Date: Mon, 12 Aug 2002 21:19:30 -0500
Subject: Re: PUPT: Maybe They're Right . . .
From: "Karen Larsen" <karenlarsen-AT-earthlink.net>


Hi all,

This is a really interesting topic to me because, like Robert and Mum
Theatre (...and Puppetopolis, and the Pennsylvania festivals, and the NYC
venues, and everyone else who's making a concerted effort to present adult
puppet theatre) our little theatre been working in a "persistent and
consistent" manner over the past few years to build an audience for adult
theatre that involves puppets. Sometimes it's hard, and discouraging, but
what we try to remember is that it's "evolution, not revolution". We gauge
our success not strictly by the numbers, but by how much of the audience we
retain from show to show, and by how many friends they bring with them next
time.

I think Kurt's point about people being a little afraid of what they will
encounter is an important one, and something we need to keep in mind as we
program. I'm a huge fan of some of the most esoteric of adult puppet
theatre, but that is not primarily what I choose when I design a season. I
certainly don't "dumb down" our programming, but I make sure that the pieces
I put on stage are ones that will be accessible to the majority of the
audience. Once we have been successful in "growing" our audience, then we
can begin to put in pieces that are more and more challenging. (By the way,
we do have a place for some of that already in our PuppetSLAMS, but even for
those, I would not fill an entire evening with ultra-challenging pieces).

Here are a few of the things we're doing with our series to try to "grow"
our audience.

- We make sure our show descriptions and publicity give as accurate as
possible a picture of what the audience will encounter, so they know what to
expect and they're not afraid of being mystified.

- We provide appropriate explanatory program notes if that will help the
audience appreciate better what they're going to see.

- We have a "meet the artist" session after EVERY SINGLE PERFORMANCE where
folks can ask questions. An educated audience becomes a more loyal audience.

- We do a lot of niche marketing to groups that will especially like a
particular program due to its content or culture of origin.  This can be
very fruitful. This is free and pretty easy to do through internet
newsletters, and is of course in addition to our traditional advertising.

- We partner with other theatres or organizations to present some of the
programs, which gives us access to their constituencies (who already trust
their judgement), and usually doubles our publicity efforts on those shows
since they send out their own publicity. Often it also provides us with a
theatre space that is more appropriate for the show than our own.

- We make sure we present shows in a space that's appropriate for the show
instead of compromising for the sake of the budget or our convenience.  If
the audience can't see and/or hear well, it will discourage them from ever
attending again.

- We present only shows that we love.

Just to give you an idea of the kinds of shows we present, here's a snapshot
of our 2002/2003  "Puppets at Night" season. (shameless promotion or
information sharing.... you decide!) If anyone would like details (I'm in
the middle of designing the brochure now) e-mail me at the theatre (address
below) and I'll send them off to you sometime next week.

September 21   PuppetSLAM
Oct 24-27   One Way Street    Sandglass Theatre
November 22-23   She Who Loves    Figures of Speech Theatre
December 7   PuppetSLAM
Jan 3-4   Butterfly Dreams   Hua Hua Zhang
Jan 31/Feb 1    The Little Altar of Don Cristobal and The Blackbird
    Blair Thomas
Feb 22    PuppetSLAM
March 27-29   Loners    Preston Foerder    World Premier!
April 26    PuppetSLAM   Nat'l Day of Puppetry
May 16-17   Walidad the Grass Cutter and The Brick Brothers Circus
     The Puppetmongers

Hope I didn't bore you.

Karen


Karen Larsen
Artistic Director
Puppet Showplace Theatre
32 Station Street  Brookline Village, MA  02445
617.731.6400
artistic-AT-puppetshowplace.org
www.puppetshowplace.org




 


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