The Arts and Community

Response to ArtsJournal.com - "Lead or Follow"

2012-01-25T08:52:00.000-08:00

LINK: "Lead or Follow" - ArtsJournal.com

I currently reside in a small city in North Carolina that Ibelieve is dealing with this very question. Our city has three performing arts organizations: The Gilbert Theatre, Cape Fear RegionalTheatre and The Horrible Folks. Its anold city conveniently located on I-95 and less than two hours from the Atlanticcoast. But yet I wouldn't call it a"major" city or one that has completely embraced the arts just yet. That observation gave birth to the veryquestion you folks are asking: Whoshould lead?

The answer is simply that there is no ONE answer. The Gilbert Theatre, for example, is vettingsome candidates to find a new Artistic Director. Some of them I know well and have haddiscussions about what they would want to do with the Gilbert in their firstfew seasons. Overwhelmingly, theresponse is similar to Ariel's in that they tend to be art-centric and possess limitedregard to MARKETABILITY. And who canblame an artist for wanting to be an artist? Just as who can blame an ant for being an ant, or a rose for being arose.

But what strikes me is not the similarities inattitude. What strikes me is thehard-line position the artist can take in defending their craft and their ideasagainst the institution that will facilitate the medium through which they canexpress themselves.

Ariel, I respect your craft so much. And I commend yourattitude. Most of us could only wish to have such freedom. But your speaking out of context. You're an artist who would perform on thestreet if he had to - that's your spirit and that's great. LEAD the way, because hell, you can! But the context in this conversation has more to do with anactual organization and its position in the community.

To make art, you must exist. To exist, you must have WORKING CAPITAL.

The definition of "art" includes something aboutaffecting the senses. It is only 'art'if people see it so you have to be able to sell your product people aside fromjust YOURSELF! This is not a selfless world. People don't go to see theatre because theywant to "support" the arts. Ifthey want to support, they will contribute. But even then, your stuff better be good. People go to be stimulated and entertained...and yes, every now and then, to enrich their lives with new perspectives.

So if you don't agree with me, at least enrich your life byunderstanding My perspective. ;)

MyStage on Facebook

2011-12-14T17:11:00.000-08:00

Hello All!
Facebook is brilliant. It is, I can't deny it. Nobody can deny it. The concept is as basic as human nature: we love ourselves and want to brag about what's good in our lives.

But the way I see it, these last two years have not been good to the social network. Between meeting the expectations of investors (as the private company that it still is) and remaining loyal to it's users, Facebook has no idea what to do with itself. Its gotten overly complicated if you ask me.

Competitors like www.unthink.com have tapped into the privacy weaknesses by giving the user greater control over which what information your friends, professional contacts and favorite brands have access to. Sure its three seperate profiles... but really, you'll get to it whenever you get to it!

Anyways, the real reason I'm here preaching today is to let everyone know about my company's new Facebook page: www.facebook.com/mystagegroup. Does it really matter? I don't know. I don't think so. But its web presence and for what its worth, I spent thirty minutes on the thing for a lifetime of benefits. So there. Merry Christmas, Facebook!

The Ghost Light

2011-10-15T06:18:00.000-07:00

A few years ago (around 2008), I came across the website for a theatre I don't think exists any more called the Shoestring Shakespeare Company in San Antonio, TX. The homepage caught my attention immediately because of this text:

"The custom says no stage is ever left in totaldarkness. A light burns, always, to honor the memories, the ghosts of themoments that were made there. As this light shines alone in the darkness of an empty theater, so [does] theatreitself, a ritual in a time when rituals are dying. We invoke thatlight, that ritual, now.
We come together in this oldest of ways, we make the living moment, the sacredcircle, and within it we bring you tales, not of time nor place, but ofhumanity. We light this stage in honor of those who have gone before us. We honor them,and your presence honors us."

