Report #11 National Endowment Conditions and Needs of the for the Arts Professional American Theatre Research Division May 1981 NATIONAL’ ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS Conditions and Needs of the Professional American Theatre National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, D.C. This report is produced by the Publishing Center for Cultural Resources as part of a pilot project supported by the National En­ dowment for the Arts demonstrating ecohomy and efficiency in nonprofit publishing. The Publishing Center’s planning, production, and distribution services are available to all cultural and educational groups and or­ ganizations. For further information, write Publishing Center for Cultural Resources, 625 Broadway, New York City 10012 or tele­ phone 212/260-2010. Library ~4 Ces~ress Cataloging in Publication Data National Endowment for the Arts. Research Division. Conditions and needs of the professional American theatre. (National Endowment for the Arts Research Division reports ; ii) "A condensed version of the report and exhibits prepared by Mathtech, Inc. i. Theater--Economic aspects--United States. I. Mathtech, Inc. II. Title. III. Series: National Endowment for the Arts. Research Division. Research Division report ; ii. PN2293.E35N37 1981 338.4’7792’0973 80-12678 ISBN 0-89062-076-8 Manufactured in the United States of America CONTENTS PREFACE /page 2 LIST OF TABLES /page 4 LIST OF FIGURES /page 6 RECOMMENDATIONS OF ADVISORY GROUP /page 7 CHAPTER I SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS /page 17 CHAPTER II THEATRE ACTIVITY: ATTENDANCE, ORGANIZATION, AND AUDIENCES /page 21 CHAPTER III THEATRE FINANCES /page 48 CHAPTER IV THEATRE LABOR FORCE AND EMPLOYMENT /page 98 CHAPTER V THE THEATRE COMMUNITY VIEWS ITSELF /page 109 CHAPTER VI THE CONTRIBUTION OF THEATRE TO THE NATIONAL ECONOMY /page 127 REPORTS IN THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS RESEARCH DIVISION SERIES /page 131 PREFACE make recommendations on how to meet the- atre needs. In both phases, the work was responsive to the Congressional mandate to investigate the needs of both nonprofit This report originated in a request to and commercial theatre. the National Endowment for the Arts dur­ ing the Senate Appropriation Hearings in A first step in the research project was spring 1976. Senate Report #94-880, on to advertise for proposals. This was done the Arts, Humanities and Cultural Affairs by means of a program solicitation re­ Act of 1976 (printed May 14, 1976 to ac­ leased from the Research Division on Feb­ company S.3440) included the following: ruary i, 1977. The competitive proposals "The Committee notes favorably that the were evaluated at a special meeting by Arts Endowment has increased its capabili­ representatives of both the nonprofit and ty to research needs in the arts. In this commercial theatre communities and by pro­ regard, the Committee wishes especially fessional researchers. Acting on the rec­ to emphasize that its requested study of ommendation from the evaluation panel for theatre needs, including the commercial the proposals, a contract was entered into theatre as it relates to non-profit the­ by the Arts Endowment with the research atre activities and as general needs re­ firm of Mathtech, Inc. in Princeton, New late to the entire development of this Jersey on May 12, 1977. An advisory group important art form, is long overdue. The was then formed with Harold Prince as Committee expects a thorough report on chairman. The other members of the advi­ this matter within the next year." sory group are named on page 7. Harold Prince, as a member of the National Coun­ The Congressional request resulted in cil on the Arts, provided a strong liaison planning and preparation by the Research between the advisory group and the council. Division of the National Endowment for the the Mathtech, Inc. research team was led Arts to develop the project subsequently by Dr. Robert J. Anderson, Jr. assisted by undertaken. Preparation included many Hilda Baumol, Sonya P. Maltezou, and Rob­ meetings and correspondence with the the­ ert Wuthnow. atre community, but one particularly im­ portant development was the gathering of Research Division Report #Ii is a con­ representatives of theatre associations densed version of the reports and exhibits and service organizations with research prepared by Mathtech, Inc. These have capabilities on August 3, 1976, at which been combined with the recommendations of information on current research activities the advisory group’s report presented here was exchanged by the League of New York in its entirety. The Mathtech, Inc. ma­ Theatres and Producers, American Theatre terial has been extensively summarized Association, Black Theatre Alliance, The­ as a practical necessity in view of the atre