Open Forum

Hello. I am a second year drama teacher. I would like to know how much other schools charge for a play and a musical. Specifically, do you charge faculty and staff? If so, what is the price compared to the other tickets? Thanks, ------------------------------------------- Desiree Hill Theatre Teacher Montclair High School Montclair CA -------------------------------------------

I usually charge $5 dollar for my plays and $8 or $10 for the musical.

A lot of what you charge is determined by
1.  What you have charged in the past   
2.  What your area's economic situation is  
3.  What your audience has come to expect in show quality
4.  Do your ticket sales drive what you can do? (How reliant are you on them?)

I do not charge teachers +1 person for shows.  If they bring more than one guest then I charge.  My seating is more than enough for the size of the audiences we have, I would rather have people in the seats than an empty auditorium and the students like to see the teachers there to support them.  At the same time, our budget is largely determined for ticket sales, so I have to keep that in mind.

In the Las Vegas area we have a wide range of economic situations for schools, I can't charge what some do but at the same time I've found that our prices are reasonable for most of our students.
-------------------------------------------
Alan Strait
Teacher
CCSD
Henderson NV
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-04-2014 13:08
From: Desiree Hill
Subject: Ticket prices

Hello. I am a second year drama teacher. I would like to know how much other schools charge for a play and a musical. Specifically, do you charge faculty and staff? If so, what is the price compared to the other tickets?
Thanks,

-------------------------------------------
Desiree Hill
Theatre Teacher
Montclair High School
Montclair CA
-------------------------------------------

To avoid tension between other departments (or even other schools), I do the same thing our athletic program does and give free seats to all faculty/staff members (yes, even from other schools in our district). The benefit is that they always bring their families, buy concessions, and help spread the word about our program - the best advertising there is.

In addition, all members of my drama club get to attend for free. So, any members that aren't in the show can come and support their friends. Even kids in the show can give their club membership card to a friend or family member so they can come for free. The benefit here is that I get a huge surge in sign-ups at the beginning of the school year which helps establish my budget.

I also allow all kids under 5 to attend for free. Our rural community appreciates that we do what we can to help families.

That sounds like a lot of freebies, and it is. But the trade-off is that I get full houses (we seat around 350), a lot of money up front, and tons of support from our faculty and surrounding community.

We do lose money, or just break even, on our smaller cast shows (one act festivals and holiday plays), but between the spring musical and our improv comedy shows (where there is no overhead), we have been lucky to end every year in profit (knock wood).

I charge:
$3 for our improv comedy shows
$5 for plays and special events (talent show, scholarship pageant, etc.)
$10-$12 for the musicals ($10-presale, $12-at the door)

Finally, if you already do the following, you're a genius. If not: SELL ADS IN SOME FORM OF PLAYBILL/PROGRAM!! Even a simple "Love from Grandma" can bring in $20. Do that for 20 or 30 kids, and presto!, you've just covered your costume budget.

Break a leg!

-------------------------------------------
Josh Ruben
Fine Arts Head
Chattanooga TN
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-04-2014 19:07
From: Alan Strait
Subject: Ticket prices

I usually charge $5 dollar for my plays and $8 or $10 for the musical.

A lot of what you charge is determined by
1.  What you have charged in the past   
2.  What your area's economic situation is  
3.  What your audience has come to expect in show quality
4.  Do your ticket sales drive what you can do? (How reliant are you on them?)

I do not charge teachers +1 person for shows.  If they bring more than one guest then I charge.  My seating is more than enough for the size of the audiences we have, I would rather have people in the seats than an empty auditorium and the students like to see the teachers there to support them.  At the same time, our budget is largely determined for ticket sales, so I have to keep that in mind.

In the Las Vegas area we have a wide range of economic situations for schools, I can't charge what some do but at the same time I've found that our prices are reasonable for most of our students.
-------------------------------------------
Alan Strait
Teacher
CCSD
Henderson NV
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-04-2014 13:08
From: Desiree Hill
Subject: Ticket prices

Hello. I am a second year drama teacher. I would like to know how much other schools charge for a play and a musical. Specifically, do you charge faculty and staff? If so, what is the price compared to the other tickets?
Thanks,

-------------------------------------------
Desiree Hill
Theatre Teacher
Montclair High School
Montclair CA
-------------------------------------------

Hi Desiree,
We charge adults $5 for plays and $8 for musicals.  We receive a small amount of support from our school board and keep the ticket income so starting a few years ago we began to allow all K-12 district students in for free.  Before that very few students attended plays, and now the attendance is increasing every show. The same as Alan, we don't charge faculty + one guest, but they almost always offer to pay anyway.  We, too, would rather have people in the seats.  Good luck!

