Charitable Performances

I have noticed, lately, a few charitable organisations popping out of the woodwork and putting on theatre productions. The advertising clearly states that "all proceeds go to ( insert charity)"

Well How true is that statement really
The Director, MD, Choreographer, SM, Musicians and even the ticket sellers are paid.
Then we have the theatre, the lighting designer, set designer , set builder etc etc etc ...all paid

As these are "amature" productions ...the cast are NOT paid.

So how true is the statement that "all proceeds go to the (insert charity)"??


These organisations are run by marketing people who , once again , get paid. It is in their best interests to make a profit to fund their next production.


However when the public purchaes a ticket to a show that states all proceeds go to ...whichever organisation I suspect the paying public think their money is going to help those people afflicted by the particular condition/illness/disease and not line the pockets of production teams, marketing gurus,publicists and the like.

is this really true!

if it is that is really quite distgusting. is there anything we can do about it? surely the companies cannot advertise "all proceeds go to... " if they don't?

...?

You make an interesting point, with reference to charity organisations putting on theatrical productions to raise money. I have some knowledge of such a production going up in Perth and hopefully can present another side of the coin for you.

The MS Society is staging “The King and I.” I don’t work for the society, however I am the marketing manager for a company that has and continues, to supply vehicles for their fund raising raffles.

I have found the people at MS to be honourable and decent folk, working for a very worthy cause. Fund raising is how they raise money for their cause and it is a soul destroying, hard road, going from business to business, trying to raise funds. There is less and less available from governments and charities are forced to turn to the private sector and citizens for donations.

There are tried and true methods, such as car raffles at shopping centres etc, but they also have to come up with new ways that hopefully the public will find interesting. It’s a known fact that people (and businesses) give more freely, if they feel they’re getting something in return – the old “return on investment” chestnut. That’s why charity dinners and auctions work so well and from there, it’s only a short step to putting on a show – in some ways, Variety Club has been doing just that for many years.

If youÂ’re going to stage a production at a major theatre to raise funds, then there will be unavoidable costs, but I can assure you that charities such as MS face (willingly), expert scrutiny, to ensure everything is done correctly. Time and time again, I see people offering their specific skills to all sorts of clubs, charities and associations, either for free or at greatly reduced rates, in order to help the aims of the particular organisation.

On a far smaller scale, I’m currently in a play and we’ve just done a charity night to help a local Rotary Club raise funds. It’s all a matter of choice, if you want to get involved you can, if you don’t, well, you don’t have to, but always remember that not everybody has the luxury of being able to give their time, labour, machinery, theatre for free – it may well be their only source of income. And that philosophy applies to those working within a charity group – as the charity grows, the workload becomes too much for volunteers and people with professional skills need to be employed.

For the record, I declined to involve our company as a sponsor of “the King and I,” purely as I couldn’t make it fit the demographic I was chasing for a particular product. The supermarket chain that has become the naming rights sponsor is to be congratulated – the fit is right and they’re giving back to the community. I wish everyone well in the production.
Kind regards
Greg Ross

Perhaps there ought to be a rewording of their advertising: "all PROFITS given to charity" (if that is the case), or perhaps in some instances, "ACTORS' proceeds given to charity" (as they're usually the ones doing it for free).


Each of our BIG HOO HAA special events have been raising funds for various charities and organisations, and I can proudly say that NOBODY got paid for working those particular nights...each of our performers or musos or techs still count it as a night's work and it counts toward dividing up the takings proportionately at the end of each month; but all the money that comes through the door on a charity night gets taken away separately to go to that charity in full.


(And don't forget - this Friday is NOT a special event charity night, just a normal HOO HAA at the South Perth venue...tickets only $10/8...bargain price comedy! )

Cheers,
Craig

Great if you want to "put on a play" to raise some money for a legitimate cause. Great if your professional actors and all others involved are "donating" their time because it is a good cause. Bad if you are paying amateur rights so you don't have to pay your actors, and not advertising it as an amateur show, something that is required under the copyright agreement.

very good point

yes maybe a rewording is called for . It was also interesting to find out that some of the Charitable organisations charge the (unpaid) Actors an administration fee for being in the show.

