To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
From: Christopher Hudert <heyhoot-AT-mindspring.com>
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:02:17 -0500
Subject: [Puptcrit] Home vs Touting


A wise Performance Director once told me "You can have anything you 
want, as long as you are willing to give up something to get it." In my 
experience I have found that quote applies to most of life. In regard 
to home vs touring, I think there is always a trade off. Rarely do you 
get to get rid of business headaches. You simple trade them for another 
set. Make a list of the advantages and disadvantages of touring and 
running a theater, and list all of the jobs and expenses of each, and 
see which one you are better tuned for.

  For instance, because I tour and am hired by the site, I don't have to 
worry about the publicity (or lack there of) and getting an audience 
in. I just need to supply the site with a good show and the materials 
to support it. If they fall down on the job, or the weather gets iffy, 
and fewer people show up, I still get paid as I book at a flat rate (as 
opposed to per head or percentage of the gate). But it also means that 
if the show sells wall to wall, I don't get more money.

   In touring, it is easy to be a company of one and trade off hats 
doing various jobs as needed. As a brick and mortar theater you kind of 
have to be a company of at LEAST two, but more like three, four, or 
more to be efficient. So salaries double or more. In addition to your 
space to build, store and rehearse your shows, you need space to 
perform and space for an audience, plus access to the basic creature 
comforts. The cost of that additional space doesn't come cheap.

   I could go on, but I'll leave the listing and evaluation up to you. 
In short, I tour because I like most of the things about it and like 
that I don't have many of the problems (or need to hire/train/maintain 
sufficient staff) that comes with having a theater and the building 
that house it. I love when I get a guest artist gig at a theater, 
because that is the best of both world. I get to load in once, play for 
days (or weeks if I'm lucky) and then go away with my pay. Like Hobey, 
I like bringing my stuff back to the studio, unloading, and playing 
"real person" for a while before heading out again.

Christopher

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