-------------------------------------------
Rick Osann
Theatre Teacher
Standish ME
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-04-2014 13:08
From: Desiree Hill
Subject: Ticket prices

Hello. I am a second year drama teacher. I would like to know how much other schools charge for a play and a musical. Specifically, do you charge faculty and staff? If so, what is the price compared to the other tickets?
Thanks,

-------------------------------------------
Desiree Hill
Theatre Teacher
Montclair High School
Montclair CA
-------------------------------------------

I am in a private school in a fairly affluent community. Students get one free ticket to concerts and theater productions. Faculty/staff get two. Others pay as follows: Concerts: $6 Plays: $12 and $10 for seniors and children/students from other schools Musicals: $15 and $12 for seniors and children/students from other schools Student-run events, such as coffee houses and an annual rock concert, charge $5. We also have several events each year that are workshops or informal performances, such as an annual community concert with student musicians playing with faculty or guest musicians and an evening of scenes from theater classes, and those are free for everyone. ------------------------------------------- Susan Speidel Chairman of the Performing Arts Department Morristown-Beard School Springfield NJ -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 10-04-2014 13:08 From: Desiree Hill Subject: Ticket prices Hello. I am a second year drama teacher. I would like to know how much other schools charge for a play and a musical. Specifically, do you charge faculty and staff? If so, what is the price compared to the other tickets? Thanks, ------------------------------------------- Desiree Hill Theatre Teacher Montclair High School Montclair CA -------------------------------------------

Hi, Desiree,

We charge $5 for non-musicals and $7 for musicals. The faculty and staff members are each entitled to one comp ticket. All others need to be purchased at the above costs. We do all of our ticketing in-house, so there is no fee to a ticketing agent. And all of our shows are general admission.

-------------------------------------------
Michael Bergman
Teacher/Director
Alexandria VA
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-04-2014 13:08
From: Desiree Hill
Subject: Ticket prices

Hello. I am a second year drama teacher. I would like to know how much other schools charge for a play and a musical. Specifically, do you charge faculty and staff? If so, what is the price compared to the other tickets?
Thanks,

-------------------------------------------
Desiree Hill
Theatre Teacher
Montclair High School
Montclair CA
-------------------------------------------

Great question! My understanding is that you can't "legally" give teachers/staff a benefit that you wouldn't give to the rest of the public. So, simply the virtue of being an employee (or a guest of one) doesn't entitle someone to special privledges. Think that's a recent IRS thing. Check with your district finance guy. I've been experimenting with letting all school-age children, 6-18, in to my shows for free. It's a large departure from my previous practice when I was at a large high school and comped no body, believing that the lesson I was teaching was that art is "worth something" and if you paid nothing for it, I was perpetuating a belief that it was "worthless." I've since rethought this, considering the lesson lost on kids without some direct instruction about values to back it up. Otherwise, they just see it as part of the cost to fund the program - kinda like how HS sports has become more reliant on gate receipts to keep it going. Can't claim total victory with this new ticketing plan. More kids come and they still bring a parent or two who pays and, who likely wouldn't have come otherwise, but it's not droves of the school population. Do see a lot of kids from neighboring schools though. That's encouraging. If I was still at my post at the large school, I think I'd try to make a deal with ASB to give me $1 of every card purchased in exchange for letting all this kids in free for any performance, any time and for up to one guest. The rest of the students I'd let in for free for the shows that typically don't sell out - but only them, no guest. At my past school that would have netted me at least $1,000 from ASB - likely more that I ever got from student admissions. Cheers!!! ------------------------------------------- Michael Fisher School Director Springfield OR -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 10-04-2014 13:08 From: Desiree Hill Subject: Ticket prices Hello. I am a second year drama teacher. I would like to know how much other schools charge for a play and a musical. Specifically, do you charge faculty and staff? If so, what is the price compared to the other tickets? Thanks, ------------------------------------------- Desiree Hill Theatre Teacher Montclair High School Montclair CA -------------------------------------------

 

I direct productions for a private school and cast kids from 4th -8th grade

We are in a 2300 seat auditorium I could never fill for musicals, and a 250 seat theater for our 2nd play.

