Theater manager or party planner?
Some days I think I’d be better off if I just planned parties. Weddings. Reunions. Anniversaries. The celebrations of our lives. I’m really great at it and people appreciate my skill and customer service and outcomes.
People don’t appreciate outcomes at the theater. Because, mostly, these outcomes are difficult to measure. Certainly, I can create a budget, adhere to it the best I can, and reassess it at the end of the run. I can count ticket sales, sponsorships, other income, and track that against expenses.
But, do people in charge appreciate The Feeling? The Change? The Impact? that a performance can make? One of this season’s worst attended productions was one of the most powerful. My audience left the theater very quietly, very thoughtfully. As they left they had difficulty finding words to tell me how they felt about what they had just seen because they were moved.
Fortunately, our rental business is trending towards performance rental and away from social rental. This is, of course, the goal of every presenting/rental house, I suppose.
Breathing. Praying. Wishing and hoping for a better day tomorrow. Remembering how challenging mothers of the brides can be. Feeling fortunate for the many ways in which God has blessed me.
