Attached is a sample theatre rental fee schedule (from a school in Washington State - this is a pretty typical fee schedule for schools in the Seattle area).
For everyone considering, or in the process of, or by default, managing all of the events at your high school theatre - can you say "Roadhouse"?! Whether your high school theatre is a venue for only school events (plays/musicals, concerts, talent shows, school meetings, student awards nights) or whether you also host outside events, then your theatre is essentially acting as roadhouse. Even if you're not hosting a nationally touring show of The Lion King, there is little difference to the operations needed for a high school theatre 'roadhouse' as there is for a professional roadhouse.
The sooner you can get your admin on board with this concept the better. To read about some high schools that have achieved an acceptable level of high school theatre management, check out the "Gold Standard" schools page of my website at http://www.presett.org/gold-standard-schools.html. This is how it should be, but too many people have to operate as 'one person shows' when it come to managing high school theatres, and this second job(!) often falls to the Drama teacher, who may or may not be compensated for their time.
Here are some things to consider as well as rates to charge. In support of the issues already mentioned:
Student Crews
Education is why we are here, so I'm all for having students help out at all events (I trust tech theatre students more than I trust most adults that want to use the theatre!), but if you're going to rely solely on students to crew your theatre, then I've found it's best to pay them if you can, so that they receive the educational benefit as well as the benefits of having a job. But, mostly in order to get parent buy-in. To many "Muggle" parents don't get the commitment needed in the theatre, but they do get the commitment their children need to hold down a "job", and they are much more supportive. (Just the other day we had to change a school play schedule because the parent of our student stage manager pulled her out of rehearsals for a family party. I doubt that parent would have encouraged their child to bag out of work for a party.) Please see info regarding having students work in your theatre (whether in classes or as employees) at http://www.presett.org/student-safety.html
Scheduling
Yes, let the school or district deal with the reservations, but then take over and deal with the actual scheduling and send out a form of your own making to the user. The Muggle at the school or district office doesn't know that someone can't book the theatre for a 7:00 event and turn up at 6:30. Nor does the Muggle know that although the theatre doesn't have an event scheduled for a given day, there is a set on stage so no it can't be rented out to a Battle of the Bands event that night. I'm attaching a sample of a Tech Request Form, sometimes called a Theatre Rental Form. I've left it in Word – feel free to adapt it to use for your theatre rentals. (I also recommend a separate version for concerts, and a separate version for school-day events. Much of the information is the same, but there are enough differences that it helps not confuse the users if you cater specifically to their event requirements.)
Staffing
I recommend that, regardless of whether it's a school event or outside event, that the Theatre Manager determines the size of the staff for the event (whether they are professional technicians or paid student crews). If no one will be backstage (say a presenter using only the apron), you won't need a stage technician, but you probably need a lighting technician and a sound/a-v technician as a minimum. Keep in mind though, that these technicians often times can't leave their posts. If there is an issue in the audience or backstage, they can't always leave their boards deal with it, so the Theatre Manager, or a "roaming" technician, should also always be working each event. (And, in the case where you have professional technicians, they can also act as mentors to your students who are also present.) This isn't hard to convince the school/district administration when it's an outside event, because the costs can be passed on to the event. But it is hard to convince the school/district to pay for technicians to be at a school event. It's too bad that the admin don't afford students the same safety and management levels that they will for outside events(!).
Risk management and safety plan
No one should ever use the theatre without theatre staff being present. In addition, all groups should be provided with a list of safety rules ahead of their event. Signs should be posted all over the theatre informing users of theatre safety (many users are not "theatre people", and don't have a concept of theatre safety). And – no food in the theatre! This is not a safety issue so much as a facility preservation issue, but it also needs to be communicated to your event beforehand, and enforced during (because people can't read!).
More things to plan for include:
The Business of High School Show Business
Administrative Systems
Scheduling Systems
Supplies and Maintenance Documentation
Staffing a High School Theatre
Employee Structure and Staffing Models
Technicians as 'coaches'
Customer Service
Financials
Operating Budget
Administrative Expenses
Rental Rates
Show Support
Production Meetings
Tech Rehearsal Protocols
Risk Management
Laws and Codes
Mitigating Liabilities
Maintenance
Safety
Personal Safety
Property Safety
Systems Safety/Facility Preservation
Audience Safety
Scene Shop Safety
Safety Manual and Notices
Branding and Outreach
Marketing Plan
Setting Rates
Website
Social Media
Education
Student hands-on learning
STEM and CTE
Academic Success and Career Application
Yes, as John says, "Rental is a major undertaking and very time consuming". High School Theatre Management is becoming more common in our country as more 'state-of-the art' theatre facilities are being build on high school campuses, so the more we band together and make high school theatre management a norm, the better. No one should have to educate students and manage and run a high school theatre, and no one should have to do it on their own (imagine if McDonalds was staffed by one person; serving the customer, perparing and packaging the food, cleaning up, reconciling the accounts - a high school theatre has as least as many components to its operations!).
Now, if universities would just start offering High School Theatre Management as a major…
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Beth Rand, EBMS
Lighting Designer
School Theatre Operations Coach
Next HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE MANAGEMENT ONLINE COURSE for Drama Teachers: Summer session starts June 4th.
NEW SERVICE: REP PLOT DESIGN - Never have to re-hang and re-focus all your lights again! (Can be accomplished remotely if you're not in the Boulder/Denver area.)
Author of "HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE OPERATIONS" and "HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE SAFETY MANUAL" and several more books at
http://www.presett.org/helpful-books-for-you.html.www.PRESETT.orgWestminster, CO
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-05-2018 07:40
From: Crit Fisher
Subject: Theatre Rentals
Good morning theatre community,
How many of you rent your theatre space to outside organizations? The school system approves all outside organizations through an application process. They are responsible for paying the environmental services for their time, but the school allows us to determine what to charge. We are trying to figure out a competitive but fair rental fee. We have 935 seats. Either myself, the TD or the producing director need to be there for any audio/lighting issues. We often uses student volunteers to run the event. Thoughts?
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Crit Fisher
Lighting/Sound Designer
New Albany High School
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