• I charge $5 general admission for the smaller production, $6. for the musical.
• Teachers are invited to attend a final dress rehearsal but have to pay to come to a regular performance of a musical.  Musicals are too expensive to comp. for the teachers.
• I ask everyone to pay but if they are a cast family: immediate family and siblings (not grandparents)  they must pay for their first attendance but can attend additional performances for free!
• The only folks I comp are area drama teachers and those who are not associated with the school but have lent or contributed to our show. ie; drama school teachers who lend props or costumes, 
• Students also pay an activity fee that is similar to a sports team activity fee.  They are asked to purchase some costume items themselves as well.  
  
   
  
  
  -------------------------------------------
  Valerie Scott
  Duluth GA
  -------------------------------------------
  
  
  
  Original Message
  Original Message:
  Sent: 10-04-2014 13:08
  From: Desiree Hill
  Subject: Ticket prices
  
  Hello. I am a second year drama teacher. I would like to know how much other schools charge for a play and a musical. Specifically, do you charge faculty and staff? If so, what is the price compared to the other tickets?
  Thanks,
  
  -------------------------------------------
  Desiree Hill
  Theatre Teacher
  Montclair High School
  Montclair CA
  -------------------------------------------
  
  
  
  
  

We charge $6 for Students and $8 for Adults with a maximum of $25 for an immediate family.  This is for plays and musicals.  I'd like to go up to $10 for musicals, but my school won't let me.  Our faculty and staff each get one free ticket.

-------------------------------------------
Gail Bartell
Altamonte Springs FL
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-04-2014 13:08
From: Desiree Hill
Subject: Ticket prices

Hello. I am a second year drama teacher. I would like to know how much other schools charge for a play and a musical. Specifically, do you charge faculty and staff? If so, what is the price compared to the other tickets?
Thanks,

-------------------------------------------
Desiree Hill
Theatre Teacher
Montclair High School
Montclair CA
-------------------------------------------

For my smaller shows I charge $5.00 in advance, $7.00 day of show, general admission.
For musicals it's $7.00 in advance and $10.00 day of show, general admission. We also have reserved seats, the first 3 or 4 rows in the center of the house for $15.00. 

I try to keep the price low and use the admission to a movie as my guide.
Faculty get one free ticket each.

-------------------------------------------
John Perry
Drama Instructor
Atherton High School
Louisville KY
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-06-2014 12:30
From: Gail Bartell
Subject: Ticket prices

We charge $6 for Students and $8 for Adults with a maximum of $25 for an immediate family.  This is for plays and musicals.  I'd like to go up to $10 for musicals, but my school won't let me.  Our faculty and staff each get one free ticket.

-------------------------------------------
Gail Bartell
Altamonte Springs FL
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-04-2014 13:08
From: Desiree Hill
Subject: Ticket prices

Hello. I am a second year drama teacher. I would like to know how much other schools charge for a play and a musical. Specifically, do you charge faculty and staff? If so, what is the price compared to the other tickets?
Thanks,

-------------------------------------------
Desiree Hill
Theatre Teacher
Montclair High School
Montclair CA
-------------------------------------------

It varies by show for my department. All of our improv shows are $3. Our main stage performances are $5 for students with a valid school id (high school and below) and for seniors who are 62+. The general public pays $8 for the show and all faculty and staff are invited (plus 1) to attend the performances for free. We provide a free matinee to 8th graders from our feeder schools.

Something that I do that helps "encourage" the other teachers to hype up our show is providing an extra credit quiz (and key) for each production. The quiz is only 10 questions long and is a combination on the plot of the play and what actually happens onstage (that prevents kids going to Sparknotes). Most of the teachers in my school provide extra credit for going since they don't have to do anything. It's all provided for them. Just a thought...

-------------------------------------------
Shira Schwartz
Chandler Unified School District
Chandler AZ
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-06-2014 12:36
From: John Perry
Subject: Ticket prices

For my smaller shows I charge $5.00 in advance, $7.00 day of show, general admission.
For musicals it's $7.00 in advance and $10.00 day of show, general admission. We also have reserved seats, the first 3 or 4 rows in the center of the house for $15.00. 

I try to keep the price low and use the admission to a movie as my guide.
Faculty get one free ticket each.

