Susan Pope said...

Does a young family (in the 24 to 45 range) building careers and raising kids qualify for any of those discounts? It's news to me. Maybe I just don't hear about them. I would bust butt to get to Lexington more for AGL shows if I could knock the price down to $11.00 to $14.00.

What age demographic is paying full price for tickets on a regular basis? I'm curious.

Susan

posted at 9:50 AM on Feb 26th 2007

Kim Dixon said...

Can I call you Mr. Chuck Pogue? ;)

Please remember that you can invite me to your beautiful home whenever. I'll pretend it's strike and disassemble your furniture, if you'd like.

I hope everybody realizes that I care about AGL and want to ensure that people will come and see the shows and support all the theatres in our extended community, be that professional, children's and community. I'm actually a fairly nice person, but I'm prone to temper tantrums when I'm passionate about something. Sadly, anybody who's known me for at least a few months is aware of this...

posted at 5:54 PM on Feb 20th 2007

Pogue said...

Steve,

I agree. The problem is marketing and PR. You figure the average audience seating configuration for the various is shows is 150 seats. If you run a show three nights a week for four weeks, that's about 1800 seats to fill for a run...add a couple of preview nights and it's about 2,100 or so. You can't tell me out of a region the size of this demographic (what is it? quarter of million? A half?), you can't find 2,000 people who could afford to pay the fare to see theatre and want to see theatre. And all those people who want to see theatre aren't poverty-struck. They go to movies, they go to restaurants, they go to the races, the sporting events, the clubs and drop this kind of dough all the time. The word just ain't getting out there.

posted at 1:58 PM on Feb 20th 2007

Pogue said...

Kim,

First off, you've been a welcomed and delightful guest in my house. We've done strikes together. We seen each other's shows. You know me well enough to call me Chuck, not Mr. Pogue. I feel old enough as it is.

Yes, yes, yes! We all know that Lexington Children's Theatre is a professional theatre. But it is a Children's Theatre. AGL is the only horse in the race when it comes to a professional regional theatre that serves up fare for adult audiences. It ain't going to happen at Studio Players (nor is it there any intention) and, as far as I know, Beth out at Woodford County has no ambitions that way.

As for the rest, I speak to lots of people too. But neither of our "talking to people" polls are particularly scientific and I wouldn't want to base any theatre policy on such evidence.

posted at 1:48 PM on Feb 20th 2007

Steve said...

The great thing about not working at AGL anymore is that I can say some of the things tha I may have filtered last year.
I don't think the prices are too high for one simple reason, there is no need to pay the full price. AGL has soo many discount tickets, students, seniors, PWYC, subscriber discounts, etc. In my two year there we several times ran discount coupons, $5 off (which would bring it under that $20 threshold) and you know what, we received all of like three coupons, out of a few thousand. The problem is not really the price.
How much is a ticket to a game at Rupp? I won't get into the sports vs theatre, its not a valid arguement, I agree with Tim that there is no reason for not having both thrive in a town.
Word needs to get out about AGL, I am willing to bet that less than 10% of Fayette County has ever heard of AGL, let alone been to a show. There are thousands of people in Fayette that would be thriled by what is going on at the DAC, they just don't know about it. Part of the probelm is the complete lack of advertising, we had to cut almost all of our advertising dollars a few years ago, payroll came first after all, and even before that the amount that AGL is able to spend is nothing, a pitiance, compare the entire marketing budget of AGL to the advertising budget for a single UK game, or what Lexmark spends on a single day.
In todays society things get lost, unless people are actively looking for something, like a wonderful show by one of South Africas greatest literary exports, they will not find it.
The real trick is to find a way to make AGL a destination, make it something that people think of, taking a few $'s off the ticket price will not help much. Doing work like the Page to Stage Program, getting theatre in the minds of todays kids, planitng the seeds that this is importnat work, that might make a difference.
Another vital piece is to get the audience to trust you. Get the audience to a point that even if they have not heard of the play (like All My Sons) they will still come. Everyone here knows that trust is easy to loose and very hard to earn back. IT only takes one bad show and you have to start all over again.
I guess what I am really saying is that there is no quick fix. Theatres across the country are up against the same problems, declining attendence, deficit spending, mission drift, etc. Rick and the NEW Board are doing what they can to sustain the success of last year, and seem to be doing a realy good job, from what I have heard the quality of work had been excellent, and ticket sales seem to be doing better that the past three years overall.
Finally, the top ticket price is misleeding. The average ticket price paid (simply arrived at by dividing the total ticket revenue by the total tickets sold) has been between $11-$14 for several years. By dropping the to price to $15, you would be cutting deeply into AGL's base revenue, unless you have a huge upswing in butts in seats (a sustained one) AGL would very soon be back in the position it was in in 2004.
I will now stop with this ramble, truth is AGL has done more right than wrong in turnning itself around, stay the course things will work out.

posted at 1:46 PM on Feb 20th 2007

Kim Dixon said...

