Theatre's in trouble

>> I think its a very valid topic you have raised Grant, but as> suggested it does not seem to be right across the board. We at Celtic> Circle have tried to put our finger on it and it seems that we can> even fall foul of the most carefull planning whereby you try to work> around other groups seasons and run with the best oiled publicity> machine and still struggle to get 20-30 in the door. This for some> reason seems to be the optimum break even number. As suggested by> one of the previous young ladies.... tut tut ....perhaps if we have> to resort to devious means..illicit or otherwise...to attract patrons...well> so be it.....but as long as you tell the rest of us if it works or> not so we can get in the act...so to speak.....hmmmmmmm....ain't theatre> grand!>Grant.Maybe, ITA can do something simular to what Movie houses do, after each season and/or performance bums on seat number is forwarde to agents covering the demografics of number, age group and cost of seat which is logged against that particular type of movie and annual figures are produced, so managers can see what trends are in the community. However, there are other sinister reasons and masked by this information guide, but I'm not advocating that theatre is just produced to ensure maximum returns, far from it. This may be a guide, in the city at least, to what the general appeal of each show performed.In my experiance, por & am, it would be a god send to at least know how a particular show would go, for all the best reasons! In the country I have found possibly a revearse trend and unless the group are particular on how they present the craft which is rewarded by a bigger punter base, as opposed by those who's ego's are purely for performing and not presentation - other than a tat production.The biggest problem which comes over the floats is the attitude of "we are only ...." you must of heard all these feable excuses before. One bit of advice I was given many (many-many) years ago by Geordie Woods ( a celibrated SM and Performer) was " If you wish to succeed in this bussiness - you have to have 80% attitude and only the balance made up equaly of experiance and aptitude!".Unfortunetly, over the years I have seen the decline of audiances and partisipation when it comes to theatre, there are loads of reasons given and unstood as why it is. The biggest decline is from back stage and it's loss of resources - people! this is our most most reuseable of all our resources, yet we make it harder by our attitudes to recruit or hold on to these esential people, which show's in the quality of productions around the traps.This may assist in winning the valuable bums on seats war - I keep that hope alive.I beleive we have to constantly ask ourselves the question - what are we about - (sounds like "Back to Gilwell" days or the "GANG")and hold the hope of review or being the best that we can be.If there is anything I can do to assist - don't hesitate!!!Yours In TheatreJoe McCabe - GAAFA