In the last few weeks, I've learned a lot about fringing. I only have to watch the seasoned fringers -- the ones who are still handbilling relentlessly even when their show is pretty much sold out -- to know how you get people into my venue. This is a grueling business -- not that I compete at that level of intensity. Still, it's near impossible to walk past a line of people in our age demographic (over 50!) and not pull out my handbills.
Five or four star reviews displayed on posters definitely help your case. But one on one contact is the best way to generate interest in a show. And then there's the process of orchestrating a sell-out. If opportunities present themselves to offer comp tickets to volunteers, you do it. Volunteers are your best bet for word of mouth, which is the second best way to put bums in seats. In Regina, Saskatoon, and Edmonton, we have had at least one sell-out, and our numbers in all four fringes have been respectable. Other perfomers would crave the numbers we have. I know -- I've been there myself! The beautiful thing about Diamond Girls is that people connect to the subject matter immediately. You can see it in their faces. At last, something not so "fringy." Something we can learn from. Something that makes us proud as Canadians -- and as prairie folk. Audience response has been fabulous. Marci was there with tears running down her cheeks after the show on Tuesday -- a late gig that shouldn't have been well attended, but we were well over half full. People love it. As for the reviewers, we got a 4 and a 3.5 here in Edmonton and loads of praise for Malia. The Edmonton Journal says "Becker . . . is arresting to watch, moving nimbly between characters, batting a thousand all the way." Sweet.
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Maureen UlrichPlaywright Archives
September 2018
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