Mr. Pogue,

"...accessible to a broad cross-section of our populace." Broad cross-section meaning folks of many socio-economic backgrounds. My personal experience is not the issue. I talk to a lot of people, and none of them have said $24 is affordable. I have talked to students, seniors, and adults. All from different economic backgrounds.

AGL is NOT the only horse in the race. LCT has a lineup that appeals to children as well as adults, and if you like, I can name many of these shows. For that matter, they pay their artists more or less professional wage.

Not everyone can see the PWYC performances. Schedules do not always allow. Also, both PWYCs are in the first week of the run.

I am not saying cheaper seats will fill the houses! I'm saying that the odds are better. No, people will not necessarily tell their friends, but again, the odds are better.

I'm aware that a cheaper seat does not help cover production costs. I said that myself. It is not a known fact that cheaper seats and limited word of mouth will NOT bring in larger crowds. (However, low ticket prices in the past (old AGL on Short St.) drew in consistently huge crowds, and the work was as professional in quality as it is now.) Current prices and word of mouth are not currently helping. An approximate average of 40 (Exits and Entrances) people per performance is not good. Most people would agree with that.

I have to go back to work now, to earn my paltry salary so I can go to Wendy's a buy a bottle of Boone's Strawberry goo.

posted at 12:18 PM on Feb 20th 2007

Tim X said...

"the 99 cent menu at Wendy's and buy a bottle of Boone's Farm"

Adam, you just described a typical Thursday night when I was an undergrad!

posted at 11:27 AM on Feb 20th 2007

luckey said...

The majority of people that I have talked to about this issue says that the price tag is too high. Simple as that. This is why our biggest audience so far has been at the Wednesday Pay What You Can performance. I was talking to two ladies last night and they said that when they want to go out and see theatre, they want to make a night of it. Go out, have dinner, drinks afterwards, etc. But after paying almost 50 dollars for two tickets, there isn't much left in the kitty to do those things except visit the 99 cent menu at Wendy's and buy a bottle of Boone's Farm. This is why they caught the pay what you can performance. They said they each gave 10 dollars each and felt satisfied.
I am teaching the Donovan Scholars and some of my students were saying that the majority of people that they see around them at the shows are other seniors who are paying the reduced rate. If the average age of todays theatre-goer is somewhere between 24 and 45, this show hasn't been playing to the "average theatre-goer." The majority of people I've seen leave the theatre after a performance has been seniors, paying that reduced rate.
Anyway, I'm sticking to the idea that the price is a tad too high. Get it out of the twenties, because anything over that is a little scary to most people. Put it in the high teens, that would make people feel a little more comfortable about shelling out money to see a show. No matter what the quality is, or if a "professional" or "community" theatre is putting on the production, of if a review uses a bad turn of phrase that "keeps them away." For Americans, across the board, money does matter. Sucks, but it is true.

posted at 10:55 AM on Feb 20th 2007

Pogue said...

Kim,

...and what's at odds with that portion of the vision statement you quote? Your personal experience does not necessarily speak to a broad cross-section of the potential audience. And the aspect of the audience you speak for is being accommodated. You may not think enough is being done in that direction, but there are other cross-sections of that audience too.

We can quibble about community/professional, but people are being paid for their work, a move is being made toward a professional theatre, the demographic of Lexington can handle a professional theatre along the lines as being planned by AGL and AGL is the only horse in the race. Growing pains will occur.

But a theatre cannot totally accommodate a particular faction of the audience that cannot support and sustain the theatre's existence and quality. Nor is there any guarantee that cheaper seats will necessarily fill houses (I've seen some pretty thin pay-what-you-can nights)...nor any guarantee that the butts in those seats will spread the word to others. The idea that "if you just had cheaper seats, you have full houses" is an oversimplification of how theatre audience-building works.

posted at 12:31 AM on Feb 20th 2007

Kim Dixon said...

AGL Vision Statement as lifted from the AGL myspace page:

"...and be truly public: responsive to the evolution of our community and accessible to a broad cross-section of our populace."

posted at 10:19 PM on Feb 19th 2007

Kim Dixon said...

