StarTribune.com: Jack Reuler doesn't mind that his organization is losing money. In fact, said Reuler, it's a sign of success.
Mixed Blood Theatre just ended its first season of free admission to all of its productions, and Reuler, the troupe's founder and artistic director, said the organization achieved exactly what it had hoped: filling seats with everybody who wanted one.
"We did not break even, nor did we intend to," said Reuler.
4 comments:
Although I applaud Mr. Reuler's radical approach to ticketing and raising money in the theatre, I am unsure of the solidarity of his thinking. I think that what the Mixed Blood Theatre is doing is fantastic. The increased accessibility of their shows does mean that more people are coming to see and enjoy thought provoking theatre.
However, financial feasibility and stability is also important. The article does not mention any other plans for breaking even in the future, nor any worry about doing so. While it is possible that more contributions next season will offset their costs, I am slightly confused as to the lack of concern on Mr. Reuler's part over the theatre's loss of money now and in the future under their new free admission scheme.
The point of producing a show is so an audience can watch it otherwise it's just another rehearsal. I completely agree in Jack Reuler's reasoning and can even guess at what the benefits might be in the future. Since more people are enjoying Mixed Blood's shows there are several things that have the potential of happening. If more people are going and are excited about going to Mixed Blood it is plausible awareness will spread by word and bring in more audience. If there is a larger audience more seats have the potential of being filled and therefore actual ticket sales could rise. Also, since more people are now aware of Mixed Blood's talent and already "the number of new donors culled from the audience tripled compared with last year." I believe Jack Reuler's not only fulfilled his original purpose but also made a smart business move.
The notion of free admission is a great one, but it can't work. The possibilities it could open up are enumerated in the article, and the increased admission is fantastic, but in the long run it can't work out. The revenue needed to put on a show is huge, so unless there is a serious drop in quality on one or all ends of the production (or a marked increase in donations) the plan will just put the theatre in huge amounts of debt. Mr. Reuler's nonchalance about this is admirable, but ultimately shows lack of foresight for the future of his company.
Having free admission, in my opinion, is a great idea. Unfortunately, in today's economy, it isn't a smart idea. Theatre is a form of entertainment, and sometimes it can get very expensive, preventing some people from being able to witness some amazing art. When a theatre offers audiences a chance to see a performance for free, it can assist the theatre by introducing some "first-timers" to a theatre or theatre in general. Like the article said, kinks are still being worked out, but I can't wait to see what happens with this concept!
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