One-Handed Witch blew through LA like a cyclone. Few people were left standing, cats screeched in terror and smoke filled the air. When the lights finally faded and the van was loaded with everything including the kitchen sink, I sat on the sidewalk and scratched my head. What just happened?
Everyone who came out, coupled and uncoupled, left with a crush on the witch and satisfied grins on their faces; except for that one priest who stormed out. What did it cost?
Back in Oakland, people ask me, “How was your show in LA?” And I always say that the performance was tighter than a witch’s girdle, but everything else was a dog fight. It was our finest performance. The band was a well oiled tonewheel, the crew was professional, the stage spacious, the lighting, the sound, the costumes … handclaps all around! Everything else was bite marks and blood spots, especially selling tickets. A theater promoter told me early on, “20 to 25 shows open per week in LA, so that’s a lot of competition. Be prepared for all scenarios.” I was not prepared, but damn the devil, what did I learn?
Here are the Don’ts and Dos of boiling theatre in LA or any new market.
THE DON’TS ☠️
Don’t book a venue in a complex. You’ll be competing with everyone in the complex and your fans will get turned around and sucked into the wrong theatre. The Broadwater Second Stage screened a short film festival, which ran the same weekend as One-Handed Witch, and they siphoned off scores of Samson Y Hiss ticket holders. Explain yourself.
Don’t split a smaller fan base over two nights, especially in a new market. Consolidate them into one night and save money on talent, production and venue costs, and fresh popcorn.
Don’t book a venue with an entrance on a side street or in an alley, unless you’re an Industrial/Goth/EDM act. The Broadwater Theatre Main Stage was on Lillian Way. Who is she? You want main street accessibility and visibility, not a door next to the sign for the bathroom.
Don’t book a venue that has a theatre group in residence. They will bury you in promotional material especially if you have premieres on the same night.
Don’t be afraid to adapt to your new market. Do tickets to Moulin Rouge the musical cost the same in New York City and Kansas City? Do witches win beauty contests?
Don’t expect anybody to do you any favors. LA Guild of Puppetry? Nope. KXLU radio? No. r/FilmIndustryLA sub on Reddit? And no! LA is cutthroat.
THE DOS 🤡
Do book a venue that will help you promote your show: they have an email list, they let you hang up posters in and around the venue months before the show, and they share your hot promos on social media.
Do operate like a band, not a traveling carnival. Plan for one show unless it’s your local market or there is demand for more shows as in fans are lined up around the corner in costume.
Do start advertising 12 weeks out. People need time to heat up and come to a boil.
Do add promotional costs to your budget. You have to advertise your show in a new market and that costs money. Stud the cat if you have to.
Do limit complimentary tickets to two for talent and crew. Any more than that and you're acting like a nonprofit.
Do join ticket giveaways to create buzz and drive traffic to your event. LA was hot for Instagram influencers. Learn your market and find fans in the fells.
Do give t-shirts to the crew during rehearsal so they can wear them leading up to and during the show. “Every torso a walking billboard!” I say.
Do hire local talent to open the show and a local crew to work the production. They'll invite their friends if they like what they see and you're not acting like a Hollywood holy erection.
The Don’ts, the Dos, the who’s who, I learned a lot boiling theatre in LA with One-Handed Witch. Would I do it again?
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-Samson
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