Perception is indeed a problem, I guess. But the point is still to get butts in the seats. I still think AGL is community theatre. The people who work there (crew, actors, designers), for the most part, do not receive a salary or wage. It's a stipend. No one can live on that. I consider my stipend as extra cash. I cannot count on it to support me.

Once again, people do not have the funds to pay for the ticket. A lot of the patrons have families to raise, mortgages to pay, etc. A more affordable price allows people to see the show and tell their friends.

Butts in the seats!!!

posted at 11:57 AM on Feb 19th 2007

Susan Pope said...

Rick,
The money keeps me away (in combination with the distance). I live in Danville. I see ALL Centre College performances, which are good and only $6.00. I serve food and paint sets to get into Pioneer Playhouse performances (which are $15.00). I don't seem to do much small town community theatre much anymore--at any price.

I rearranged my schedule to get up to pay what you can for Entrances and Exits because I wanted to see Tony, but usually I don't often make the cheap shows because of scheduling conflicts, and I generally just can't pay $25 no matter how much I want to see a show.

I used to come to more shows when your tickets were $10.00. (were they ever that cheap? That's what I remember.) Even at $10.00 a ticket, I often have to come alone, even when my husband or teenage daughter would like to come with me.

We homeschool and live basically on one rather small income. That's how it is for now. I would love to see all Actor's Guild plays, LCT, the Humana Festival, etc. etc. . . . . If I lived in Lexington, I would get to more pay-what-you-can performances for Actor's Guild and LCT. If I lived in Louisville, I 'd show up inthe afternoon of shows for cheap ATL tickets. And there's Surprise Theatre. . . Yeah, it's distance plus money.

Oh, but I seem to travel great distance for avant guarde, ensemble created work! Go figure. That kind of work really intrigues me. I'm determined to see more of it, meet more people doing it.

Susan

posted at 11:13 AM on Feb 19th 2007

Tim X said...

Agreed, Chuck. And I as said earlier, I think Rick and AGL have already taken alot of positive steps to aleviate some of those misperceptions.

posted at 5:43 PM on Feb 18th 2007

Pogue said...

Tim, I believe you and Kim both hit the real source of the problem...Perception. And I think in some cases, it is actually misperception. If too many people still misperceive Actors Guild as a community theatre, I'm not sure lowering ticket prices allievates that misperception. If you lower them to the community theatre prices, then you merely reinforce the misperception. And a lower ticket price doesn't necessarily mean drawing a larger crowd...particularly for plays perceived...or even misperceived...as challenging.

I think changing misperceptions is more a matter of marketing and PR rather than changing ticket prices. You can't do professional work on a community theatre budget. I've been thinking for some time that maybe Actors Guild needs to change its name. It's a double-edged sword...for while you're losing the baggage of the past, you may also be losing a built-in loyalty and following.

posted at 5:20 PM on Feb 18th 2007

Tim X said...

I fully understand the difficulty of establishing a ticket that you feel is fair to the community, and one that actually doesn't feel like you're, as Chuck says, giving it away. It is fine line to walk. I think in many cases it comes down to who are you marketing towards? To me, the bottom line is that if you want to draw in younger folks (20s and 30s, with many of the same monitary woes Kim speaks of) perhaps a lower ticket price is the way to go. That said, I think AGL goes out of it's way to accomodate students (i.e. PAY WHAT YOU CAN, STUDENT RUSH) But that really doesn't help the young, working non-student who can't make either of the 2 PWYC performances.
Part of this question, to me, goes way beyond money. When I first came to Lex-ville, I was astounded that in a town this size, there were so few options for Theatre work, both paid and unpaid. In my first year, I constantly probed people I met in the arts community as to the answer to this. Almost to a person, I received the same answer: "Lexington is a SPORTS town, not a Theatre/Arts town." I find this idea that a city/town can't be BOTH (do I need to even LIST the examples?) to be a huge load of crap, personally, but I do believe that it's the preception of most folks in this area. And as anyone who's ever take a communications class can tell you, perception is AS important, if not more so, than reality. Thus, to me, the question becomes,"How does one change a town's perception?" I'm not sure I have a solid answer to that, but I believe the larger part is that you have to create a new culture. Not an easy proposition, from where I'm sitting (and the view there is pretty good, especially when you consider that I'm trying to create a new Theatre and Film program as we speak). It is my belief that alot of the changes that have gone on at AGL over the past few years have been very positive to this end. But it's a weight that, I believe, we all have to bear. For instance...Losing a 25 year old theatrical institution with no decent explanation attached doesn;t seem to help matters much. But once again, who's stepping in to fill that void? Why AGL , that's who!
Ah well...to quote Maxwell Q Klinger "If I had all the answers, I'd run for God"..

posted at 1:48 PM on Feb 18th 2007

Kim Dixon said...

