THEATRE PUBLIC RELATIONS: What to do and therefore what NOT to do!

• Be aware that EVERYONE on your team is responsible for PR and Marketing. It is essential that the company always be mindful of who they are serving, attracting and how easy it is to blow it!
• .
• 1- Check your website weekly. Keep it interesting and general.
• 2- Check that contact information is current
• 3- Check emails daily. 4- Respond to those emails ASAP. Do not ignore – you never know who that person is, knows or will become!
• 5- Meetings must always be kept short.
• 6- Listen to what your public has to say.
• 7- Never think in terms of a complete ‘NO’ to anyone. Consider the individual opinion and privately go from there.
• 8- Always be open to new scripts.
• 9- Always encourage ‘wannabes ‘in all aspects of the arts. But -never give false illusions or promises.
• 10- Find out what the competition is doing well and do it better.
• 11- Keep the media happy.
• 12- Never ask for the media to do a critique. You don’t want a critic. You want a review.
• 13- We honest with your staff and your actors.
• 14- Keep you sense of humor - especially in public. Release the frustration in private.
• 15- Be aware of publicity / promotional opportunities -always!
• 16- You don’t need ‘yes men' – you need versatile clear thinkers, diplomats and spin doctors.
• 17- Don’t throw it out! File it, store it.
• 18- Put up photos of your actors – they are your stars. Let them meet and greet the audiences.
• 19- Make any reimbursements swiftly! So too: borrowed items.
• 20- Have ready two sets of walkie talkies with earphones with fresh batteries.
• 21- Commit as much to memory but keep notes and a calendar.
• 22- Never assume anything - nor that it is assured.

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For an arts institute to survive it must plan the way successful corporations do: not just from season to season but instead with strategic planning - and that includes the long range outlook and for multiple generations. This also requires that room is left to adapt and take rapid advantage of popular trends.





HOW PRODUCING THEATRE IS LIKE ROCKET SCIENCE:

Producing good theater and creating a space program have, in principle, much in common. Consider these three 'rules" as stated by a famous rocket scientist when faced on a daily basis with the gargantuan task of building a vehicle to take humans to the moon.
1- It's just big - that's all. You put it together piece by piece.
2- If you can buy it (at a reasonable cost) - do so, if you can't then modify something. If not - invent it.
To those who just talk or slow things up: 3- Either do your job or get out of the way!
And finally to the nay-sayers, negative people, those that constantly whine or who slow up progress by continually stating and restating the obvious: 3- There's an old proverb about two flies who fell into a vat of milk. One protested and kept sinking - then finally gave up and drowned. The other kept beating his wings until he eventually walk out on a surface of butter.