Everyone I run into these days is asking me the same question?
"So, how are ticket sales going for Orillia Summer Theatre Rob?"
"They can only get better"- the little voice in my head says, "if you get off your duff and buy some tickets!
~ahem~
The main focus of theatre producers today-
How to get bums in seats.
It never gets easier. Even for the big guys. That's why Mirvish calls you a thousand times to get you to buy a season subscription. Once they have your money, who cares if you show up or pass your seats on to someone else. They have your money.
For the little guys like us- Double R Production/Orillia Summer Theatre, it's twice as hard.
No wait.
It's endlessly hard.
One has to work at sales and promotion daily.
Talk. Talk. Talk theatre.
Interviews. Press Releases. Advertising. E-mails. Twitter. Facebook.
All social media and you hope that someone sees your tweet and passes it on to their followers.
Bus tours are down this year. Apparently folks are not booking daytrips- much to our chagrin, so we are focusing on groups.
PROBUS. Red Hat Ladies. Kiwanis. Church groups. Rotary. Irish Groups and even more PROBUS.
Groups get a discount and reserved block seating.
Our summer shows include one I wrote- "All for Nun...The 2nd Coming" a Habit-Centric Musical Comedy and Norm Fosters "Sadie Flynn Comes to Big Oak".
We have expanded this 2016 season and are performing our first show- All for Nun...The 2nd Coming at two theatres at the same time!
Two sets.
Two or every prop.
Only one of each actor.
We open at the Beaverton Town Hall Theatre on July 15th and at The OCC on July 19th.
We alternate locations for three weeks.
Friday and Saturday's at 8pm in Beaverton and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Matinees (2PM) and Thursday Night (8PM) at the OCC in Orillia. (64 Colborne Street, East)
We'll see how that goes.
Then, our second offering this season opens August 9th at the OCC- that's Norm's "Sadie Flynn"
Actors and crew come from Toronto, Barrie and Muskoka and well as points east and from Orillia and area too. We are Orillia's only Non-Equity (non union) theatre company providing work for actors and crew in central Ontario- and that's a big deal for us.
We audition and pull in actors (Non Equity) from many centres. This allows, good, professional actors to ply their craft without being union members. Being Equity does not make a good actor. Only an actor can be good in his or her own right- and with a lot of work and preparation.
Anyway, enough of that.
It's apples and oranges.
If you want a fun evening or afternoon out this summer comes see our productions in Beaverton or Orillia. You will have fun- and the theatre seats are comfortable too!
If you have a group of 10+ call Claire our Group and Tour Manager at 416.271.5751. If you want to skip the long distance charges- if applicable, call our box office (705.242.4092) and we'll have Claire get in touch with you.
Tickets are $27 pp at the OCC. $25 pp for a group off 10 or more.
The Box Office open in person daily from 11-2 Monday to Saturday.
Tickets are always $25 at the c.1910 Beaverton Town Hall Theatre. Get them at Maxine's Fashions on Simcoe Street-opposite the theatre, in Downtown Beaverton or call 705.426.7743
Get some friends together. Have dinner or lunch and come see one of our shows.
We hope you enjoy this 2016 season...oh, we're already planning the 2017 season- so stay tuned.