-------------------------------------------
John Perry
Drama Instructor
Atherton High School
Louisville KY
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-06-2014 12:30
From: Gail Bartell
Subject: Ticket prices

We charge $6 for Students and $8 for Adults with a maximum of $25 for an immediate family.  This is for plays and musicals.  I'd like to go up to $10 for musicals, but my school won't let me.  Our faculty and staff each get one free ticket.

-------------------------------------------
Gail Bartell
Altamonte Springs FL
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-04-2014 13:08
From: Desiree Hill
Subject: Ticket prices

Hello. I am a second year drama teacher. I would like to know how much other schools charge for a play and a musical. Specifically, do you charge faculty and staff? If so, what is the price compared to the other tickets?
Thanks,

-------------------------------------------
Desiree Hill
Theatre Teacher
Montclair High School
Montclair CA
-------------------------------------------

We charge $8.00 for straight plays and will be raising our musical prices to $10.00 this year.  Most of our shows are done in our 100 seat black box, musicals in the 750 seat auditorium.  Teachers receive one comp ticket, students in the class who are not in the show receive one comp ticket for their use as they are required to see all the shows (they can not give it to someone else) and Board of Education members get comp tickets if they come to see the show. Any student in the building can volunteer as an usher to see the show for free as well.

-------------------------------------------
Holly Thompson
Worthington OH
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-06-2014 12:54
From: Shira Schwartz
Subject: Ticket prices

It varies by show for my department. All of our improv shows are $3. Our main stage performances are $5 for students with a valid school id (high school and below) and for seniors who are 62+. The general public pays $8 for the show and all faculty and staff are invited (plus 1) to attend the performances for free. We provide a free matinee to 8th graders from our feeder schools.

Something that I do that helps "encourage" the other teachers to hype up our show is providing an extra credit quiz (and key) for each production. The quiz is only 10 questions long and is a combination on the plot of the play and what actually happens onstage (that prevents kids going to Sparknotes). Most of the teachers in my school provide extra credit for going since they don't have to do anything. It's all provided for them. Just a thought...

-------------------------------------------
Shira Schwartz
Chandler Unified School District
Chandler AZ
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-06-2014 12:36
From: John Perry
Subject: Ticket prices

For my smaller shows I charge $5.00 in advance, $7.00 day of show, general admission.
For musicals it's $7.00 in advance and $10.00 day of show, general admission. We also have reserved seats, the first 3 or 4 rows in the center of the house for $15.00. 

I try to keep the price low and use the admission to a movie as my guide.
Faculty get one free ticket each.

-------------------------------------------
John Perry
Drama Instructor
Atherton High School
Louisville KY
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-06-2014 12:30
From: Gail Bartell
Subject: Ticket prices

We charge $6 for Students and $8 for Adults with a maximum of $25 for an immediate family.  This is for plays and musicals.  I'd like to go up to $10 for musicals, but my school won't let me.  Our faculty and staff each get one free ticket.

-------------------------------------------
Gail Bartell
Altamonte Springs FL
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-04-2014 13:08
From: Desiree Hill
Subject: Ticket prices

Hello. I am a second year drama teacher. I would like to know how much other schools charge for a play and a musical. Specifically, do you charge faculty and staff? If so, what is the price compared to the other tickets?
Thanks,

-------------------------------------------
Desiree Hill
Theatre Teacher
Montclair High School
Montclair CA
-------------------------------------------

We do two mainstage productions a year, a play and a musical. We also do 2-4 improv shows, a haunted house, a senior show, etc.  
For the play/musical we charge
$10.50/$13.50 - General Public
$8.50/$10.50 - Senior Citizens, Students through HS age, College Students with current ID
$6.50/$8.50 - members of the drama clubs at the three comprehensive high schools
We do three weekends of performances for each of these shows. On the third week we do a Thursday night show for which we charge everyone the drama club rate. 
We do give 2 comp tix to district employees if they attend the first weekend. (Almost everyone who gets comps for any reason is "strongly encouraged" to use them the first weekend only.) The district staff can purchase extra tickets for the drama club rate. If they can't come on the first weekend, they can purchase tickets at the drama club rate.

For most of our other events we charge $7 for General Public and $5 for all other levels. We also have a season subscription program which can get very complicated.It is the job of the student who holds the office of House Manager to keep it all straight!

