So last night, I made the trip to Brooklyn (I know. I know a whole whopping 20 minutes) to see A Gathering, which is a piece of theatre that challenges conventions and makes the audience part of the experience. I got the chance to chat with director, Melanie Armer, after the show and as we rode the subway back to Manahattan we had a great conversation about what seems to work best when you're asking an audience to go out of their way to see you. I came away with something very valuable that I'm going to share with you all now and it is this:
Independent Theatre Productions rely on the same audience as other Independent Theatre productions, therefore the building of relationships is absolutely crucial. Don't focus on the thousand or so people you've got on your mailing list who may or may not have signed up because they had a passing interest. Instead, focus on the ones who came to your last show and who you have personal connections with.
When I first arrived, at the Lyceum last night, I was sitting there talking to Melanie about "audience development" which to most of us translates into butts in seats, and hopefully many butts in seats. She looked at me and smiled a wry smile, and pointed to her husband Chance having an engaged conversation with two friends who came to see the show.
"That's audience development" she said.
She's right. Those two people feel valued. They'll most likely be back and probably bring friends.
To put this in sharper perspective, I'll use my Facebook account:
I have 2,867 friends on Facebook.
Out of those 2,867....... 515 have opted in to a group called "I want invitations to Small Pond shows"
I focus on the small groups who have given me permission to talk to them. I do everything I can to support those small groups when they come to my shows. And over the years, I've built a larger permission base, but as Seth Godin will tell you, that takes time and a lot of effort.
I can tell you this though: It was my relationship with Melanie and Chance that got me out of Manhattan and over to Brooklyn and I will always do my best to come and see their work because they supported me in many of my initial endeavors and networking events. You may not get the size audience you're hoping for every time and truth be told, it may be rare to have a sold out house, but what you do with the people who are there is crucial.
Sure your audience may be small now, but keep working at developing meaningful realtionships with those who do show up, and don't be surprised if one day it turns out to be bigger than you ever imagined.
So get out there and focus on your permission base, no matter how small, and I'll see you in the big time.
Excelsior!
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