Is It Just Because It's Free?

Good feedback all! Bridgette, you really hit the nail on the head I think, as far as a lot of people are concerned. This is, in fact, kind of the flip side of all the economic good news coming from studies such as the recent update of "Arts and Economic Prosperity" from Americans for the Arts: The price of a concert or a night at the theater is never just as cheap as the price of the tickets.

I did a little further looking at the local results from that study, and here's what I found: If their numbers are true, then it costs a Missoula couple an average of about $34 above and beyond the price of tickets to attend an arts event in Missoula. In this town, where it's not uncommon to find people with masters degrees working at coffeeshops, that's a considerable added cost -- in fact, it's more than the price of two tickets to a concert by the Missoula Symphony Orchestra.

Researching a recent story on a new adaptation of an old comedy by Plautus at the L.A.'s swankest outdoor theater, the Getty Villa in Malibu (nice comfy cushions provided; oil baron's controversial antiquities storehouse as a backdrop), I found out that the Romans put on plays on makeshift stages at open-air festivals where the crowd had options: if the play wasn't engaging, jugglers or fire eaters or bear baiters or whatever were a few steps away -- which spurred the playwright and actors to be as funny and entertaining and interactive with the crowd as possible. Most modern theater is more on the ancient Greek model of sacred, cathartic religious event. But it's good there's room for both. Years ago, I enjoyed a production of Sartre's "No Exit" on a temporary stage at a street fair in West Palm Beach, where you could move on to another attraction down the way if you got bored. I still have a pretty clear mental snapshot of that experience. I think it's worth doing free shows to give people who wouldn't normally see a play some exposure, and to give actors and designers the experience of operating in an unaccustomed environment. A smart theater co. would make sure to interact with the crowd, introducing itself and its work in some fun way before, during or after the show, and passing out flyers and discount offers for its coming productions. I think they call that "outreach" in the arts biz. I'm impressed that whoever's doing the programming in Missoula made as subtly subversive a choice as "Heartbreak House," which can be very funny, but has a dead-serious vision of a British empire about to collapse under the strain of its own frivolity and purposelessness, in the face of the approaching war that intrudes upon the final scene.

I saw the same play at Bozeman's Sweet Pea festival. I agree that price and family are significant. The other factor is that the character of the event shifts from "elite" to community, and that is appealing to many.

I'm guessing the family factor is huge. What looks would you get bringing a four-month old to an indoor symphony concert or a play? It's not considered socially acceptable.

So pile on the cost of babysitters to the cost of the ticket, and the evening starts to get pretty expensive. What's more, for parents who have their kids in daycare all day, they want some time that they can spend with the children in memorable experiences. The outdoor concerts and plays fill that bill.

It also makes cultural experiences low-risk. If someone isn't sure they're going to like a concert or a play, are they going to fork over $40 to $100 for a ticket?

Great entry, Joe!

As former Minnesotan, I loved to pack my family for the Minnesota Orchestra outdoor concerts. It was for the social atmosphere, picnic lunch/dinner and to expose my kids to (light) classical music while running around like crazy and nobody would mind. The ticket prices for most season symphony concerts are high, but I would pay the price for family concerts. I now work for www.classiclive.com, which streams live orchestral concerts in the net. Some reasons to enjoy this service are similar to outdoor concert experience: there is no dress code, no coughing in the next seat,it's pretty cheap, I can eat sandwiches and listen to good music at my convenience.

It's the Money
If Missoula is like many of the communities I know, it's probably the cost that's a factor.
I found that in Sebring, Fla, before I joined the local amateur community theater troupe, I didn't spend the money to attend shows, even though I only lived two blocks away and it would have made a great date night for me and a girlfriend.
After I joined, I started paying for family or friends to come see me in a show or for my own admission to see friends in shows. I had a personal connection to the theater and wanted to help it succeed.
Our venue didn't see as many people at free - indoor - shows as we did at regular productions, however, our regular price was well below what one might pay in Tampa or Orlando for a professional troupe, which coupled with gasoline prices, was probably one of the biggest reasons people came to see us if they didn't drive to Tampa.
I did drive to Tampa about three or four times in an eight-year stretch to see live theater, but paid tremendously for it.
When something occurs in your hometown; in a casual setting (no formal or semi-formal dress code); allows families to picnic (no restaurant pricing); children can wander, fidget, or nap when the mood strikes them; and the event is free, then people are far more likely to go. It doesn't ask as much of them, especially of the family budget.