No matter what, my friends, keep a romantic heart in all you do. Business will always be there and you are already good at it. The thing you have to work hardest to keep in your life is your ability dream and hope. To believe that something can be better is the greatest inspiration of our lives. And just as this modest company in Texas did, keep your true self intact always.

The Unbearable MADNESS of Being

2011-10-11T09:22:00.000-07:00

     Ok, I stole the concept of this title from Kundera's novel, but what more can one say about life and the curve balls. Its been just over a year since I last posted. I remember how exciting it was that my thoughts were going to be published online for FREE. I mean, come on, how can you beat that! I was going to stick with it and nothing was going to stop me from writing. Twelve months and two posts later, I've become a classic blogosphere fatality.      I guess then you can say that today, I'm a Blog Zombie: not completely brain dead and very well capable of controlling my limbs thankfully... and appropriately, I suppose. Its October my friends! And theatre and the rest of the performing arts seasons are off all over the country!
     These days, I reside in the very patriotic town of Fayetteville, NC. Home of Fort Bragg, the 82nd Airborne and those bad ass Green Berets I don't even want to joke about. What the hell am I doing here anyways? I'll leave that story for later. The point is I'm here and this town is hungry for culture.
     On the website front, I am very proud to announce that MyStageGroup.com is undergoing some real updates and changes. We are fixing this thing from top to bottom and giving it another go.  It is set to be the fastest, simplest and most practical night-planner on the WWW.
     What does that mean for producers? That means the sign-up process will be much less third-degreeish - if you've been to the site, you know what I mean. And as far posting your events, all we're asking for are the essentials of your production. Not only that but you'll be able to post your entire season all in one sitting.  You may even make a little extra money using your account. There are some very exciting and simplifying changes coming up on this site and we can't wait to share them with you. The reality is though, this blog is NOT about MyStageGroup.com. Its about ideas. MyStageGroup.com is simply the philisophical inspiration behind these ideas.
     So don't dismiss Arts and Community just yet. Stick around and we may just teach each other something new some day.
     Thanks for reading.

2,750

2010-07-24T15:15:00.000-07:00

I have some sad news today. From what I've been hearing (for the past ten years or so), theatre is apparently a dying industry. So what do you say we cut our losses and quit while we're "ahead"?

If these people were at all involved in this industry, they'd probably know better. And while yes, we may be the most stagnant industry in the HISTORY OF THE WORLD (in regards to growth), I'm confident (as I'm sure all of you are) when I say that we aren't going anywhere.

On the surface you can say what we all have at one point or another, "Duh! ALL YOU NEED is a space, a presenter and an audience." But that's not the standard I opt for, and fortunately enough (Yes, I said 'fortunately'.), it's also not the standard that puts food on the table. Sorry artistes, but that's America.

We have to determine what we have going for us! How else can we do this than through a SWOT analysis? Many times this seemingly naive (but powerful) section of a business plan may be packed with information supported by nothing more than the intuition and oozing optimism of, in my case, a 27-year-old business virgin! But I say let's escape to my little world for the next few minutes and talk about the possibilities, shall we?

(BTW, check out my acquaintance Kile Lewis' Atlanta-based radio program "40 Year Old Business Virgin" at www.40yobv.com for substantial programming on the topics of entrepreneurship and small business management.)

A SWOT. analysis is for single business entities, right? Traditionally, sure, but not for this blog post. You see, I have to look at our industry as a single business entity - a franchise corporation if you will. We're sitting on an industry that is 1,900 to 3,600 strong (This epic gap is proudly brought to you by TCG and the U.S. Census Bureau (respectively)). When you average it out, that's about 2,750 theatre companies in the U.S. - a very successful franchise corporation (if indeed it was one). Each is independently financed. Each serving very specific markets. Each directly responsible for its own future. The parallel is very unconventional - I know! But picture if you will the following and think about how these observations can help you in your own artistic ventures:

S is for Strengths

Every company is an independent entity. If one fails, they don't ALL have to.
Each company has the self-granted flexibility to conform their products to their respective markets as needed.
Advisors(or board members) are not only required, they're also free! (I use the term loosely.)
The whole machine isn't susceptible to legal action because of the acts of one organization.
Interns are preprogrammed to pay their dues and not bitch about it. In fact they thrive in it. USE that!
You have at least five potential avenues of income (Ticket Sales, Individual Donations, Corporate Donations, Grants, Advertising, etc.)

