Promoting a high school theatre production is tricky business. I have been promoting high school theatre off and on for about 20 years. It is not an easy game to play . . . and they keep changing the rules.
Many high schools put on plays for what might be considered a "captive" audience. The primary audience is already in the building and all you have to do is herd them into the auditorium for a couple of hours of light entertainment. Getting them there is the easy part; convincing students and staff to pay for the priviledge is another thing altogether. However, there are many schools that still consider the student population their bread and butter when it comes to ticket sales. And they should . . .
We consider the student body our primary audience, too. We want as many students as possible to attend the productions. We choose plays and musicals that we think will appeal to the student poulation and undertake a promotional campaign that targets students. And our students respond in large measure. But that's not good enough. We depend on a larger audience for our productions and must reach out into the community for our ticket sales.
This is the tricky part. Convincing theatre patrons to attend a high school play even at a very reasonable cost. We make great effort to overcome any stigma that mgiht come along with student work -- stressing the high quality of our work and the selection of materials. I know that there is a large audience willing to pay under $10.00 for an evening's entertainment but we always have trouble reaching that audience.
That's our challenge. Finding the people that want what we have to offer . . . and letting them know when it will be available.
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