Date: Wed, 05 Jan 2000 19:01:11 -0500
From: Steve Abrams <sapuppets-AT-bigfoot.com>
Subject: Re: PUPT: Re: PofA Festivals and the Public


John,
There are a number of major differences between a PofA Festival and the
International Puppet Festival in New York. The cost of presenting  two or three
of the New York offerings would consume the entire perfomance budget for a PofA
Festival. A PofA Festival offers over 20  main stage performances, dozens of
workshops and a reasonable housing package.

Presenting a festival is a financial gamble. It is only in the last month or
even weeks before a festival that it becomes clear whether or not a festival
will  break even. By that time it is often too late to arrange for additional
performances.

New York City has never hosted a PofA regional festival. If you would like to
learn first hand about the complexities of running a festival with a staff of
dedicated volunteers, I invite you to participate. The next regional will be the
summer of 2002 and it is not too early to start planning.
Steve

John Bell wrote:

> I also think that PofA regional and national festivals should make all
> performances open to the public, the way other theater festivals are, and
> the way the International Puppet Festivals have been organized in New York.
> I realize that the purpose of the PofA festivals is to serve the
> organization, but if we are interested in broadening public understanding of
> puppet theater, making all the performances open to the public would help
> that goal.  If the shows are selling out, schedule more of them, or charge
> more for the tickets, and pay the puppeteers more....
>
> john bell
> great small works
>
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