I have seen a flier for a production at the Regal Theatre in Oct and dont remember seeing anything about and amature productionn or even the spiel that ususally states " presented by permision from .....(rights owner)....

Surely this is a contract MUST for most companies?

I have no problem with a charitiy raising funds by performances, but not sure if i would be happy to find out that after I bought a ticket, which I though would go to that charity that there were alot of people getting paid for the 'help'! Theatre costs I realise, but all the rest??

confused wrote:
>
> I have seen a flier for a production at the Regal Theatre in
> Oct and dont remember seeing anything about and amature
> productionn or even the spiel that ususally states "
> presented by permision from .....(rights owner)....
>
> Surely this is a contract MUST for most companies?
>
> I have no problem with a charitiy raising funds by
> performances, but not sure if i would be happy to find out
> that after I bought a ticket, which I though would go to that
> charity that there were alot of people getting paid for the
> 'help'! Theatre costs I realise, but all the rest??


Yes - perhaps someone involved in the production side of The King and I can clear this one up? I know a lot of people who would be interested. ;-)

Thanks to Greg Ross for his supportive comments and endeavours to provide an insight into some of the harsh and competitive realities of trying to raise funds in the not-for-profit charitable sector. Thanks also to Greg for allowing me to access this chat room under his password.

I am the marketing and sales manager for the MS Society in WA. As Greg mentioned previously, the MS Society in Perth is producing 9 performances of The King and I at the Regal Theatre in October.

Given some of the concerning comments I have seen on this site, I thought it appropriate to respond.

Because of the highly competitive nature of charitable fundraising, as Greg Ross mentioned, innovation and differentiation are 2 key ingredients in securing meaningful corporate sponsorship, and of course public interest.

Due to PerthÂ’s proximity, not many nationally operating companies have their head office domiciled here. ThatÂ’s just a fact of life. In Western Australia alone there are approximately 400 registered charities all vying for the same sponsorship dollar. In the case of the MS SocietyÂ’s The King and I production, through a lot of hard work we have successfully secured Foodland and Associates Ltd (FAL) through their Supa Valu chain of supermarkets as naming rights sponsor. We are extremely grateful to Supa Valu for their support.

Our move into the musical theatre arena is based on a very successful formula applied by MS South Australia over the last 4 years. They have produced a number of highly successful shows generating a considerable amount of money to support people with multiple sclerosis.

A musical production also allows access to a large market to not only raise awareness of multiple sclerosis, but also to give something back to our loyal supporters. An affordable and enjoyable night out at the theatre sounded good to us.

The King and I production is openly promoted as a Pro/Am production, as a very, very small number of people are paid what I would term as nominal amounts of money, or honorariums. In fact I have been extremely pleased with the level of local support and encouragement received from everyone I have come into contact with about the production. This includes suppliers, cast members, production crew, sponsors and the media.

Many people who would normally have commanded a considerable fee have either reduced their expectations significantly, or even donated their time free of charge. Their approach reflects very positively on them as they either know someone with multiple sclerosis, or canÂ’t afford to donate money. As their personal time is a valuable asset this is offered in lieu. There is no pressure placed on them to do this and through their own caring nature they want to help. They are all keenly interested in maximising the amount of money raised to assist people with MS, a very worthy cause.
Multiple sclerosis is the most common chronic neurological disease affecting young Australians today. In Western Australia alone we are now averaging 16 newly diagnosed people with MS each month. That equates to over 200 new members each year. There is no known cause and there is no cure.

While some Government funding and support is forthcoming, largely the MS Society is self reliant on sustaining a financial position to provide essential services and support to people with MS, their families and care givers.

With the MS SocietyÂ’s long range financial forecasts showing a substantial deficit between likely revenue over coming years compared to an escalating cost base, the Society needs to take appropriate action. Otherwise the only alternative available is to cut back on essential services provided to people with MS.

