Package Idea

One of the things I love about this time of year is the chance to be in the audience for the Michigan Shakespeare Festival. While I see many shows throughout the year, rarely do I get a chance to see a single production more than once. This makes me doubly cherish the opportunity that I have at MSF to see the shows multiple times. It gives me a chance to see how they evolve and change--the way the actors grow into their parts. It also lets me get something different out of each show and absorb the different ways that different audiences respond to a show.

All of which got me thinking. I'm betting there are other people out there that would be interested in seeing how a show grows. I wonder whether a package deal could be put together that could further engage audiences--especially those audiences whose only theatrical participation is as an audience member.

The package deal I was thinking of would look something like:

• A ticket to attend the show's read-through at the beginning of the rehearsal process. Ideally the read-through would include presentations by the technical staff on the show concept.
• A ticket to opening night.
• A ticket to closing night.
• A roundtable with the actors and director following closing night where people could discuss how things changed from start to finish and why.

Likely this would have to be sold in limited quantities, but that in itself could increase its attractiveness.