Production Expenses. Actors are not paid, nor are backstage personnel, technical support personnel (lighting and sound), and concierge personnel (box office, concessions, ticket takers and ushers). Directors, choreographers and stage managers receive stipends. Music directors and orchestra members also receive stipends, and the frequency of live music and the size of orchestration have been increasing in recent years. Set designers and builders, and costumers and prop coordinators may or may not receive compensation.
Costs for set construction materials, costumes and costume materials, and props are very real, indeed. We are fortunate to be part of a community of non-professional theatres who willingly share props and costumes from time to time at no or very low rental charges. Nevertheless, whether the people providing these services are paid or not, expenses for most shows in all three of these areas are not trivial.
Sound and lighting equipment must bear up under considerably harsher conditions in our outdoor environment. Not only are up-front costs more expensive, but repair and replacement costs are more frequent.
Generally, the single largest production expense is the royalties that we must pay to stage our productions. Virtually no productions in the musical genre are “public domain.” Thus, owners and agents require compensation on a per-performance basis.
When we contract to do a show, we must arrange and pay for the design of our own images for signage, advertising, program covers and the like.
Facility Expenses. Despite the fact that we own our property, the costs for maintaining our facility are extensive. Repairs to simply protect and operate the structure in its present state are ongoing and costly. A recent inspection resulted in the outlay of over $4,000 to upgrade fire protection systems to acceptable standards, for example. Old plumbing requires frequent attention. Locks that freeze, steps that weaken, air conditioners that break down, chairs that fail, stage surfaces that wear out under harsh weather conditions and the like are all taken care of. Not much has been done in the past two decades, however, to increase the quality or potential of the facility. Our “capital investments” have been in the theatrical productions themselves.
Utility costs are mostly traditional -- electric, telephone, water and sewer, trash collection and cleaning.
Business Expenses. Insurance to cover both our building and our liability is a sizeable cost. So, too are the administrative, financial and legal costs of running the business side, advertising, hospitality, storage and rental of meeting and rehearsal space when the weather prevents use of our unheated facility.