Mr. Pogue,

Yes, I want AGL to give the tickets away. Don't be silly.

What community theatre in this area charges more than $24? I don't care about community theatres in other communities. We're supposed to be talking about why there aren't butts in the seats, and it's because the general Lexington population thinks $24 dollars is too expensive. The general population does not see AGL as professional theatre. They see it as a really nice community theatre. The general Lexington population sees ATL and maybe even LCT as professional.

I used to work for Actors Guild. I understand that $24/ticket comes nowhere close to helping produce the shows. A $15 ticket will bring in more patrons, and those patrons are going to tell more people, and those people are going to find that $15 is a good price , and they're going to tell other people.

Actors Guild can charge whatever is necessary. However, I truly believe a lower ticket price will help bring the folks we're trying to reach into the theatre. Once they're in and enjoy what they see, a slow price increase could be made. Ticket prices went from $15 to $24 as Deb and the gang moved from Short Street to the DAC. The combination seemed to frighten patrons away (again, not a unique situation). I remember when 80 butts in the seats was a bad night.

I want nothing more than to see full houses for AGL, and I don't think a $15 ticket is giving it away.

posted at 11:55 AM on Feb 18th 2007

Pogue said...

Kim, you say you're not that unique in terms of your financial situation. My question is...so what's a theatre to do? Give it away?

A professional theatre like AGL can't afford to offer the quality of productions it does and offer any cheaper ticket. As it it is, its ticket price is one of the cheapest I know for a professional theatre. I don't find twenty-four or twenty-five dollars a lavish or disportionate ticket price, given the quality of the work. In fact, I consider it a bargain...given what some other arts and performance events cost. I've seen commmunity theatres that cost as much or almost as much.

Even Arts organizations that must charge more than AGL are squeezed and pinched to produce the work they do. Until you have government at all levels...local, regional, federal...more sympathetic to and supportive of the Arts, that understand while they may not be health-care or food, they are nonetheless essential for life. While some essentials make life possible; other essentials make it worth living.

posted at 12:28 AM on Feb 18th 2007

Kim Dixon said...

Clicking on my name in my post does nothing as I misspelled my company's website. If you really want to know where I work (why would you?), try clicking again. someday I'll learn to proofread... :)

posted at 11:47 PM on Feb 17th 2007

Kim Dixon said...

I am neither a student nor a senior. I can't always make it to Pay-What-You-Can. I am fortunate in that I always seem to have a friend within an AGL production, and can get a comp ticket. I have student loans to repay, along with a lot of other debt. I pay rent, and I have to eat and put gas in my car. Sometimes I need new underwear, or NASA diapers. I have no extra money for luxuries, let alone toiletries. I don't rent movies or buy DVDs. Theatre is a priority for me as well, but food is a much larger priority. And I am not unique.

This is not an excuse, but an explanation.

posted at 11:45 PM on Feb 17th 2007

Pogue said...

I find this whole issue of cost misleading. As has been pointed out, there are low-cost options here for seniors and students and, with "pay what you can" nights, anyone else. So this cry of "The tickets are too steep. I can't afford it!" I find a bit disingenuous. I know folks who will pay three-four times what a reasonable full price ticket at AGL goes for to see some tired piece of third-rate, third-time-through road-show clap-trap.

As E. Slate Williams stated in the December Nougat: "a comparison of local artists vs. traditional traveling production could be compared to McDonalds and Malone's. Both make beef. One is local and one is global. Anyone who has sampled both knows which one is better. Both will provide basic nourishment, but only one tastes goooooddd. Stop going to Jesus Christ Superstar, performed by actors old enough to have known Jesus personally, and go support our guys: Actors Guild of Lexington! I promise you won't leave hungry."

One of the nice things about getting older is knowing your own mind and having your priorities straight. I'd know I'd rather see a good professional regional theatre production (which is still cheaper here than in most places), then some crap movie that will be out on DVD in a month's time. Theatre is a priority, so my entertainment dollar goes for theatre. I can wait till a movie gets to DVD or cable. If someone wants to see theatre, AGL's tickets probably cost no more than two nights out at the movies...what with popcorn and all. So I say wait till Saw III gets to Blockbuster or HBO (if you absolutely must see it at all) and go see something truly entertaining...live theatre.

posted at 6:16 PM on Feb 17th 2007

Luckey said...

