Note that plays are intellectual property and, as such, will often require royalty fees for their use. Be sure to contact the playwright, his or her agent, or the rights owner if the script you’ve chosen isn’t public domain.
Some producers take on the role of director as well. This puts an enormous amount of responsibility on one person’s shoulders, so be cautious about tackling this double-role unless you have plenty of experience.
It’s also your job to keep these investors happy and up-to-speed throughout the production, notifying them of production changes, new sales projections, and the like.
The cost of using the venue - different venues will have different profit-sharing rules for ticket sales and so on Whether or not the venue provides its own front of house staff (ticket takers, etc. ) Whether or not the venue provides liability insurance The aesthetic and acoustic qualities of the venue The history of the venue
Focus your promotion efforts on places where actors are likely to be, like theater companies, art schools, etc. and groups they’re likely to be in contact with, like talent agencies.
Note that, while many venues provide their own front of house staff, some don’t, and, in these cases, you’ll need to hire your own in addition to the other crew members.
Be sure to reserve time at the end of your rehearsal schedule for technical rehearsals and at least one dress rehearsal. Technical rehearsals give the actors, director, and crew a chance to run through the play and work out any kinks in the technical aspects of the production - lights, sound cues, costumes, and special effects. Dress rehearsals consist of performing the play in its entirety as if an audience was watching with no breaks or stops. For instance, if an actor forgets his or her lines, the show must continue, as it would during an actual performance.
If your production is strapped for cash, you don’t necessarily have to create every physical aspect of your play from scratch. You might, for instance, organize a drive for old, out-of-fashion clothing as a source for costumes. You might also petition for volunteers in the local community to help you build your sets. Theater can be a great opportunity to bring your community together towards one fun, entertaining purpose.
Try to run your play for as long as you believe you’ll be able to sell enough tickets to make a profit - if your play sells out, you can always add extra shows.
Not all of your options for promotion cost money. If you can attract a newspaper or local news channel to your production to do a story, for example, you’ll get publicity for free. Also, the internet offers plenty of zero-cost options for promotion, as social media and email are completely free.
As noted above, one thing you’ll almost certainly be required to do is to keep your investors up to speed on the status of the play - particularly with regard to its financial success. You may be expected to present financial reports to these investors, which can be a stressful experience if the play isn’t making money.