-------------------------------------------
Helen Dixon
Oakley CA
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-04-2014 13:08
From: Desiree Hill
Subject: Ticket prices

Hello. I am a second year drama teacher. I would like to know how much other schools charge for a play and a musical. Specifically, do you charge faculty and staff? If so, what is the price compared to the other tickets?
Thanks,

-------------------------------------------
Desiree Hill
Theatre Teacher
Montclair High School
Montclair CA
-------------------------------------------

We charge everyone $5 general admission for everything except musicals. For musicals, it's $10 GA, $8 students/seniors, and $5 children under 6. We also offer season passes and flex passes for a discount through online ticketing with Arts People. All card-carrying Thespians are free.

-------------------------------------------
Jo Lane
Theatre Teacher and Director
Portland Public Schools
Portland OR
-------------------------------------------



Sent via Higher Logic Mobile



Original Message:
Sent: 1/1/2015 8:08:44 PM
From: dramamamad@hotmail.com
Subject: RE: Ticket prices

We do two mainstage productions a year, a play and a musical. We also do 2-4 improv shows, a haunted house, a senior show, etc.   For the play/musical we charge $10.50/$13.50 - General Public $8.50/$10.50 - Senior Citizens, Students through HS age, College Students with current ID $6.50/$8.50 - members of the drama clubs at the three comprehensive high schools We do three weekends of performances for each of these shows. On the third week we do a Thursday night show for which we charge everyone the drama club rate.  We do give 2 comp tix to district employees if they attend the first weekend. (Almost everyone who gets comps for any reason is "strongly encouraged" to use them the first weekend only.) The district staff can purchase extra tickets for the drama club rate. If they can't come on the first weekend, they can purchase tickets at the drama club rate. For most of our other events we charge $7 for General Public and $5 for all other levels. We also have a season subscription program which can get very complicated.It is the job of the student who holds the office of House Manager to keep it all straight! ------------------------------------------- Helen Dixon Oakley CA -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 10-04-2014 13:08 From: Desiree Hill Subject: Ticket prices Hello. I am a second year drama teacher. I would like to know how much other schools charge for a play and a musical. Specifically, do you charge faculty and staff? If so, what is the price compared to the other tickets? Thanks, ------------------------------------------- Desiree Hill Theatre Teacher Montclair High School Montclair CA -------------------------------------------

Seems the general consensus is $5 for plays, more for musicals. This is roughly what I adhere to at our school, but I like some of the suggestions here. An additional couple of things we are starting/piloting this year: 1) a very entrepreneurial student has been selling Mason jar cakes. Literally, cake baked into mason jars, various sizes. They're novelty and kinda cool, and a small jam jar sized cake jar sells for $5, more for larger sizes. She ran a table at our last event, and after her outlay and 10% of sales for her efforts, delivered me close to $100 in two nights (audience of between 200-300 total). Cost me nothing. 2) an idea that purportedly originated with our state director Lindsay Painter, but again zero cost and highly fun: selling $1 shout-outs to be read by student MCs during intervals. Very cute, very lucrative. In one night $70, another $47. Ridiculous profit for no outlay, and creates fun for the audience. Monitor carefully. 😄 3) sell flowers at the door to deliver to performers. Bit more outlay and haven't tried this yet, but working to include it next production. Other teachers at other schools say it brings in some cash, but is more encouraging than anything else. ------------------------------------------- Phillip Goodchild Valrico FL -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 01-01-2015 22:53 From: Jo Lane Subject: Ticket prices We charge everyone $5 general admission for everything except musicals. For musicals, it's $10 GA, $8 students/seniors, and $5 children under 6. We also offer season passes and flex passes for a discount through online ticketing with Arts People. All card-carrying Thespians are free. ------------------------------------------- Jo Lane Theatre Teacher and Director Portland Public Schools Portland OR ------------------------------------------- Sent via Higher Logic Mobile

We do $5 for adults for all shows, $3 for students, teachers/faculty free.  (I'm at a middle school).  Our seating is general admission/first come, first serve.

One thing that I did though to sort of raise some extra money was to offer some special "packages".  For example, last year I did the "Greek Mythology Olympiaganza" with my 6th graders and we sold "Very Important Mortal (VIM)" packages as well.  It was $10 only in advance and included priority seating in a special area in the front AND came with a "signed autographed poster from the cast".  It was a HUGE success and the parents and kids loved it.

