🎭 The Audience-First Method: Why You Should Build Your Following Before Your Show Is “Ready”

Written by TMS CEO, Monica Hammond

Most playwrights and theater creators believe this lie:

“I’ll start marketing once the show is in production.”

But here’s the truth that changes everything:

Shows don’t build audiences.
Audiences build shows.

This is the heart of what we teach inside the Audience-First Method — and it’s one of the biggest mindset shifts from our impactful 3-Day Broadway Breakthrough Challenge. (Sign up for the replay here)

Let’s talk about why this matters so much.

🚫 The Old Way: Create in a Vacuum, Then Hope People Care

Most writers and theater professionals don’t think about marketing at all. And if they do, it’s only in terms of selling tickets once their show is in production. 

Here’s what the “normal” path looks like:

1. Write the show
   
   
2. Rewrite the show
   
   
3. Workshop the show
   
   
4. Finally get a reading or production
   
   
5. Then try to get people to pay attention
   
   

The problem?

You’re asking strangers to care about something they’ve never heard of, from a creator they don’t know, about a story they’ve had zero emotional connection to. You’re basically starting at 0 when you could have been building your audience that whole time!

That’s not marketing.
That’s wishing.

And in today’s world — where audiences have unlimited entertainment options — wishing is not a strategy.

🌟 The Audience-First Method: Build Interest While You Build the Show

Instead of waiting until opening night, the Audience-First Method flips the timeline:

You build an audience while the show is still being created.

That audience:

• Gets invested in you as a theater artist
  
• Gets curious about the project
  
• Feels like they’re part of the journey
  
• Is FAR more likely to show up, support, and spread the word later

You’re no longer launching into silence.
You’re inviting people to something they already feel connected to.

🎟 What “Building an Audience” Actually Looks Like

This doesn’t mean you need thousands of followers or viral videos.

It means you start letting people in, even when it feels vulnerable and like you have “nothing” to talk about. 

You share:

• The idea behind the show
  
• The themes you’re exploring
  
• Character inspirations
  
• Snippets of lyrics or dialogue
  
• Your writing process
  
• The questions you’re wrestling with

Suddenly, your marketing isn’t “Buy tickets to my show.”

It’s:

“Come be part of this story as it comes to life.”

That emotional investment is what turns casual observers into true supporters. You start to build a relationship with your audience before ever asking them to spend a dime on your show. 

💰 Why Producers and Theaters Care About This

Here’s the part many writers miss and it’s absolutely essential to your success…

When you build an audience early, you’re not just marketing to fans.

You’re signaling to Producers, Artistic Directors, Investors and even grant panels that your work already has traction and value. You start to position yourself as a creator with an engaged email list, a social media following that engages, and a community that’s interested in your work. 

From a Producers perspective, this is a much safer bet than working with someone starting from zero.

An audience is proof of demand.
And proof of demand is power.

🔥 You Don’t Need a Finished Show to Start

One of the biggest myths in theater marketing is:

“I don’t have anything to promote yet.”

Yes, you do.

You have your voice, your perspective, your story and your creative journey. It’s what makes you YOUnique. 

People don’t just follow finished products.

They follow people they believe in.

When your show is finally ready, you won’t be introducing yourself to the world for the first time.

You’ll be inviting your audience to the next chapter of something they already care about.

🎬 Want to Learn How to Do This Step by Step?

Inside our 3-Day Broadway Breakthrough Challenge, we break down exactly how to:

✅ Identify the right audience for your show
✅ Start building that audience before production
✅ Talk about your work in a way that creates curiosity and connection
✅ Position your show so producers and theaters see its potential

If you missed it live, you can still catch the full training.

👉 Watch the Replay of the 3-Day Broadway Breakthrough Challenge Here
(and start building your audience before your show ever hits the stage)

Because the most successful theater creators don’t wait to be discovered.

They build the audience that makes discovery inevitable. 🎭✨