Gladstone Theatre owner Steve Martin prepares for Thursday’s opening of The Final Twist.
The Gladstone Theatre expects a successful second season after fixing structural problems and improving its show selection and media outreach, says owner Steve Martin.
The theatre has learned from the problems it faced in its first year, he says.
“We’re more educated this year than we were last year,” says Martin.
When Martin bought the former home of the Great Canadian Theatre Company in 2007, he didn’t know that he would need to replace the majority of the electrical wiring on top of renovations, which included new porcelain tiles, a flashy marquee and a new facade.
The shows selection of Irish plays, dramas and comedies also had some patrons scratching their heads.
“It was kind of a hit and miss,” says Martin. “They were all over the place.”
Even marketing of the plays was lacking. The theatre didn’t actively reach out to media, which resulted in fewer people knowing about their plays. Martin invested approximately $1.5 million into the venture. Despite his inexperience, the theatre broke even its first season, says Martin.
This season, Martin says he doesn’t expect any more structural problems.
The theatre also carefully selected this season’s shows with the primary purpose of entertaining audiences. The theatre doesn’t want to only feature work to break theatric boundaries or to get social messages across, he says.
Martin says he wants the shows to appeal to the average person as well as the artistic person or common theatre-goer.
“I’m not artsy-fartsy, avant-garde, hoity-toity, whatever,” he says. “I’m more into entertainment. I’m in show business.”
The strategy resulted in a comedy heavy season, says Martin. Five plays are comedies, one musical is a comedy and the other musical is a tragedy. Martin says he thinks the upbeat music of the tragedy Blood Brothers will attract audiences.
Patrons also fueled the comedy selection. They told employees before and after the shows that they wanted a lighter, more entertaining selection, says Martin.
Patron Judi Roy went to many shows last season and says she decided to buy a subscription this season because of the comedies.
“If I want to cry, I can sit at home and watch the news,” says Roy. “I want something to entertain me, that’s going to make me forget my problems.”
John Muggleton, director of marketing and communications at the Ottawa Little Theatre, says he agrees that play selection is important. Ottawa Little Theatre showcases serious plays but approximately half of its plays are comedies because they draw crowds, says Muggleton.
“[People] want to have a laugh,” says Muggleton. “They want to have a bit of escapism.”
The Gladstone Theatre also hired a media coordinator this season, a move that has increased media coverage and attracted audiences, says Martin.
Noises Off, the theatre’s first play this season, got more media attention than any of its previous plays, says Martin
Muggleton says the media is important because they keep people aware that live theatre is an entertainment option.
So far, the show selection and media outreach seem to be attracting audiences, says Martin.
Noises Off ran for six weeks and made $15,000 to $20,000 profit, says Jessica Visnevskis, a box-office employee. The production cost approximately $95,000, says Martin.
Subscriptions to the theatre have also doubled, says Martin. The theatre has 580 subscribers this season.
The theatre needs to continue attracting audiences to operate.
“I love live theatre,” says Martin. “I think there’s a lot of talent in this city and I think it can grow.”
The Final Twist, the theatre’s second play this season, opened on Thursday.