Cops Syndrome
For Rumors I sent out numerous invites. I haven't done that in several years. It was all part of the self-production aspect of the show. I had six people to whom I wrote personal notes come to the show, plus five guests. I kept the list modest, about 35. One in six came, a pretty good return. I think all of them, except for the one who brought three guests would have come anyway. Still, it felt nice to write the notes. I can't remember the last time I wrote notes, plural, by hand. That accounted for about half the family, friends and acquaintances who came. Because I wasn't feeling especially happy with my work I was very low-keyed when mentioning it to my acting friends.
It was nice to see people I know at half or more of the shows, but I will resist pushy marketing of my shows for another year or two. I prefer to let friends simply know about the shows. I feel like I am distancing them when I push a show, and they don't come. There's an awkwardness. I don't mind (or believe) when people say, "Oh I couldn't remember when your show was. Sorry I missed it." I don't expect my priorities to be the same as my friends, especially the non-artistic types. Life would be pretty dull if we were all the same.
It is hard to get people to live theatre. I call it the "Cops Syndrome." I think most people would rather see their favorite rerun of Cops again, than go to the best live production ever. I don't understand it anymore than tv and cinema fanatics understand my love of theatre. That feeling was deepened when I was Outreach Chair for Exchange Theatre. Here I was with oodles of comp tickets, and I spent an inordinate amount of time personally giving them to friends and acquaintances. It was hard to find people to accept free tickets, and even then only about 60% of the ticket holders showed up.
So, I'm happy 1/6th of the people I wrote to made it, and a little concerned the others probably feel less connection as a result of my invite. Thus I'll wait a significant time before I write them again. In the back of my mind are my writing projects, and my newest idea for finding a theater space on the east side of Lake Washington. Those are things I would market more shamelessly.
It was nice to see people I know at half or more of the shows, but I will resist pushy marketing of my shows for another year or two. I prefer to let friends simply know about the shows. I feel like I am distancing them when I push a show, and they don't come. There's an awkwardness. I don't mind (or believe) when people say, "Oh I couldn't remember when your show was. Sorry I missed it." I don't expect my priorities to be the same as my friends, especially the non-artistic types. Life would be pretty dull if we were all the same.
It is hard to get people to live theatre. I call it the "Cops Syndrome." I think most people would rather see their favorite rerun of Cops again, than go to the best live production ever. I don't understand it anymore than tv and cinema fanatics understand my love of theatre. That feeling was deepened when I was Outreach Chair for Exchange Theatre. Here I was with oodles of comp tickets, and I spent an inordinate amount of time personally giving them to friends and acquaintances. It was hard to find people to accept free tickets, and even then only about 60% of the ticket holders showed up.
So, I'm happy 1/6th of the people I wrote to made it, and a little concerned the others probably feel less connection as a result of my invite. Thus I'll wait a significant time before I write them again. In the back of my mind are my writing projects, and my newest idea for finding a theater space on the east side of Lake Washington. Those are things I would market more shamelessly.
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