland OR. It was not really a hassle, but it doesn't really count either because the entier city is geared up to support the three theaters.

Down town Sacramento has several theather companies. Parking, etc have never only been a minor problem there.

I feel fortunate.

 

[sunstruck]

The Cape is known for it's theatre. We went to see Lips Together Teeth Apart on my birthday. There was NO parking (there never is in Provincetown). The seats were cramped. The set was minimal. The acting was wonderful. Had I not loved the play so much prior to seeing it I would have been annoyed with the arrangements. Still, it was a good show.

I think I go to about a show a month, more in the summer. I've seen 4 shows so far this month. Some community theatre, some local theatre. In the winter we go to Boston and NYC more (we don't leave the cape in the summer if we can avoid it), so we see maybe 3 or 4 big shows a year.

But my family has been involved in theatre since vaudville, lol so I think we are the exception.

I think seeing a theatre in the mall would turn me off. Children's theatre though, that would be cool in the mall.

 

[RosevilleCAguy]

Brain not working today. Typing skill sucky......

 

[Guest]

Hey, Mistress. All these time I didn't realise that your sig-line blinks!

I guess paying attention to detail is not my strong point.

 

[takingchances42]

The last non-Broadway show I saw was "Marcus Is Walking" at a local college. Not a hassle at all. The last (touring) Broadway show I saw was the Buddy Holly story, which wasn't great art, but was a great deal of fun.

I do love live theater. I have seen quite a few Broadway shows on Broadway, from when my business travels used to take me to New York often. But, my favorites are local high school, college and community productions.

Theater for me is a totally different experience than watching a movie. There is a vital energy to live theater. A sense of communication between the audience and performers. I love to watch people act. Not in the sense of people being such good actors that I lose myself in the fantasy, although that is great when it happens. Instead, what I enjoy the most is watching people when they are attempting to act. So much energy, so much individuality, so much enjoyment.

I respect people taking themselves seriously as artists. But theater is best within a community, as a part of that community. Something shared, but not where the Art overwhelms the simple pleasures of acting and watching.

 

[Sparky Kronkite]

I got an answer for ya Dix.......

Go to Puppetry.

Take yer little, cardboard puppet theater to the mall - and throw down a hat.

Write a skit up on Cloaning the Pope, perform that - and I'll bet you even make the news.

Controversy sells.

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

Did that. When I was 21. I've moved on.

 

[Nora]

DCL? Do you know of any theatres that have opened in malls? I think your theory is good, but I'd be curious to know if anyone's put it into practice.

(last performance was a community theatre here in Austin. The performance was Blythe Spirits. Lack of a/c in their rented space caused me to fall asleep more than the lackluster performance. It was about 6-10 months ago)

 

[Mischka]

What was the last non-Broadway play you saw (not musical)? Was the whole evening a hassle? I expect at least part of it was.

No hassle here. There's a small theater in a semi-strip mall near my home (individual retail shop fronts, with separate entrances, in one big connected L-shaped two story building). The theater is in the nook of the L, and it does brisk business. Parking is easy, and coffee shops and restaurants surround it. The members of the theater write almost all of the plays they present, from camp to dramas to musicals, as well as host improv troopes.

 

[teddybear4play]

(last performance was a community theatre here in Austin. The performance was Blythe Spirits. Lack of a/c in their rented space caused me to fall asleep more than the lackluster performance. It was about 6-10 months ago)

My high school put on Blythe Spirit. The lead actor was walking around in a leg cast and crutches. It wasn't until the next day during class that I realized that it wasn't part of the play. He actually broke his leg a few hours before the performance.

TB4p

 

[Pyper]

I went to see "The Complete Works of Shakespeare, Abridged" in London, and it was fantastic, the whole experience.

We were just walking around shopping and ran into a theater that was playing it. Bought tickets at a huge student discount two hours ahead, did some more shopping, came back, bought drinks in the lobby, got great seats, and really enjoyed the show.

I was surprised at the whole informality of it. I didn't have to dress up, it wasn't expensive, and I could actually have my (non-alcoholic) drink with me in the theater! Way more fun than the movies, and the theater wasn't grungy either, like some off-Broadway shows I've been to in New York.