-------------------------------------------
Jennifer Simmons
Lexington SC
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 01-02-2015 16:26
From: Phillip Goodchild
Subject: Ticket prices


Seems the general consensus is $5 for plays, more for musicals. This is roughly what I adhere to at our school, but I like some of the suggestions here. An additional couple of things we are starting/piloting this year:

1) a very entrepreneurial student has been selling Mason jar cakes. Literally, cake baked into mason jars, various sizes. They're novelty and kinda cool, and a small jam jar sized cake jar sells for $5, more for larger sizes. She ran a table at our last event, and after her outlay and 10% of sales for her efforts, delivered me close to $100 in two nights (audience of between 200-300 total). Cost me nothing.

2) an idea that purportedly originated with our state director Lindsay Painter, but again zero cost and highly fun: selling $1 shout-outs to be read by student MCs during intervals. Very cute, very lucrative. In one night $70, another $47. Ridiculous profit for no outlay, and creates fun for the audience. Monitor carefully. 😄
3) sell flowers at the door to deliver to performers. Bit more outlay and haven't tried this yet, but working to include it next production. Other teachers at other schools say it brings in some cash, but is more encouraging than anything else.
-------------------------------------------
Phillip Goodchild
Valrico FL
-------------------------------------------

Reviving this thread to get a current pulse on ticket prices.

Here's us:

School Size: 1300
Demographics: Large district, suburban school with highly diverse body. High percentage of poverty, but not (quite) Title 1.

Auditorium Size: 500+

Last year's prices (we're considering raising this year)
Dance Shows/Sen. One Acts - $5 OR requested donations
Straight plays: $5 for all
Musicals: $10 adults/$5 students
(comparison: Football team charges $7 at gate + parking) our parking is free

Comp policy:
Thespian Club members
"big" donors
Faculty (though they usually end up paying)

------------------------------
Ashley Bishop
Director
Birmingham AL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-04-2015 09:14
From: Jennifer Simmons
Subject: Ticket prices

We do $5 for adults for all shows, $3 for students, teachers/faculty free.  (I'm at a middle school).  Our seating is general admission/first come, first serve.

One thing that I did though to sort of raise some extra money was to offer some special "packages".  For example, last year I did the "Greek Mythology Olympiaganza" with my 6th graders and we sold "Very Important Mortal (VIM)" packages as well.  It was $10 only in advance and included priority seating in a special area in the front AND came with a "signed autographed poster from the cast".  It was a HUGE success and the parents and kids loved it.

-------------------------------------------
Jennifer Simmons
Lexington SC

Original Message:
Sent: 01-02-2015 16:26
From: Phillip Goodchild
Subject: Ticket prices


Seems the general consensus is $5 for plays, more for musicals. This is roughly what I adhere to at our school, but I like some of the suggestions here. An additional couple of things we are starting/piloting this year:

1) a very entrepreneurial student has been selling Mason jar cakes. Literally, cake baked into mason jars, various sizes. They're novelty and kinda cool, and a small jam jar sized cake jar sells for $5, more for larger sizes. She ran a table at our last event, and after her outlay and 10% of sales for her efforts, delivered me close to $100 in two nights (audience of between 200-300 total). Cost me nothing.

2) an idea that purportedly originated with our state director Lindsay Painter, but again zero cost and highly fun: selling $1 shout-outs to be read by student MCs during intervals. Very cute, very lucrative. In one night $70, another $47. Ridiculous profit for no outlay, and creates fun for the audience. Monitor carefully. 😄
3) sell flowers at the door to deliver to performers. Bit more outlay and haven't tried this yet, but working to include it next production. Other teachers at other schools say it brings in some cash, but is more encouraging than anything else.
-------------------------------------------
Phillip Goodchild
Valrico FL
-------------------------------------------

We charge $8 for students and senior citizens and $10 for adults/general admission. This is for both musicals and non-musical full-length plays. Our night of student-directed one-acts are $5 for all. Improv shows are by donation.

"Students" in this case means basically anyone 18 and under, or with a college ID.

------------------------------
Christopher Hamilton
Drama Teacher
Kennewick WA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-08-2017 11:53
From: Ashley Bishop
Subject: Ticket prices

Reviving this thread to get a current pulse on ticket prices.

Here's us:

School Size: 1300
Demographics: Large district, suburban school with highly diverse body. High percentage of poverty, but not (quite) Title 1.