Anyone experienced with undertaking full production responsibility for a show such as The King and I knows it requires a considerable financial outlay. Despite everyone’s goodwill and kind considerations there are unavoidable costs. When you are applying what I term as “other people’s money” as in, hard come by funds belonging to members of the MS Society, there are significant risks to manage as a financial loss cannot be contemplated. Any decisions to apply the member funds towards a musical theatre production have a very thorough evaluation process to ensure they are robust.

However, make no mistake; our aim is to maximise our return on investment. We need to make as much money as we can for people with MS. This is no different to any other fundraising event (ball, golf day etc.) conducted by any charitable organisation.

The charitable not-for-profit sector is a highly sensitive environment largely dependent on positive public sentiment. Any actions or events generating a negative outcome or negative press, can adversely affect other charities through either direct or indirect association. This is because we all extremely reliant on trust and integrity to maintain public and corporate support.

The MS Society of WA is proud of the fact that it undertakes all of its own fundraising preferring not to use or rely on external agencies or service providers.

Consequently, the MS Society holds its excellent reputation in highest regard and will not compromise this highly sought after position. The MS Society operates at all times with maximum transparency.

As the MS Society is producing The King and I then clearly there is full control over all the financial aspects. Therefore, all proceeds do benefit the MS Society and people with MS - directly.

The MS Society will always ensure compliance with all contractual and legal requirements relating not only to this musical theatre production, but all and any other undertakings.

Interestingly enough Someone I know has tickets to this prodtion of the King and I. On the ticket it says ONSTAGE PRODUCTIONS and the Multiple Sclerosis Society Present The King and I.

So how is really putting on the King and I a pro-am group or a charity?

Interesting comment!

I went and saw the production the other night as a friend of mine is in the chorus. It was an ok production but certainly not worth the $48 i paid.

When I was talking to some of the cast Id worked with before after the show, it sounds like there is a lot of 'annoyed' cast members.

One thing that they had to pay was a $20 'administration fee??
This came alone about 3 weeks into rehearsal so what was it for. They have now been told I believe that they will get a receipt for it and it will be a donation to the MS Society.......how can a charity make you 'donate' to them.

They also had to pay for their hair to be dyed and body makeup....more cost that theatre companies I've worked with before usually pay for.
I believe some of the girls had to even buy their earings as part of their costume.

Ok we all know that doing theatre is for the love of it and there are often costs that we have to incure, but really things like the above I think are a joke.

The most interesting thing for me to read was the ON STAGE connection with the production. Look into this more, I believe there has been some problems with this.....and its not ON STAGE. (Its always good to check stuff with friends in the chorus!)

I'm sure that the MS are making a fortune and I just hope that the cast get some kind of thanks from them....and that "ALL PROCEEDS BENIFIT THE MS SOCIETY"!

The ad in there programme will make you think too.......next year they are doing Les Miserables. I remember seeing it 3 years ago at the Regal.....try and beat that production. With singers like we saw in that production (and the lack of care for cast in K&I) it will be interesting to see what happens.

confused wrote:
> It was an ok production but certainly not worth the $48 i paid.


I don't know the exact economics of things, and I understand that theatre is horribly expensive to mount, but I can only respond like most of us do, from a consumer's point of view.

As a consumer with a limited budget, if I pay a lot to be disappointed, I'm going to be confused in future as to what is worth paying for. If a big show comes to Burswood and charges $80+ a ticket, I'll assume it's of high standard and so I'll save my theatre budget for those one or two shows a year. Every other local production suffers as a result.
And if I see a local production charging only $22 a ticket, will I be brave enough to try it, remembering I spent the $48 above and was still disappointed? The local industry, once again, may suffer.
And finally, if it was not made clear to me that a production is amateur, I will probably assume from the flashy costumes and production values (which they can achieve, not paying their casts or professional rights) that it is a local professional show...and you guessed it, the local industry suffers from my disappointed opinion.

And the sad thing is, there is probably not much wrong with the show...I would probably be quite satisfied with it had I not been charged too much.



> One thing that they had to pay was a $20 'administration fee??
> This came along about 3 weeks into rehearsal so what was it
> for. They have now been told I believe that they will get a
> receipt for it and it will be a donation to the MS
> Society.......how can a charity make you 'donate' to them.


