From: "PuppeteersUK" <Ray-AT-PuppeteersUK.com>
To: <puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org>
Date: Mon, 19 May 2008 15:08:27 +0100
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] FREE SHOWS (was Re:  Puppetry for Seniors)


I experienced pros and cons of doing free shows.
We became well aware of how puppeteers can be treated like the garbage
collection when a school gets a freebie.  Many years ago in our early days
we were booked by a city council to do a week of shows in their schools and
they would arrange everything and pay us just one cheque at the end of the
week.  We soon discovered that not having established a direct relationship
with the school heads beforehand; we were just another outside contractor.
Added to that were problems caused by poor communication between the council
and the schools regarding our staging requirements, timings etc. None of the
schools booked us back. 
On the other side of the coin, when we retired from Norwich Puppet Theatre
and moved to a new area we no longer had our own rehearsal space.  So when
we were reviving past school productions which needed a few performances to
run them in again (mainly to get our muscles and brains in gear) we offered
free shows to a few schools where we had never previously performed. 
We told them that they would be doing us a favour, which indeed they were,
and also how much the normal fee would have been. They accepted us with open
arms and then without exception subsequently booked and paid us for
additional performances during the following years we were in that area. I
hasten to add that we did not adopt that policy with a brand new show but
hired church halls for rehearsals and then did the first couple of shows
free. That's my two-pennoth, Ray 


-----Original Message-----
From: puptcrit-bounces-AT-puptcrit.org [mailto:puptcrit-bounces-AT-puptcrit.org]
On Behalf Of Rolande Duprey
Sent: 19 May 2008 14:26
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] FREE SHOWS (was Re: Puppetry for Seniors)

What a great story!

Which makes me think back to what has been said about our business and  
the general lack thereof and what are we doing this for anyway.

Sometimes I reflect that I am in business in order to stay in  
business. Mostly, I am doing this for a larger purpose.

This past Saturday, "The Comedy of Errors" opened. As the first public  
show, I offered to the community for free, and the place did not  
charge people. They showed us very much respect. The audience was  
terrific,  and REALLY enjoyed themselves.  Our friends and family made  
up a very small part of  the audience, by the way -- most of them were  
from the town, and had no connection with us whatsoever.

The next day (Sunday) I performed my "Wonderful Walkabouts" at a local  
arts festival. Several years ago, the organizers had asked me to  
perform for free. Instead, I requested membership in their  
organization, which was too expensive for me to pay for. We continued  
to have this relationship until recent years --  when they have had  
more money --  and have offered to actually pay me my fee.

We need to balance the need to make a living with our artistic needs  
and the needs of the community of which we are a part. It is a  
delicate balance.

Rolande









On May 19, 2008, at 1:26 AM, Michael Moynihan wrote:

> My experience with "free" is somewhat different.
>
> Big disconnect in consciousness, politics, generations, I guess.
> I am 61 and am now disabled and fiscally more impoverished than I have
> ever been in my adult life.
>
> But in the early 1970's I cofounded a nonprofit, grassroots
> professional theatre company.
> It still continues today, very different & without me.
>
> Most if not all productions involved puppetry, masks, live music, live
> actors and at least one stage manager.
> During the summer we performed mostly out side in parks, vacant lots,
> at festivals, at jails and prisons.
> Inside in community centers, senior centers, medical facilities,
> nursing homes, summer schools.
> Whenever possible we would arrange for an indoor rain site.
> All of us were employed as full time - nonunion theatre workers - paid
> theatre workers.
> We were youngish and did not get rich, but the pay was enough to live
> on, buy a house, have 2 children, and not go into debt.
> Shows were free to those in the audience, and appropriate for all
> ages. Often bilingual, some performances signed for hearing impaired.
>
> Very fast moving, funny, musical, colorful.
> (when you are free in a park people are free to walk away, you learn
> to hold an audience)
>
> Touring company size ranged from 2 to 35, performers ages 9 - 70, all
> white to multiple races
>
> I was inspired by reading about:
>
> 1) the diggers - everything free
> http://www.diggers.org/overview.htm
>
> 2) SFMT free park shows
>
> 3) the Brit WELFARE STATE theatre
>
> 4) BREAD & PUPPET
>
> (but began our free theatre productions before ever actually seeing
> the above groups, that came later)
>
> Unlike the Mime Troupe, we could not pass the hat (Milwaukee County
> parks would take 10%).
> And our "warm" season was usually mid-June to Labor Day.
>
> Sure "free" is misleading. SOMEBODY was paying. Grants and donations
> (City-County-State-Federal governments, foundations, corporationc). We
> had to raise lots of funds to stay alive. But we also had the most
> diverse and largest audience of any theatre in the entire State of
> Wisconsin. I think when we began, Conrad (INDEPENDENT EYE) told me
> that I would spend 75% of my time on non artistic things. I did not
> believe him, but even after we grew enough to have administrative
> help, it was still true.
>
> We would also take out of town/state road trips where we would charge
> as much as we could get.
>
> But we were never "treated like shit" because we were free. Audiences
> (all ages, mostly working class and low income) love us and welcomed
> us. In fact, I think when cost is irrelevant to the audience the true
> economy of art, entertainment, time & attention spent and imagination
> come into play.
>
> As law # 7 in the original (not the tiny revised version) taoist SEVEN
> LAWS OF MONEY: There are worlds without money.
>
> Different time to me sure.
>
> I did not realize that making a living doing free shows was  
> impossible.
> So we did it.
>
> We would have never been able to even get started had not a local
> dance company GIVEN us (yes free) a van.
> And the now INDEPENDENT EYE (the cofounders of THEATRE X) invited us
> into there building (on the illegal 3rd floor) rent free!
>
> I guess to put it in Forrest Gump lingo "free is as free does".
>
> Seems that to many people "FREE" is not even imaginable in 2008.
>
> Michael John Moynihan
> Milwaukee Wisconsin USA Earth
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> List address: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
> Admin interface: http://lists.puptcrit.org/mailman/listinfo/puptcrit
> Archives: http://www.driftline.org

_______________________________________________
List address: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Admin interface: http://lists.puptcrit.org/mailman/listinfo/puptcrit
Archives: http://www.driftline.org



_______________________________________________
List address: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Admin interface: http://lists.puptcrit.org/mailman/listinfo/puptcrit
Archives: http://www.driftline.org