When you pay for your ticket at the theatre, you might be wondering, “What does that money go towards?” In most community theatres, the actors are not paid, but your money still goes towards the production. Ticket costs cover everything from the stage sets to the actual building, copyrights and more, which is why the cost of admission is so important.
What You See
Though the actors are unpaid, putting on a production still costs money. The materials for stage sets have to be paid for, but usually, such sets are built by community members who volunteered to do so. If labor costs were added to the total, your ticket price would go up, but most community theatres do their best to avoid this.
If the theatre uses costumes in their production, your ticket costs might cover this as well. Some community theatres have volunteersmake the costumes, but sometimes they are bought, too. Either way, the material has to be paid for, just like the stage sets.
What You Hear
Copyrights can be expensive and unavoidable if the theatre wants to put on a certain production. Typically, the more well-known shows and songs come with copyright fees. So if you are going to see a production that you know and love, chances are, the theatre had to pay someone for the rights to put on that show. Your ticket costs help cover that price.
Where You Sit
The more fortunate theatres outright own their own buildings, but most community theatres either rent the space or are in the process of paying off a loan. No matter if the theatre owns the space or not, they still have to pay for repairs and upkeep. This can range from repairs to the structure of the building to maintaining the seats in the auditorium and everything in between.
When you pay to enter a show, part of this money goes towards these costs. In order to keep the building in good condition, the theatre needs the funds for repairs. Also, more drastically, it helps the theatre keep their doors open.
What You Eat
Most theatres offer some sort of concession during intermission, if the production has one. Usually, you have to pay for these food and drink items, but sometimes they are complimentary. When you pay for them, that money likely goes towards the food and the theatre, but when they are complimentary, the initial ticket costs help cover for the food.
At Lionheart Theatre Company, we offer our guests free dessert with each production, as our way of saying thanks. Much like the stage sets and costumes, the desserts are made by volunteers. Your ticket costs help cover the ingredients for these desserts.
Between helping pay for stage set materials, costumes, copyrights, building upkeep, and free dessert, your ticket cost goes towards a lot more than it seems. And because Lionheart, like many others, is a nonprofit, volunteer-operated facility, you can take pride in knowing that your ticket costs really went back into your own community.
Curious about our upcoming shows at Lionheart Theatre Company? If so, visit our website to learn more about the latest local theatre happenings in Norcross, Georgia.