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  • 1.  Lessons on theatre budgeting

    Posted 01-22-2015 09:18

    I have some great basic budgeting forms, and need to do a math lesson in each of my classes.  This would be a great topic for my technical theatre class, but truthfully, I was never taught how to approach building a theatre budget during my theatre education years.  Does anyone have a good lesson or handout on this they are willing to share?

     Thank you!

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    Debbie MacKinney
    Theatre Teacher, CTE Technical Theater, Troupe 7334 Advisor
    Tanque Verde Unified School District
    Tucson AZ
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  • 2.  RE: Lessons on theatre budgeting

    Posted 01-26-2015 10:25

    In a French class I took in high school, our teacher gave us a small budget (something that seemed almost impossible, like $1,000) and told us we had to plan a week long trip to France. We had to do research online and find actual plane tickets, real places to stay and eat, visit a certain number of attractions, figure out transportation, etc. She gave us a list of everything we had to have. We were to provide the websites and other documentation to show our findings. It was tough, but not as impossible as we imagined and pretty fun to see that an international trip could be done with less money than we had originally thought.

    I think this would be a great exercise to teach budgeting to theatre students. Assign them a show, give them a list of all the things they need to purchase/rent/plan for, and then assign them a budget. Have them find actual resources and prices so they have a real life idea of what is involved in putting a show together.

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    Ginny Butsch
    Community Manager
    Educational Theatre Association
    Alexandria KY
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Lessons on theatre budgeting

    Posted 01-27-2015 06:16
    I think the key concept to teach in theatre budgeting is conservative forecasting. I always start by looking at what is a realistic box office projection for the show we are doing. I think it is so easy to start by looking at what we feel the script demands technically and what it will cost to achieve. The key to budgeting in my mind however is to look first at what we can be certain the show will make and then decide how to allocate it. ------------------------------ John Whapham Cincinnati OH ------------------------------
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  • 4.  RE: Lessons on theatre budgeting

    Posted 03-19-2015 11:53

    Hello Debbie,

     I am wondering if you ever received a budgeting form that you would be willing to share?  This would be helpful for me too.  Thank you for considering.  

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    Danielle Pittel
    Theatre Teacher
    Minnetonka Public Schools
    Excelsior MN
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