May 2019<\/p>\n
From Staff & Wire Reports<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/FurFly.jpg\")
The audience erupts into applause Dominique Morisseau\u2019s Skeleton Crew<\/i>. A scan of Portland Stage\u2019s <\/b>286-seat mainstage reveals a smattering of twenty- and thirty-somethings but is predominantly an older group. It\u2019s the second performance of the show, and the theater\u2019s packed.<\/p>\n
Two weeks later, on a Friday night, \u201cthe side sections were half empty, and the back rows were half full,\u201d says Harlan Baker, lecturer in theater at the University of Southern Maine.<\/p>\n
With a lineup of electric summer shows scheduled, what challenges do theaters face, and what new efforts are they making to deepen and entice their audience?<\/p>\n
Portland Stage\u2019s Rush35<\/b> was put in place to bring in \u201caudiences 35 and under by offering a low-cost ticket to our shows,\u201d says Eileen Phelan, director of engagement. \u201cIn addition, we hold pre-performance receptions for members with complimentary Flatbreads Pizza, Two Fat Cats treats, Shipyard Beer, and wine the first Wednesday of every Mainstage production.\u201d<\/p>\n
So the idea is to turn theaters into tasting rooms? Are shows necessarily edgier because younger audiences are there? As these issues flare up, Maine\u2019s theaters are taking a deep look in the mirror. \u201cPortland Stage has added several trustees to our board as well as members of our artistic committee with an eye to better reach that demographic,\u201d artistic director Anita Stewart<\/b> says. \u201cThe artistic committee works with me and our literary manager, Todd Backus<\/b> (who is in this age group as well), to put together a season. By including these voices in decision-making and leadership roles, we ensure that we hear their perspective.\u201d Not that Portland Stage hasn\u2019t always been forward-looking, fresh and edgy. Sarah Jessica Parker\u2019s first acting role after Annie<\/i> where she was allowed to travel alone was up here: \u201cI was 15 when I came to Portland Stage…That time of life can be challenging for a young actress…I was so lucky to be part of that company…They watched over me, and it gave me a safe place to learn about the craft.\u201d<\/p>\nTaking It To The…Apps?<\/b><\/h4>\n
Other theaters like Berwick\u2019s Hackmatack Playhouse <\/b>are sprucing up their social media platforms in hopes of targeting new audiences. \u201cWe\u2019ve been using apps like MeetUp, and they seem to work okay,\u201d says Michael Guptill, producing director. \u201cWe attempt to target folks looking for a different kind of night out\u2014a relaxed summer night out, very old fashioned. I hope this appeals to more than just theater-loving folk.\u201d (Guptill fails to mention his most powerful culinary inducement\u2014homemade, fresh strawberry shortcake offered at intermission.) Along with partnerships with non-profits, Hackmatack offers $15 student tickets. \u201cThe goal there is to catch them when they\u2019re young.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maybe expanding the audience\u2019s demographics can be a stress, but, \u201conce you come, you\u2019re hooked,\u201d Guptill says. If you haven\u2019t discovered it, this high-energy rustic attraction is just the ticket.<\/p>\n
An hour and a half from Portland, Madison isn\u2019t the first place most would expect to find professional theater, but in its 119th season, Lakewood Theater<\/b> remains a force. It was the<\/i> \u201cmajor tryout theater for potential Broadway productions\u201d from 1925 to 1941. [See Humphrey Bogart\u2019s connection with Lakewood in \u201cMaine, Sweetheart,\u201d November 2018.]<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re off the beaten path here,\u201d says Lakewood\u2019s Stephanie Irwin. \u201cMany of the people who come up this way aren’t necessarily looking for theater as a first choice for entertainment. We try to counter that by having a varied selection of shows to try to pique the interest of people who might be trying theater for the first time. We also try to keep our ticket prices as low as possible while relying on that revenue to cover the bulk of our production expenses. We\u2019ve used print and local radio advertising for many years to reach audiences in Maine and expanded that to online\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Like Hackmatack, Lakewood is finding its place in the age of the app. \u201cWe utilize Facebook to reach all the people who liked our page with pictures from shows and even some videos to promote productions. This year, we\u2019re expanding our footprint by adding an Instagram account to [our email outreach].\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIronically and amusingly, our biggest obstacle is convincing people to give Shakespeare a try,\u201d says Sarah Barlow, artistic director of Acorn Productions\u2019<\/b> Naked Shakespeare. Who was Shakespeare, anyway? Cool, dark, and brooding\u2013think Harry Styles.<\/p>\n