Communications Group, League of Resi­ quantity of detailed data, annotation, dent Theatres, Off-Off-Broadway Alliance, and information source references they First American Congress of Theatre, Thea­ contain. In the summary, data are pre­ tre Development Fund, Actors’ Equity Asso­ sented with tables and figures when points ciation, and the Council on Foundations. require visual elaboration, but such il­ Other meetings were organized independent- lustrations are omitted when concepts and ly by various groups in the theatre commun- conclusions could be presented succinctly ity to provide advice and suggestions on without them. However, the reader is re­ the type of research project that would be minded that this is a summary. For com­ most valuable. The Research Division’s plete information--~upporting the more deepest thanks go to all of the organiza­ complex material, the original Mathtech tions and individuals who helped in the reports (listed at the end of this pre­ formulation of the research plan. face) should be consulted. All of them are available for study by those students The research project that was defined as of professional American theatre who re­ a result of the preparatory efforts was quire more complete explanations and a organized in two phases. The first phase fuller presentation of findings than are was an intensive effort to collect, ana­ contained in the condensation. Persons lyze, and report existing information that .who wish to see the complete material are describes the current conditions and needs invited to do so through the library of of professional American theatre. In the the National Endowment for the Arts, which second phase, an ad hoc advisory group, maintains both reference copies and copies broadly representative of the American available for interlibrary loan. Arrange­ theatre, was organized to guide the work ments to borrow the loan copies or to of data collection and analysis and then work with the reference collection may to utilize the information collected to be made by contacting the Library, National Endowment for the Arts, Room 1256, Wash­ ington, D.C. 20506; 202/634-6740. The reports and exhibits listed below are available for examination there. Research Division National Endowment for the Arts May 1981 Mathtech, Inc. Executive Summary, The Condition and Needs of the Live Profes­ sional Theatre in America, Phase I Report: Data Collection and Analysis. Princeton, 1978. The Condition and Needs of the Li~e Professional Theatre in Amer­ ica, Phase I Report: Data Collection and Analysis. Princeton, 1978. The Condition and Needs of the Live Professional Theatre in Ameri­ ca, Phase II Report: Recommendations. Princeton, 1979. The Condition and Needs of the Live Professional Theatre in Ameri­ ca, Exhibit Volume I (Statements by The­ atre Organizations). Princeton, 1978. The Condition and Needs of the Live Professional Theatre in America, Exhibit Volume II (Summary of Roundtable Discussions). Princeton, 1978. The Condition and Needs of the Live Professional Theatre In America, "Transcript of Theatre Research Project Advisory Group Roundtable, New York City, 9:00 a.m., October 18, 1977." Princeton, 1978. The Condition and Needs of the Live Professional Theatre in America, "Transcript of Theatre Research Project Advisory Group Roundtable, New York City, 2:00 p.m., October 18, 1977." Princeton, 1978. The Condition and Needs of theLive Professional Theatre in America, ."Roundtable Discussion on Professional Theatre in America Today, Los Angeles, i0:00 a.m., October 20, 1977." Princeton, 1978. The Condition and Needs of the Live Professional Theatre in America, "Roundtable Discussion on Professional Theatre in America Today, Los Angeles, 2:25 p.m., October 20, 1977." Princeton, 1978. LIST OF TABLES 1 Regional distribution of theatre facilities and companies 1977 /page 16 2 Attendance by theatre type 1976-77 /page 22 3 Regional distribution of facilities suitable for Broadway tryouts or touring 1976-77 /page 28 4 Regional distribution of dinner theatres 1977 /page 31 5 Regional distribution of summer stock companies 1977 /page 32 6 Regional distribution of summer musical theatres 1977 /page 34 7 Regional theatres with 1977 budgets over $250,000 /page 34 8 Sources of theatre information /page 43 9 Average production costs of Broadway plays and musicals 1965-67 and 1975-77 /page 51 10 Cast size of Broadway plays and musicals between 1964-65 and 1975-76 /page 54 ii Average weekly operating expenditures of Broadway plays and musicals 1965-67 and 1975-77 /page 57 12 Average weekly box office receipts of Broadway plays and musicals 1965-66 to 1976-77 /page 61 13 Average cash flows of Broadway plays and musicals 1965-66 to 1976-77 /page 64 14 Annual rates of increase of Broadway financial indicators 1965 to 1977 /page 65 15 Average Broadway