What does it take to run a successful independent theatre group?

Question

I'm a university student, in a university with a sort of lackluster theatre program. I took over a club on campus that is for theatre, but I have no idea what I'm doing and the previous leader of the group is already long gone, as are many of the original members. And please bear in mind that I'm working with absolutely nothing. I mean, I have a few interested students that seem dedicated... but I have no money, and sort of limited resources myself.

Also, if you know of any improv games to use in rehearsals, I'd love to know about that. I know a few, but there are some that I don't remember.

I apparently forgot to mention that I'm looking for improv games in order to start an improv group, since that's a way I figure I can raise money for my group. So it's not a matter of "wasting time" as one respondent put it.

Answer 1

This is exactly the same situation some of us faced in the mid 60's at a major university. We did have the finacial backing of one of the professors there and ran an independent theatre which lasted may years. Your first problem seems to me is to find a place to present your productions. Maybe there is an old movie house or church that is not moving in the current real estate market and you could make a deal for the owner to donate it to you in return for the publicity it would genereate for him. Then you need to attract and draw an audience. REMEMBER it is the audience that is important, not the philosophies of the members of the company. Without an audience, there is no reason to have a theatre and without an audience there is bankruptcy and failure. Stay away from controversy. Keep it clean and well produced and acted. YOU MUST HAVE A WIDE AUDIENCE.
Why on earth would anyone want to waste valuable rehearsal time with stupid improv games? Rehearsals do not make you any money, get them over efficiently and get performing in front of a paying audience. Surely your group will have at least one member who has taken directing class and/or has leadership skills to be a director.
Money raising tips: There are plenty of professors on campus and citizens in the community who will support your endeavor to create a theatre, do not shy away from a fund raising campaign on campus and in the community. Producing plays for elementary school audiences and taking them to the schools for presentation is a great way to make some money.
It is a sad truth that without money you have no theatre. Brainstorm ways to promote your idea in the community, on campus and with the student body.
To take an idea from my book, The Tao of Acting, look for a restaraunt or local hotel/motel with a banquet room. Suggest doing a dinner-theatre to the management, you do the show, they do the meal, you work out a split of the income. They do the publicity as a dinner theatre your take would be about $2 or $3 per person in attendance, that amount being added to the host's dinner price to the public. I did this for years in a number of different venues. Always made money for myself and my actors.

Answer 2

Unfortunately, the main thing you'll need at some point is financial backing. Either find someone who will invest in the company, or find the money to back it yourself. If you can work out a partnership with the other interested performers, maybe you can all pitch in a certain amount to get the group off the ground.

Good shows are important, too. Because royalties and those kinds of things can be so high, if you know of anyone who is a really good writer, it might be a good idea to put on a few completely independant shows until you get a little money coming in.

Stick with small companies at first, simple settings, avoid period pieces like the plague. Work your way up to the larger shows.

My favorite improv game is the old favorite of Tag. Two or three people begin an improv skit, and midway, another person can yell "freeze", take the place of one of the improv players, and start up the game again with a totally different take. This one is nice because with improv, it's easy to work well with one or two people, but this mixes things up, so you get some experience improving with each person in the group.

Answer 3

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