Started in 2004, the ensemble hasn\u2019t been afraid to take its shows to the street. Having performed classics such as Hamlet<\/i> and As You Like It<\/i> in public spaces like Longfellow Square and Riverbank Park in Westbrook, the ensemble knows sometimes you\u2019ve got to take the show to the audience. \u201cI think, and hope, that the biggest selling point is our clarity and connection to the audience, and if one experiences not just understanding but actually enjoying Shakespeare and then sharing that excitement with others, that\u2019s more likely to bring in new faces than anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
At Maine State Music Theater<\/b>, it isn\u2019t a matter of getting people in the seats. The problem is where to put them all. \u201cWe can only have the Pickard Theatre [at Bowdoin] for 12 weeks,\u201d says artistic director Curt Dale Clark. \u201cWe\u2019ll never leave Bowdoin…but our only way to expand currently is to do co-productions. We\u2019re virtually sold out playing to almost 97-percent paid capacity for the entire season, and the rest of the seats are given to non-profits in the services area.\u201d<\/p>\n
This year, MSMT will partner with Portland Stage for Ain\u2019t Misbehavin\u2019<\/i> and The Public Theater<\/b> for Grease<\/i>, a show managing director Stephanie Dupal says \u201cappeals to younger audiences without alienating our current subscribers,\u201d who are mostly \u201c65 and older\u201d and \u201cwell-educated with high levels of disposable income,\u201d according to their website.<\/p>\nAll The Hype<\/b><\/h4>\n
Mad Horse Theater <\/b>sparked and energized an audience at a recent 2019\/2020 season reveal party held at the Press Hotel. The event, $35 to attend, was promoted on Facebook and included a cash bar, an auction, and hors d’oeuvres. \u201cWe wanted to make it a celebration of the season and build that relationship between the theater and the audience,\u201d says artistic director Mark Rubin. \u201cIt can’t be transactional as it once was… We\u2019ve thought about inviting the audience to a local bar after the show, let them know the actors and director will be there so they can talk to us. They want to process what they just experienced.\u201d<\/p>\nThe World\u2019s A Stage…In Small Bites<\/b><\/h4>\n
On top of producing a season of shows, theaters are now facing the demand to perform on another stage. \u201cMy 12-year-old son made a few videos for us. One of the interviews was with an actor for Deer.<\/i> Another featured a director, then audience members,\u201d Rubin says. \u201cWe call it Mad Horse Minute<\/i>. It\u2019s something we\u2019re relatively new at, but we\u2019re always looking for new ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n
How much can we really expect of our thespians? \u201cI do think it\u2019s a lot to ask of us to put on shows and to put in all this effort around marketing. It\u2019d be nice if the shows sold themselves.\u201d The team at Lakewood shares a similar sentiment. \u201cIt is hard to give the attention needed to advertising the theater when we are a summer venue and so busy for 18 weeks of the year. We\u2019re blessed to have some very enthusiastic and skilled volunteers who work tirelessly to make all of this happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
When the curtain drops, it\u2019s still all worth it, and we\u2019re thankful for it. \u201cTheater is inherently about bringing a group of people together in one space for a shared experience,\u201d Stewart says. \u201cIt takes time. You don’t get an immediate answer, or any answer at all, but hopefully your experience resonates long after the show is over.\u201d<\/p>\n
Portland Stage:<\/b> Rush35<\/p>\n
Hackmatack:<\/b> $15 student tickets, strawberry shortcake<\/p>\n
Lakewood Theater:<\/b> Special events tie into the themes of shows: horse-drawn carriage rides for period shows, had antique cars on display for shows, and drink specials at The Lakewood Inn.<\/p>\n
Mad Horse: <\/b>Pay-what-you-can for 25 and under.<\/p>\n
The Public Theater:<\/b> Wine Down Thursday, free wine samples courtesy of The Vault and Roopers before Thursday shows.<\/p>\n
Ogunquit Playhouse: <\/b>$20 Hospitality Ambassador rush tickets for those who work as front-line staff members in the hotel, restaurant, or retail industry in Maine and New Hampshire. $20 student rush tickets on specific dates for each show.<\/p>\n
Maine State Music Theater: <\/b>Tuesday Teaser Film Series<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
May 2019
\nMaine theaters are in high gear to build loyalty within their audiences. Here are some of the strategies behind the curtain.
\nFrom Staff & Wire Reports<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16250,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-extras"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16291","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16291"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16291\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16292,"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16291\/revisions\/16292"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}