Mondays are Dark

Well, with the holiday weekend coming up (how did it get to be July so quick?), the Scene is a little slow this week. 

In direct news, writer and reviewer Mary Damiano was in a car accident last week; she is home and recovering.  Get well soon, Mary!

Summer: It's Not Just for Hurricanes Anymore
The Miami Herald has the summer outlook; it's an active theatre season, with two premieres on the horizon.

In coming weeks, theater lovers can catch the world premieres of shows by Michael McKeever, Maribeth Graham and Dana Rowe, and a revamped version of an original by Paul Tei. The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts is building its summer around the edgy, urban Cirque Eloize iD, and the center is also hosting the XXVI International Hispanic Theatre Festival throughout July.

The Big Follow-Up
The Palm Beach Daily News follows up on the closing of Florida Stage with several stories; An analysis of why it failed:

"Months of urgent fund raising had failed to produce results, they said. “We were trying to raise money right up to the end,” board co-chairman Richard Abedon said. Even if they had solved the immediate fiscal crisis, the problem of low ticket sales would have remained, he said.

The collateral damage beyond the loss of jobs and ticket fees:

In addition to its subscription series, the company’s new play festival midwifed new work and exposed patrons to the early stages of play creation. The theater’s long-term relationships with playwrights supported them and allowed audience members to track the evolution of a writer’s career.

And options for ticket holders for the shows that won't be happening:

The Palm Beach County Cultural Council is organizing a voucher program that will offer tickets and other discounts to Florida Stage’s 2011-12 season subscribers. More than 20 local cultural institutions, such as Palm Beach Dramaworks, Palm Beach Opera and The Society of the Four Arts, as well as the National New Play Network, an alliance of nonprofit theaters, are participating.

Getting It Together
The Shiny Sheet brings us up to speed on the alliance of The Caldwell Theatre Company and Entr'Acte Theatrix

The partnership benefits both groups, their leaders said. The Caldwell appreciates Entr’Acte’s mission, and without Entr’Acte’s backing the theater probably couldn’t produce a musical as large as City of Angels, Cholerton said. In addition, the rent the company pays for its own productions fattens the theater’s revenues. Entr’Acte’s performers will chalk up points toward an Equity card.

It's encouraging to see two companies come together to ensure that both survive.  And the best part is that in this arrangement; both maintain their distinct identities.

Getting the Word Out
The Minnesota Playlist discusses effective communications.

...a hugely beneficial step in planning is to think through target audiences. Too often, without meaningful consideration, we talk about the tools—be it websites or video trailers or guerilla marketing—before we figure out whom it is we really want to reach. “Everybody” is not the audience. Taking the time to consider and prioritize can mean the difference between success and failure.

Word.