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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / RUNNING: How do you decide when to cancel a performance?
« on: Mar 19, 2011, 09:33 pm »
Tonight, we decided to cancel our performance after only 2 patrons (1 couple) showed up. Although this is a small show in a tiny venue, we didn't feel that it was a good use of anyone's time to go on. After talking to me and to one of the board members for the group, the director went and talked to the patrons. Thankfully they were very gracious and even refused a refund, and will be coming to tomorrow's matinee performance.
I think that we made a reasonable decision considering the circumstances, but it was still a hard decision to make. You never want to cancel a performance, even if there is just one audience member. But there has to be a line. So where is yours? Obviously it depends a lot on the venue, the show, and a host of other variables but the question running through your head on a small show has to be "how many does it take to make an audience?". How full does the theatre need to be... how many butts in seats does it take to break even today... how much bad feedback will I get for pulling the plug?
It's a hard decision. What would you do... what have you done?
I think that we made a reasonable decision considering the circumstances, but it was still a hard decision to make. You never want to cancel a performance, even if there is just one audience member. But there has to be a line. So where is yours? Obviously it depends a lot on the venue, the show, and a host of other variables but the question running through your head on a small show has to be "how many does it take to make an audience?". How full does the theatre need to be... how many butts in seats does it take to break even today... how much bad feedback will I get for pulling the plug?
It's a hard decision. What would you do... what have you done?