The Business of Show Business
THA 138a
Tuesday / Friday: 9:30 – 10:50 a.m.
Rehearsal Room
Office Hours by Appointment
Robert Walsh
robertwalsh@rcn.com
617.448.5083
Goals / Outcomes / Focus:
The goal of this course is to gain a practical understanding of the function, strategy, and
business operations of professional, non-profit theatre. You will learn about organizational
structure, aesthetic and artistic goals, facilities management, budgeting and revenue
streams, public relations/marketing/advertising and communication. From brainstorming
to barnstorming, this course will give you the step-by-step process of producing live theatre
in America in the 21st century.
Execution:
Class time will combine lecture, discussion, role-plays and presentations on the abovementioned topics. Guest lecturers will cover topics in related areas of interest. Eight hours
of additional time will be dedicated to work in the field. A final presentation will involve
working in small teams.
Assignments:
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Reading: the required textbooks for this course are: Performing Arts Management: A
Handbook of Professional Practices by Tobie S. Stein & Jessica Bathurst, published by
Allworth Press and How To Run A Theatre by Jim Volz, published by Methuen.
Research: various assignments will be library and internet-based.
Papers: various papers will be due & criteria outlined well in advance.
Internship: 8 hours of work for an area theatre that has an administrative focus – details
will follow.
Role-Play: you will be responsible for preparing and executing a role-play based on any
one of the various categories of theatre management (see below). This will contribute to
your mid-term grade.
Mid-Term Exam: in class on 3/8/16
Final Presentation: in teams of three, you will make a consulting firm-style set of
‘recommendations’ to an imaginary theatre for upgrade/increased revenue opportunities.
Goals, criteria, etc. to follow.
Overview of topics / Semester Outline:
Theatre as Start Up
• Mission / Vision
• Values
• Branding
• 501©3
• Union / non-Union
• Board of Trustees
• Business Plan
• Location
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Organizational Structure
• The Salad Days – Essential Managerial Positions
• Full Time Staff
• Seasonal Hires
• Interns
• Volunteers
• Strategic Planning
• Partners
Programming
• Main Stage Offerings
• “Second Stage” or Readings
• Presenting Opportunities
• Co-Productions
• Children’s Theatre
• Film Series
• Classes
Audience Development
• Who Is the Audience?
• How Far Can You Reach?
• Demographics
• Special Events
• Entertainment & Service Partners
• Involvement
• Grow Your Audience
Advertising / PR / Media
• Social Media To The Rescue
• Budgeting & Timing
• Available Media
• Free & Bartered
• Partnerships
• Creative Marketing
Fundraising / Grants
• Corporate Sponsorship – Seasonal/Per Production
• Federal & State Grants
• Individual Donations
• In-Kind Donations
• Special Events
• Gala
• Development
Budgeting
• Annual Operating Budget
• Subscriptions
• Cash Flow
• Box Office
• Payroll
• Auditing
• Lines of Credit
• Bookkeeping
• Debt Management
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Human Resource and Labor Management
• Reporting Structures
• Job Descriptions
• Artistic Collaboration
• Salaries & Benefits
• Affiliations: Producers / Union
• Vendor Relations
Facilities Management
• The “Plant”
• Owning vs. Renting
• Secondary Spaces
• Housing
• Parking
• Fire & Assembly Codes
• ADA Regulations
• Front-of-House
For Profit Theatre
• Similarities & Differences
• Entry-level Positions
• Conglomerates vs. Individual Producing Entities
• The Job of a Broadway Producer
Internship
• You will be responsible for completing a minimum of eight (8) hours of interning at one of
the Boston-area professional, AEA theatres. This must be completed by Friday, April 29th,
with a paper due on Monday, May 2nd.
Role-plays
• Three class periods will be dedicated to role-plays during which each student will have the
opportunity to manage a given circumstance from one of the ten categories of focus during
the semester. In teams of six, you will craft a scenario of a typical staff meeting, each
selecting different functions of the company. As much as possible, try to select an area that
represents a challenge in how you see yourself while being an area of interest to you,
relative to a management position. This interaction with your peers will be an
improvisation based on a pre-determined agenda for the meeting. Following the exercise,
you will receive coaching and feedback on both your content and management style.
Final Project
• The class will divide into teams of three to develop a final “case study”. Imagining you
work for a boutique, arts-based consulting firm, each team will generate research on a
particular aspect of operations for an imaginary theatre. You will then report on your
ostensible results and create a set of recommendations for adjusted business practices by
that theatre. Each member of the team will have a specific function and will report out
their findings/recommendations within a given time allotment. This will also be “clientfacing”, so each team will have a corresponding team with whom they will present. A
paper charting your observations and learning will be due the final day of classes.
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Grading
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Class Participation
Internship
Mid-Term
Role-Play
Assignments
Final Presentation
25%
15%
10%
15%
10%
25%
Grading Breakdown
Class Participation: Due to the interactive and experiential nature of this class, you will be
expected to actively participate in discussions, ask questions and support your peers in an
atmosphere of collaboration and inquiry. This will include reading and research assignments, roleplays and final presentation.
Internship: The bulk of your assessment here will be on the paper you submit, which will
contribute to your final grade.
Mid-Term: You will have a test on the reading materials and course content from the first half of
the term.
Role-Play: You will be evaluated on both content and management style.
Assignments: All will require timely completion, clarity, writing accuracy and realistic data.
Final Presentation: Team prep, presentation, and final paper.
Attendance
You will be allowed two (2) absences (reason immaterial) and two (2) late arrivals (over 5
minutes). Subsequent to that, your letter grade will be reduced by 1/3 for each absence/tardiness.
See me immediately if you anticipate athletics or other related activities taking you off-campus.
