Hello there all my lovely arts enthusiasts. Here I am on my poorly maintained blog, but the thing is I don't like to write here when I don't have something to write about.
But right now, as MTM embarks on its tenth anniversary, I've got some stuff I'd like to say.
MTM was run by me and pretty much me alone for years. Early on I made the very big mistake of thinking I had the resources to create theatre on a big scale. I didn't. It got me into trouble. A lot of people lost faith in me. That sticks with me now almost ten years later. Why did I do it that way? What could I have done differently? Why didn't I just shut down? How could someone with such good intentions end up getting such a shitty reputation? (I believe this is largely gone now, or at least largely decreased).
So now, I think of quality over quantity. I'm gun shy. And the type of work we do doesn't lend itself to that type of production setup. I'm reminded of a great line from the musical [title of show], which is the quintessential tiny, unknown musical: "I'd rather be nine people's favorite thing than one hundred people's ninth favorite thing." That's the mentality I try to keep in mind. But it's tough. Especially when there is a distinct "bigger is better" attitude that prevails.
Look, if you have the resources to do a huge show, great. Do it. Reach lots of people, produce on a grand scale, etc.
BUT-don't discount the small stuff. Here are a few ways the bigger is NOT better. It's an educational list for patrons to keep in mind when choosing what to go see, and for arts managers to keep in mind when it comes to having faith in the work they do, regardless of size.
A note: Size is very relative to a lot of things. A small arts organization in one place could be a big arts organization in another place. Think of your particular community.
1) Smaller budgets can, in fact, lead to artistic risk.
In 2008, when MTM was in a fight or flight period, I decided the company should do lesser-known pieces. There were two I had in mind: john & jen, and tick, tick, BOOM. john & jen in particular was perfect for us at that time. There are only two actors and a piano. It's supposed to be done with no set, minimal costumes, and no special makeup even though the story spans 40 years. That's the whole point. Therefore we were able to keep programming going while operating on the teeny tiny budget we had rustled up. With this we launched many years of doing these weird, risky little shows. We chose things with minimal sets and production expenses so we could keep paying the artists. It was weird-this total identity and financial crisis for the company ended up being what made us who we are.
2) Smaller companies know you.
One thing I love being able to do with MTM is see people who I know are donors or supporters and clearly remember them and be able to thank them, even if I'd never met them in person before. I like being able to create a personalized experience for every person who comes through the door. I love being able to address their concerns and suggestions as the person at the "top" (of a very small totem pole). It makes me happy that I get that kind of first hand information and experience, and that I have a direct hand in creating a hospitable environment. You're not going to get this at a huge theatre.
3) Smaller companies are often in fact cheaper.
I often compare MTM to a mom and pop store. However, there's a distinct difference: At a mom and pop store you are likely to pay a little bit more for your products. People do this because they are supporting local merchants, which is great. But when you're on a budget like I am, Target beckons and I answer its call. It's not that I don't want to support wonderful local merchants, and I try to when I can, but sometimes its just not an option.
With the arts, however, the opposite is often true. You can pay less for a small company, not because the quality is less, but because their expenses are often lower. We pay everyone, but we also sometimes use venues that aren't going to charge us as much, and we live with the fact that unconventional spaces can bring different types of challenges. When we use the venue we're in as the set (as we did this past year with 35MM and Nine), we are able to keep the price of admission low. There are no facility fees, processing fees, etc. offered in these cases. Don't get me wrong: There's lots of fabulous theatre happening on a large scale in venues that do charge such fees. I'm just saying in this case that the benefit of a smaller price tag doesn't necessarily lead to a lower quality product.
4) Smaller companies understand their resources.
We know our strengths and weaknesses. Potential is one thing-the ability to execute that potential is another. I am reminded here of a great quote from arts management guru Michael Kaiser. On a visit to Madison a few years ago, he spoke about a friend who runs a theatre in New York City. They do avant garde, bizarre type of work in a 99-seat theatre and sell out every night. "Why," Michael asked, "Do you stay so small? You could move to a much bigger space, do more work, etc.?" In response he said "Michael, I know that my work only appeals to 99 people per night." He can afford to stay in that space and take the risks he takes because he understands that his work is for a different audience. There is an antiquated model for regional theatres out there that assumes everything should be presented to a huge audience regardless of company resources, show, style, cost, location, or prominence. It's simply not the case and causes the demise of many a hopeful theatre company.
5) Smaller companies take a lot of crap and keep standing.
Every time someone says "Oh, I've never heard of you," with disdain, it's akin to saying "Oh. You don't do your job very well." Other lovely statements include "Well, if you did what _____ company is doing then you'd be doing better." Or "Well such and such and so and so (usually someone I know very well and have worked with) is a powerhouse. You could learn a lot there." Inevitably these comparisons are with companies that do different types of work, have different payment structures, and started with different resources.
But people think it's okay to compare, and are not shy about telling you that because you're not huge, you don't matter. (Recently I was told by a member of the press that MTM's 10th anniversary "wasn't interesting".) Funders and donors scoff because you're not reaching thousands of people, and you instantly fall in their esteem. (Never mind that sometimes when you give $50 to a large organization you're giving to their paperclip fund, while a small company can take that money and make it count.) Small companies don't have impressive numbers to tout-we have to rely on the passion for the work we do to convince people that we matter.
I've also been talked to like I'm a damned moron: "Wow, this budget balances exactly! Good for you!" "What you'll want to do is send out a press release. Do you need help with that?" "Well, here's how grants work..." (this has all been said to me in the last year.) You haven't heard of me, so I must not know what I'm doing. And honestly, it's a huge punch in the gut given how much I've had to learn the hard way.
Let's go back to the mom and pop example, which does come into play here. Say there is a lovely little store in your neighborhood. They sell cheese. (Everyone likes cheese.) It's a family owned business. They know you (because again, you go in for cheese all the time-who wouldn't go in for cheese if there was a store in your neighborhood? Wait, I got off track.) When you come in you're greeted with a hello and a thank you, someone who knows what you like, a person who can tell you what's new, and a person who is personally grateful that you're there.
Now say you're someone different and you've just stumbled on this store. Would you go in there and say, dismissively, "I've never heard of you. You should advertise more/do other things that much larger stores do." No, because you understand that the resources are different. Mom and Pop's Cheese Store could try to expand, become a chain, etc. but their business model doesn't call for it and they don't have the resources to carry it out. And that's okay. Because they have really good cheese and they make people happy. Obviously there are (swiss cheese) holes in this parallel, but you get the idea.
Look, everyone who makes art in any capacity deserves to be commended. Truly. The most important thing is that you know your own resources and keep them in mind with everything you do. Should arts organizations want to constantly grow? Of course! The important thing is to make sure your ideas don't get ahead of your capabilities. It could end up being a matter of being bigger or not existing at all.
And if you're a patron, I encourage you to wander into that mom and pop cheese store type organization, for all of the reasons I just listed. They may be small, but they've often been around for a long time. Wander in and maybe you'll learn the reason.
No comments:
Post a Comment