Best-selling straight plays regionally

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 12/18/06 at 10:43pm

What straight plays in regional markets sell?

I know Shakespeare tends to sell, but do many others? The pro theatre I've worked at the last two years has trouble selling their straight play (Our Town, Death of a Salesman, and Cat On a Hot Tin Roof over the past few seasons - next season it's The Odd Couple)


but what straight plays should producers of regional theatre look for?

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 12/19/06 at 12:56am

The straight play is, sadly, becoming more and more difficult to sell, and musicals will always have the most commercial appeal. However, there is the occassional hit Broadway play that regional theaters all end up wanting to produce. "Proof" is the most recent example of this; when the rights to "Doubt" become available surely it will become wildly produced as well. However, these kinds of phenomenons happen only every few years, so most regional theaters (especially those not in a position to take a financial risk on a newer play) will go for those good ol' dependable (and overdone) classics like the ones you mentioned. This works if your target audience is the upper-middle class and elderly set, but if it's not, you have to have one or both of these two things: sex and comedy. For the former, a prime example would be "Equus," which people will go see, I swear, simply because there are naked people in it (hey, at least it gets them to the theater). As far as comedies go, check out "Picasso at the Lapin Agile" by Steve Martin. It's short, it's funny, it has a reasonable amount of artistic value, and it was written by a cultural icon. If they don't come see that then I don't know what to tell you

[Burning_Oasis]

Posted: 12/19/06 at 1:21am

Noises Off and Rumors were pertty sucessfull in a local theatre.