Having been employed in the entertainment industry since 2008, I have seen many changes to the way people decide on and then fulfill a desire to attend a movie or live performance. Since covid, I have become acutely aware of changes in said processes, many of which have been detrimental to both movie theaters and live production venues.
Live theater producers are especially susceptible to the current wait until the last minute mindset which potential audience members have embraced. While it may be fine for an individual to make plans anywhere from 24 hours to an hour become showtime, it is NOT “fine” for the venue operator. If by the day before a show only a minimal number of tickets have been sold, we are inclined to cancel that production. We cannot pay thousands of dollars in utility bills on a few hundred dollars in sales. It is better to go dark and save on electricity, water and staff costs.
Every day, I receive notices of long standing, well-respected theaters closing their doors. The theaters have not stopped producing quality entertainment. They have not raised their prices to exorbitant amounts. The only thing that has changed is the respect – or rather the lack of respect - for the producers and performers who have worked hard to bring entertainment to the stage
Most venues begin marketing from a year to a few months before a show opens. Tickets go on sale long before opening night. No matter how many colorful posters and flyers are printed… no matter how many emails are sent, no matter how many ads are placed in hard copy press, no matter which pages on social media carry glowing reviews … it is not until a few days to a few hours before the curtain goes up that people call for tickets.
I have grown frustrated with the last minute callers who are shocked when told that a show has been canceled or, even more so, when they are told the show is sold out. “Sold out? How did that happen?” I am literally forced to bite my tongue to keep from uttering a sarcastic answer that would give me immediate satisfaction but would harm my business in the long term.
The last minute decisions makers probably use the same methodology when they receive a dinner or wedding invitation. They are probably the same people who arrive at church, a school function, a sporting event, et al. 15 minutes to a half hour late. They are either unaware or more likely do not care that they are inconveniencing those already seated. They are immune to the disruption they cause when walking in front of a stage or screen thereby blocking other people’s view.
Our country is in turmoil. People need an escape from the pressures of a failing economy and unsafe streets. Relaxation and relief can be found, at least for an hour or two, inside a dark theater where the burden of worry is lifted as we are transported to another place and time. If you are a theater goer, please be aware that in order to provide you with worthwhile entertainment, producers, directors, actors and actresses need you to appreciate their efforts by ordering tickets weeks in advance and arriving at least 15 minutes before showtime. That is the only way we can guarantee that no more theater doors will be slammed shut and locked… permanently
Donna Carbone is the Executive Director/Playwright in Residence at the Palm Beach Institute for the Entertainment Arts. Please visit PBIEA at: pbinstituteforentertainmentarts.com