It can be a tad discouraging playing to small houses, but with the talent you have on and off stage, it makes up for it because you can feel you have the entire audience in your hands by the end. And we have them by the end of this show. And that is a feeling that I wouldn't trade for all the porn in Las Vegas. Or what have you.
But to answer your question on why people aren't coming out to the show......well, I wish I knew. As a poor bastard myself, I sometimes balk at the pricetag. That may have something to do with it. If you could double your audience by lowering prices (to say, 15 for adults) then it would seem to make some sense. Then again, I'm not familiar with the business side of all this.
I try to give the Lexington audience credit and try to believe that they want to see thought-provoking, moving theatre, so let's not think that they just want safe, cold, boring shows. I'm trying to be optomistic about their views on what the theatre means to them, but then again, who really knows what audiences think or want. If we knew that, we wouldn't need to be having this blog-conversation. You can go on and on about how wonderful a show is and that it is a "must see" but as we all know, that doesn't seem to make any difference.
All I know is that the current show has been a wonderful experience for me and that it's message resonates through me in many ways and I am thankful for that. But as much as I am performing this for myself, I don't want to be performing this only to myself, dig?
Dig.

posted at 11:50 AM on Feb 17th 2007

Steve said...

Rick,
The comment seems to run i the same vain as Style's critique of Gross Indecency, the "It is really good, but you gotta be smart to like it". I often think that some critics do not realize how damaging a cute little turn of phrase can be. In Richmond it dodn't hurt anything because we had other reviews, and great word of mouth. In a smaller community like Lexington with really only one critic it can really hurt things.
If it is not entertainment who cares if its art or not, no one will watch it. I have long maintained that theatre is first and foremost entertainment, it should also have something to say, or ask, but if you aren't entertaining your audience will either not show up, or will not listen. Sadly I will miss Exits and Entrances, with that beautiful script and the incredible talent on board I am sure that it is an amazing piece of theatre, which does mean that it is both art and entertaining.

posted at 7:43 AM on Feb 17th 2007

Pogue said...

Rick, thanks for giving me the opportunity of adapting TARTUFFE. This is the kind of writing I've wanted to get back since my return from Lotus Land. I think between the writing and your direction, we're going to have a mighty fine, fun play that gives us the best of both high and low comedy as well as some worthwile stuff to chew on. It is what a classic should be: timely in its timelessness!

EVERYBODY GO SEE EXITS & ENTRANCES! It's a moving, emotional production of a moving, emotional play!

Regards your question: I don't know why this arbitrary (and inaccurate) division between art and entertainment? The things that have moved me the most, made me think the most, challenged me the most were also the things that entertained me the most.

I remember a cash-cow director once telling me in a story meeting: "Don't worry about logic or common sense too much, we're just making entertainment here." Hmmm. To me, the minimal requirement of entertainment is that it make sense and is logical.

Your question also reminded me of a letter I once sent to a studio head, asking to be let out of my contract when it was apparent they didn't want to make my movies and I didn't want to make theirs. It's about movies but could also apply to theatre as well. Here's an excerpt:

"Ever since I fell under the spell of movies, they've not only entertained me with wonderful dreams, but they've also been the springboard of my education. They led me to history and geography, literature and language and humour and music...and countless life lessons -- from the simple social graces to a vast kaleidoscope of human emotions and conditions.

I would see a film as seemingly frivolous as GUNGA DIN and while being thoroughly wrapped up in the yarn it was spinning, I'd also learn about courage and honour and loyalty and racism. Afterwards, it'd send me rushing to the encyclopedia where I'd spend another couple of hours not only reading up on British India and Kali and Kipling, but anything I happened to thumb by.

Movies, for me, were magic carpets that propelled me into enchanted voyages of discovery and expanded my imagination and my knowledge. They taught me ideals and ideas, to see the world not only as it was, but also as it had been, or could be, or might be, or should be...They opened so many doors.

That's what I want my movies to do...open doors. Not close them. Make people participants, think, grasp, reach, dream. Not become deadened lowest common denominator lumps allowing safe, sanitized, shallow pap to wash over them."

Now to me, That's Entertainment!

posted at 12:13 PM on Feb 16th 2007