Picking the Right Theatre for Your Show

Every theatre artist dreams of landing a stage for their show. Of course, many will say, “Any stage would be amazing!” That scarcity mindset is understandable—especially in a competitive market like New York City, which has over 200 venues across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway, yet rarely any with open availability. 

When a producer looks to bring a show to NYC after many years of careful development, the challenge isn’t just finding a space—it’s finding the right space. Pick the appropriate venue, and your show could run for years - but pick the wrong venue, and your show could fizzle out faster in just a few weeks. Some producers might have several ideal options in mind, while others are holding out for one particular dream space. So how do you know which venue is right for your show? Here are a few key considerations:

1. Location. This is often the most important factor to consider, and somewhat multifaceted:

• How accessible is the venue by public transit or car? Your audience might be deterred if your venue is too far off the beaten path.

• Is it near other attractions like restaurants, bars, or nightlife? Many audience members will want to plan a full evening around your show, including activities before and after curtain!

• How visible is the theatre’s marquee or front-of-house signage to foot traffic? (Think about that giant block-wide billboard atop the Winter Garden Theatre - a dream for any producer to have access to!) 

2. Capacity. A theatre's size might have a huge affect your production - and your sales:

• Can your show reasonably fill 1,200 seats a night (10,000+ tickets per week!), or would it thrive as a "hot ticket" in a more intimate setting?

• Will the energy of your show get lost in a cavernous space, or feel constrained by one that’s too small? i.e. a large-scale musical may demand the resources of a bigger house, while a two-hander play might resonate better with closer proximity to the audience.

3. Aesthetic Fit. Think about the neighborhood and the audiences it attracts. Using NYC as an example: Downtown venues might draw more experimental theatre-goers, whereas midtown or Upper West Side audiences might be prone to seek out more traditional or classic fare. Where your show plays sends a message about what kind of experience the audience can expect — before they even buy a ticket!

4. Venue Reputation. When speaking of aesthetics, you should also consider the cultural history and identity of a particular venue:

• What other prior shows have been successful there? For example: audiences of future productions at the Daryl Roth Theatre over the next few years will likely have Titanique on their minds because of that hit show's multi-year off-Broadway residency in that space. 

• What type of work is that space best known for programming? Edgier works or traditional? Musicals or plays? Theatre for younger audiences or older?

• Audiences often return to venues where they’ve had positive past experiences - or where they feel most artistically aligned. That familiarity can work in your favor (or against you!) depending on how your show aligns with the venue’s reputation.

5. Budget & Resources. No surprise - Broadway theatre rent is expensive! Even popular Off-Broadway houses can cost anywhere from $10K to $40K+ per week in rent alone. With this in mind, you want to make sure that your show’s economic model aligns with the venue's requirements. Also from an economic standpoint, it's worth exploring what additional resources or support the theatre might offer, such as lighting/sound equipment, studio or rehearsal space, technical staff, ticketing services, or house management. While one particular theatre's rent might be higher than another, there are numerous additional things a venue can offer to offset other production costs and improve efficiency.

Sure, there may never be a perfect theatre for your show, as every venue can have its quirks and challenges. But taking the time to evaluate the specific strengths and weaknesses of your available options will help you become more clear minded about the kind of theatre your show can best thrive in.

Take a moment to envision your dream production:

• What city is it in?

• What neighborhood?

• How big is the theatre?

• What does the space feel like?

• What kind of audience do you see in the seats?

Now, share that vision with your team. If you're all aligned, it will clarify your goals—and may even open new venue possibilities you hadn’t considered. Whether you're waiting for that one dream venue or exploring a wide net of alternatives, this clarity gets you one step closer to locking in the right space for your show!

Go get ‘em!

- Jonathan Hogue