Auditorium Size: 500+

Last year's prices (we're considering raising this year)
Dance Shows/Sen. One Acts - $5 OR requested donations
Straight plays: $5 for all
Musicals: $10 adults/$5 students
(comparison: Football team charges $7 at gate + parking) our parking is free

Comp policy:
Thespian Club members
"big" donors
Faculty (though they usually end up paying)

------------------------------
Ashley Bishop
Director
Birmingham AL

Original Message:
Sent: 01-04-2015 09:14
From: Jennifer Simmons
Subject: Ticket prices

We do $5 for adults for all shows, $3 for students, teachers/faculty free.  (I'm at a middle school).  Our seating is general admission/first come, first serve.

One thing that I did though to sort of raise some extra money was to offer some special "packages".  For example, last year I did the "Greek Mythology Olympiaganza" with my 6th graders and we sold "Very Important Mortal (VIM)" packages as well.  It was $10 only in advance and included priority seating in a special area in the front AND came with a "signed autographed poster from the cast".  It was a HUGE success and the parents and kids loved it.

-------------------------------------------
Jennifer Simmons
Lexington SC

Original Message:
Sent: 01-02-2015 16:26
From: Phillip Goodchild
Subject: Ticket prices


Seems the general consensus is $5 for plays, more for musicals. This is roughly what I adhere to at our school, but I like some of the suggestions here. An additional couple of things we are starting/piloting this year:

1) a very entrepreneurial student has been selling Mason jar cakes. Literally, cake baked into mason jars, various sizes. They're novelty and kinda cool, and a small jam jar sized cake jar sells for $5, more for larger sizes. She ran a table at our last event, and after her outlay and 10% of sales for her efforts, delivered me close to $100 in two nights (audience of between 200-300 total). Cost me nothing.

2) an idea that purportedly originated with our state director Lindsay Painter, but again zero cost and highly fun: selling $1 shout-outs to be read by student MCs during intervals. Very cute, very lucrative. In one night $70, another $47. Ridiculous profit for no outlay, and creates fun for the audience. Monitor carefully. 😄
3) sell flowers at the door to deliver to performers. Bit more outlay and haven't tried this yet, but working to include it next production. Other teachers at other schools say it brings in some cash, but is more encouraging than anything else.
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Phillip Goodchild
Valrico FL
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Hello.

We charge 10.00 for the plays and 15.00 for the musical (which sells out for all three performances). Our students, faculty, and staff all receive free tickets, but they must still reserve online. We use online ticketing through Vendini. We love working with Vendini and credit them for our increase in ticket sales. There is a button on the Vendini Online Tickets site where donations can be made. We are making so much more money this way and find it is well worth the minimal investment to get the box office set up with Vendini.

Break a leg!

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Donnie Bryan
Department Chair for Visual and Performing Arts
Nashville TN
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-04-2014 13:08
From: Desiree Hill
Subject: Ticket prices

Hello. I am a second year drama teacher. I would like to know how much other schools charge for a play and a musical. Specifically, do you charge faculty and staff? If so, what is the price compared to the other tickets?
Thanks,

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Desiree Hill
Theatre Teacher
Montclair High School
Montclair CA
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Hi all,
we have been charging $17/ticket for our fall and spring show. This is inclusive of online ticketing fees. Students in the cast and crew get 5 tickets each. Faculty and staff if our school get free tickets. Since we are an all boys school, we offer a limited number of free seats to our sister schools as well. Between ticket sales, program ads, concessions, we are slowly becoming self sufficient. We also do rentals to other schools. We rent costumes and props and set pieces for a nominal fee to ensure safe handling of the items. This also helps.

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James Fry
Director of Student Life and the Malvern Theatre Society
Malvern, PA
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-14-2017 10:46
From: Donnie Bryan
Subject: Ticket prices

Hello.

We charge 10.00 for the plays and 15.00 for the musical (which sells out for all three performances). Our students, faculty, and staff all receive free tickets, but they must still reserve online. We use online ticketing through Vendini. We love working with Vendini and credit them for our increase in ticket sales. There is a button on the Vendini Online Tickets site where donations can be made. We are making so much more money this way and find it is well worth the minimal investment to get the box office set up with Vendini.

Break a leg!

------------------------------
Donnie Bryan
Department Chair for Visual and Performing Arts
Nashville TN

Original Message:
Sent: 10-04-2014 13:08
From: Desiree Hill
Subject: Ticket prices

Hello. I am a second year drama teacher. I would like to know how much other schools charge for a play and a musical. Specifically, do you charge faculty and staff? If so, what is the price compared to the other tickets?
Thanks,

-------------------------------------------
Desiree Hill
Theatre Teacher
Montclair High School
Montclair CA
-------------------------------------------