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

DCL? Do you know of any theatres that have opened in malls? I think your theory is good, but I'd be curious to know if anyone's put it into practice.

Theatre management in the United States (from the 99 seat contract level up to the lower level Equity contracts) is very outdated in how they develop work, plan seasons, apply for grants, do Outreach, handle mailing lists, train actors, and run a decent development office. A truly innovative theatre company (at this level) is rare. They're very much stuck in the old model, and don't take into account the way people have changed how they go out and spend discretionary cash.

I don't know of any company that's opened in a Mall. It sounds like a good idea, but the rent would be enormous, security would be expensive, you couldn't pay the actors much, if anything, and you'd be very limited in the size of the productions you could mount. Not to mention the temptation to turn the whole thing into a kid's birthday party palace or a 3D theatre or something so you can make a buck every 10 minutes.

To do it you'd need an angel to finance the sucker for year, and a savvy marketing person to create a theatre arts bookstore and gift shop that could operate in the lobby and be a source of cash flow. It would have to be non-profit (and a Mall may not be zoned to permit that) to get tax breaks which it would need to survive. You would have to have decent teachers to offer classes, to bring in members and revenue.

In other words, the idea would take a very good business plan and a venture capitalist not interested in ever seeing his money again.

Still, the pretzels would be good -- and you would have audience.

 

[takingchances42]

In other words, the idea would take a very good business plan and a venture capitalist not interested in ever seeing his money again.

Still, the pretzels would be good -- and you would have audience.

That wouldn't be a venture capitalist -- he or she would be a donor. Besides which, non-profit organizations can't have investors who receive profits (at least not directly, for details on how to do so indirectly -- hire the UT Law School troika when they make partner).

But the pretzel idea does sound good.

 

[phrodeau]

A local group tried a mall location for a while, and ended up backing out. They moved from a location that had good street exposure. I believe the mall location didn't work out because the audience numbers fell. Why would the numbers fall? Could be that they were on the third floor of the mall, and had very little street visibility, could be because people who shop in malls don't attend theater, and theatergoers don't shop on malls.

 

[Secret Kate]

 

[Ksss]

We have several playhouses near me. I love the one because it is an informal setting. There are small tables you sit at and they serve light dinners. Wine and beer are the alcoholic beverages served along with coffee, soda or teas. It's very difficult to get tickets for the plays though, as most of the better plays are sold out before the summer season even starts.

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

That wouldn't be a venture capitalist -- he or she would be a donor. Besides which, non-profit organizations can't have investors who receive profits (at least not directly, for details on how to do so indirectly -- hire the UT Law School troika when they make partner).

But the pretzel idea does sound good.

It could be either donor or venture capitalist. I mentioned venture capitalist because it may not be legal for a non-profit company to take up residence in a commercially zoned shopping district. It just may have to be a for profit going concern with a venture capitalist who doesn't actually care about making money.

 

[KillerMuffin]

What was the last non-Broadway play you saw (not musical)? Was the whole evening a hassle? I expect at least part of it was.

Our local community theatre put M*A*S*H on. It's in a small theatre next to the Taco Bell and across from Imperial Palace all you can eat buffet.

We were there oh, twenty minutes before el Stud ruined the experience. As usual.


The mall idea is a great one. The thing about "traditions" is that they miss the future.

 

[Starfish]

Wow. I am really impressed with your idea.

How ergonimic of a concept. Totally doable.

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

I got a million of them.

 

[70/30]

Get hot chicks to take off their clothes, it'll work whenever and wherever.

 

[Spinaroonie]

Saw a production of "Peter Pan" at my school. They did Shakespeare really well, but PP totally blew.

BTW, Dix, didja see this?
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,54608,00.html

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

What an idiotic proposed piece of legislation. Outlawing cell phone use in theatres. Of COURSE it's rude and disturbing, but so is yawning, coughing, opening candy, rumpling programs, whispering, etc. Actors can deal, and announcements are made before the show, and, generally, overwhelmingly, people comply. Legislating manners is a stupid idea.

I got booked to work the opening night of a new nightclub in SoHo once, and right in the middle of my act some guy gets on his cell phone and starts talking. I was pissed until I realized the guy on the phone was the owner of the club, and he was calling his partner to tell him how funny I was. How the fuck do you yell at a guy for that?