W is for Weaknesses

-Modest budgets = low impact marketing and employees working out of their element.
-No central office to provide support
-No unbiased talent pool for artists and other employees

O is for Opportunities

Each company is a community investment: nobody expects their money back.
There are more single-ticket buyers than ever before! (Theatre Facts 2008, TCG). (Yes! This is an opportunity!)
Labor may be more affordable right now.
Building material is definitely more affordable right now.
Rent: do the math
The restaurant industry continues it's upward trend.

T is for Threats

There are more single-ticket buyers than ever before! (Unfortunately, its also a threat.)
Nightlife venues (clubs, parties, etc)
Movies
A bad economy
Since we're not all part of a single corporation

So the final word is this...

A lot of these points may seem harsh, but they're relevant. I know the industry has the tendency to make things work for everybody, and I'm all for that, but sometimes its about the survival factor, and in business, its about capitalizing on the right things at the right time. Until next time, thanks for reading.

MY QUESTION TO YOU: How are you competing with other weekend activities in your town? Have you outright defined your competition and have you declared war? Tell us about it.

NEXT POST: What are the real benefits of Theatre Communications Group and what are the membership trends really telling us about the future of the single industry link we share in the U.S.?

Why Us? Why Now?

2010-06-26T12:08:00.000-07:00

COMMUNICATION: it makes and breaks everything. Whether its business or personal, the way you relate to others determines the quality of your life and the quality of your business.

I spend a lot of time thinking about our opportunities in the theatre and performing arts industry - those missed and those yet to be explored. And the truth is that our industry, historically, has been timid in committing to anything new related to business and marketing. And who can blame us? Money is short and never ours to spend. And risk - well, we have very little room to play.

But because of the internet, the playing field has changed significantly. It's not the mere existence of the thing, but rather all the ideas that have come to fruition via this now two-decade-old tool. Many would disagree, but I say the gods of capitalism are smiling down upon us. Now, we just need to find out why because more and more it seems like a divine smirk than anything else! After all, more than 50% of theatres ended '08 (possibly '09)in the red; there has only been a mere 2.6% rise in subscription income in the last FIVE YEARS (That's only the tip of the iceberg by the way.); and expenses are through the roof. ("Theatre Facts 2008", TCG) A perfect storm for collapse or a swift kick in the ass towards committing FULLY to the new wave in marketing?

I created this blog to raise questions. Frankly, I don't I have all the answers. What I do have is some time to moderate the discussion and hopefully mobilize my company in some of those directions. But the methodology here is very simple. It can go either one of three ways:

Here's an idea.
Here's a statistic.
Here's a concept on marketing.

... and what can we do with this information?

We'll break off from the formula as needed, but this format will suffice as we get this engine moving and as I better understand the blogging culture.

I'm trained in theatre, but COMMUNICATION is what I aim, and what I feel we should all aim, to better understand for our own sake and that of our organizations. My goal is to secure a brighter future in the job market for artists. I'd like to solidify a wider range of public support for theatres in this country (non-profit and otherwise). Most of all, I'd like to make sure that our business communities are taking full advantage of our presence in their areas - and that we're taking full advantage of theirs. After all, according to the Small Business Administration, small businesses make up 99% of all American business entities and employ more than 50% of the workforce in this country. That's a big deal.

Marketing IS communication - in ALL directions. But it all starts with a plan. ####

MY QUESTION TO YOU: What are some topics you'd be interested in discussing here in relation to the marketing environment now and in the future?

NEXT POST: We'll get started with an initial industry-wide SWOT analysis. I will periodically revisit this topic as more information starts to come in from readers.