Weekly Plan – [Subject to Change]
Theatre as Start-Up
1/15: Intro:
Check-in:
Lecture:
Assign:
1/19: Lecture:
Assign:
Syllabus, scope of work
Trio’s conversation
Beginning Stages: starting a theatre company
Read: p. 51 – 61 (PAM) & p. 18 – 22, 26 – 33 (VOLZ)
Email: send me your goals for taking class
[due: 1/19]
Compare/contrast: 3 mission statements
[due: 1/19]
Attend: a play at a professional theatre/paper
[due: 2/23]
Internship: research theatre sites for opportunities and determine
a theatre & position by 2/5, to be completed by 4/29
Internship Paper: see hand-out in class
[due: 5/2]
Nuts & Bolts: business plan, board, 501c3, union status
Read: chapter one (PAM)
Create: your own org chart for a 3-year old company with a ½ million
dollar budget
[due: 1/22]
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Organizational Structure
1/22: Exercise:
Discussion:
Lecture:
Assign:
1/26: Report-out:
Lecture:
Exercise:
Assign:
In small groups craft best org chart
Reading assigns I & II & org charts
Key Players: the roster for 1, 5, and 10 years
Read: chapter four (VOLZ) & p. 62 – 76 (PAM)
Research: a theatre company that has formed within the last 5 years
(see hand-out)
[due: 1/26]
On new theatre findings
Gotta Haves: best practices on maintaining low overhead in
the first five years
Start a theatre in your hometown: what do you need?
Reading: chapter three (PAM)
Research: 5 categories/3 geographies (see hand-out) [due: 1/29]
Programming
1/29: Report-out:
2/2:
What are the trends across the country from group to group?
Discussion:
Lecture:
Assign:
Readings III & IV; Play selection, demographics & target audience
Season Selection Criteria & Programming Balance
Read: chapter three (VOLZ)
Research: one creative programming idea from any theatre in the
country
[due: 2/2]
Write-up: 3 questions for 2/2 guests
[due: 2/2]
Guests:
Roundtable:
Jaime Carrillo, Austin DeBeche
NY resident theatres, board involvement
Research: one element employed by producers to promote
audiences in 20 – 40’s range
[due: 2/5]
Read: chapter eight (PAM)
Assign:
Audience Development
2/5:
Check-in:
Lecture:
Exercise:
Assign:
Internship opportunities
Audience Services/Promotion
Brainstorm audience development
Research: Wallace Foundation website for development ideas –
write 1-pager on best practices
[due: 2/9]
Read: p. 159 – 161 (VOLZ) chapter seven (PAM)
Research: New Rep marketing practices
[due: 2/12]
Email: send me role-play preferences
[due: 2/6]
2/9:
Guest:
Discussion:
Assign:
Development Director
Development ideas / Role-Play positions
Find: 3 examples of creative marketing in any industry - how theatre
might make use of those or similar techniques
[due: 2/23]
Read: chapter seven (VOLZ)
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Advertising / PR / Media
2/12: Report-out:
Discussion:
Exercise:
Assign:
Solicit:
2/23: Discussion:
Role-plays:
Submit:
Assign:
Best practices from theatre attendance
What has been the best use of social media you have seen in the
marketing campaigns of professional theatres?
Readings V & VI
In trio’s, create your ‘creative marketing brand’ & present
Read:
Team members for final project
Demographics from theatre experience
Set-up/prep in small group
Paper on theatre attendance (from 1/15)
2/26:
Role-Plays
3/1:
Role-Plays
3/4:
Role-Plays
3/8:
Mid-Term:
Assign:
Test in class
Read: chapter six (VOLZ)
Fundraising / Grants
3/11: Guest:
Present:
Identify:
Assign:
3/15: Prep:
Discuss:
Lecture:
Exercise:
Assign:
Sara Stackhouse, Actors’ Shakespeare Project
‘New company’ budget
Final project teams
Research: Mass Cultural Council grants/submit completed
application
[due: 3/15]
Read: chapter six (PAM)
Final project plan: what type of theatre? Which aspect of its
operations will be the focus?
Reading & grants
Donations & Relationship Building
‘Starting the conversation’
Read: chapter five (PAM)
Budgeting
3/18: Lecture:
Submit:
Assign:
3/22: Discussion:
Assign:
Risk vs. Pennywise
Paper: from Internship
Read: chapter eight (VOLZ)
Draft: submit bullet outline of final
[due: 3/29]
Internship observations
Research: one area of ‘codes’ that any professional theatre must
adhere to – fire, handicap, public assembly, liquor license/food,
board of health, etc.
[due: 4/1]
Read: chapter nine (PAM) & chapter one (VOLZ)
Write-up: Job description for Artistic Director
[due: 4/1]
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3/25:
No Class
3/29:
No Class
Human Resource & Labor Management
Facilities Management
4/1:
Report-out:
Lecture:
Assign:
4/5:
4/8:
Codes
The Physical Plant
Managing the Artistic Sensibility
Read: chapter eleven (PAM)
Assign:
Final Project Prep
You will refine your recommendations your ‘consulting firm’ will be
making to a particular theatre. Have a draft of your slide presentation
for review.
Read: chapter 4 (PAM)
Discuss:
Lecture:
Assign:
Readings
For-Profit theatre
Read: chapter nine (VOLZ)
In Teams:
4/12:
Final Projects begin
4/15:
Final Projects
4/19:
Final Projects
4/21:
Final Projects (Last Class & Brandeis Friday)
5/2:
Due:
Final Paper by 6 p.m., via email (Last day of classes)
*Special Accommodation: If you are a student with a documented disability on record
at Brandeis University and wish to have a reasonable accommodation made for you in
this class, please see me immediately.
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