What would have happened if you'd ALL refused? 3 weeks into rehearsal, what are they going to do, recast everybody?

This is really a bit scary, how performers get pushed into this sort of thing because they are scared to rock the boat...all they are doing is giving power and precedence to the company who will only continue to rip casts off because it's obvious they can...all the while making it look like THEY'RE doing YOU a big favour. It's exploitation...not so incidentally the subject of a fair bit of debate I remember concerning Music Spectrum's production of Les Mis that you mentioned...read here for a lot of past debate on a similar situation:

http://theatre.asn.au/read.php?f=21&i=99&t=81




At the time I received this in response:

Emmalee wrote:
>>Did anyone ever consider that if this production goes well, and makes money, that the next time around there may be enough money in the kitty to pay the performers.

And I replied:

>Sorry, but no, I am more inclined to believe that if the production goes well and makes money (largely because they are exploiting the eager amateur performers), the companies will only be more inclined to do the same again next time because we let them get away with it now.


It doesn't please me to say I told you so...but why do I feel like Nostradamus?


Cheers,
Craig

crgwllms wrote:
> It doesn't please me to say I told you so...but why do I feel
> like Nostradamus?

It's probably not so much feeling like Nostradamus but a sickening sense of deja vu.

Every spring for the last five years this debate has arisen in some form or other.

http://theatre.asn.au/read.php?f=22&i=14&t=14

It's hard to say what impact, if any, the discussions and debates taking place here have had on the practices of these companies. While the productions seem to come up with monotonous regularity, I'd like to think that more performers have a better understanding of what's at stake.

Cheers
Grant

[%sig%]

Hi confused,


When did you see the show? What are your thoughts as there are no reviews on it as of yet.

Anyone else seen it?

Grant Malcolm wrote:
>
> crgwllms wrote:
> > It doesn't please me to say I told you so...but why do I feel
> > like Nostradamus?
>
> It's probably not so much feeling like Nostradamus but a
> sickening sense of deja vu.
> Every spring for the last five years this debate has arisen
> in some form or other.



Hi Grant
Yes, the deja vu feeling is sad, but not as sad as the Nostradamus feeling that it will only happen again next year, and the year after that....

Cheers
Craig

[%sig%]

I went and saw the show on Opening night as i had friends in the cast.

It was ok, but nothing thrilling! For an amature production I suppose it was quite good, but again not for the ticket price they are asking.

I realise that the proceeds/profits (lets not go there again) are going to a charity, but you shouldnt have to think that, well I will say it fantastic as its a charity?

There were a few really nice voices in the cast and the children looked cute, but I thought the sets, especially the rostra where quite average. Again fine for a cheaper/AM show.

These comments could sound picky but as someone discussed before, its other local theatre that suffers if people think this is the standard of a show at this price. Ive seen better, more 'professional' shows for a lot less.

I will be interested to see what other people think.
The audience seemed to enjoy it (but how much of the audience where sponsors and papered being opening).

I agree 100% with 'confused'. "These comments could sound picky but as someone discussed before, its other local theatre that suffers if people think this is the standard of a show at this price. Ive seen better, more 'professional' shows for a lot less."

I think this is very spot on. I would certainly not have paid such a ticket price were it not for having a friend in the cast. Also, given recent events and treatment of cast members (see other forums on this), I will think twice before ever supporting an MS musical again....

Somebody who was not Greg Ross wrote:
> Our move into the musical theatre arena is based on a very
> successful formula applied by MS South Australia over the
> last 4 years. They have produced a number of highly
> successful shows generating a considerable amount of money to
> support people with multiple sclerosis.

Sadly the money is pretty meaningless if the sacking of the King in the current production of the King and I is any indication of the other kinds of support provided.

> The MS Society will always ensure compliance with all
> contractual and legal requirements relating not only to this
> musical theatre production, but all and any other undertakings.

But apparently not compliance with contracts with understudies?

http://www.theatre.asn.au/read.php?f=24&i=2477&t=2448

Cheers
Grant

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