A little theatre lesson
October 25th, 2006
I just got a notice about the first rehearsal for the next show I’m in*, and it got me thinking. You see, we have been encouraged to invite guests to observe the first reading - in particular, guests who might in turn spread the word about this very funny, but relatively unknown play. At bigger theatres in bigger cities, this is a pretty common practice. Heck, at one professional theatre where I worked, attendance to the first read was a perk for subscribers and donors. Why? It’s not because the actors want to be observed as we stumble through our first read, mispronouncing words and realizing which lines we forgot to highlight. It’s to give people an understanding of the process of building a show. Most people, when they go to the theatre, just see that lovely, polished production that comes after weeks of rehearsing and lots of hard work. They don’t see where it started, so they tend to have little sense of the journey. So we invite them to come. They see the tiny model of the set, they see costume sketches and photocopies of period hairstyles, they hear music samples and early discoveries and misreadings and inside jokes… but most important: they feel part of the creation.
It’s sort of the same reason companies blog, or start ambassador programs. People love to see the inner workings, they love to know what makes you tick. When they feel like they’re on the inside, they get excited, they talk, they can’t wait to see the fruits of this early development stage. Let people see the machinery behind your lovely, polished, thought-through brand. It makes it real, it forges a long-term connection. It gives people a real experience and understanding that they can’t wait to share.
* The show is Inspecting Carol by Daniel Sullivan at The Warehouse Theatre. There… my shameless self-promotion has passed.
Other posts by Jennifer.
Roger von Oech says:
Good insight. The reasons you highlight are also the reasons why movies like “Spellbound” (about the national spelling participants) and “Word Wars” (about championship Scrabble players) connect with us. We get to see a select group of players from very early stages on through to the national championship, and experience many of their emotions on the ride.
October 25th, 2006 at 8:44 pmMack Collier says:
And it’s that feeling of being special, the ‘I know something you don’t know’ feeling of seeing behind the curtain.
October 26th, 2006 at 9:23 amDavid Blanar says:
Hi Jennifer - first, break a leg with Inspecting Carol. Second, I like the spirit of this, although it raises a few (natural) concerns.
You write: “People love to see the inner workings.” That’s true, especially competitive-type people. Where do you draw the line between sharing the magic and giving away the store?
October 31st, 2006 at 3:50 amJennifer says:
That’s a great point David. It’s a very fine line. You have to explore where you feel comfortable drawing the line. Where does it give away the store, and where does it just leave them wanting more? It’s a line that’s different for everyone. Every just has to decide how far they want to open the kimono.
October 31st, 2006 at 5:55 am