Just as much as putting on a production itself takes a lot of work, getting people to fill the seats can also feel like a massive effort. People are now spoilt for choice in terms of entertainment options, and it means that competing for the attention of the public needs more and more changes to how theater presents itself. Here are some of the ways producers are adapting their shows for modern audiences.
App Integration
Apps are the new standard for people interacting with many parts of their daily lives. It’s true across all kinds of entertainment, even in other traditional forms like casino games which have seen a huge amount of tech integration. We’ve seen classic games like poker and blackjack transformed digitally, and you can now even play the Plinko Go game via a smartphone from pretty much anywhere thanks to an extensive network of apps, sites, and dedicated studios.
It’s for that reason that theaters are now working extensively with app developers and VR solutions to make use of interactive features. We’ve already seen multiple examples of fully interactive theatre making use of virtual reality to put the audience directly inside a production, as well as productions using specially designed apps to be used mid-show.
Modern Licensed Productions
An unfortunate stereotype that theater has developed over the years is of being behind the times in some ways. In most cases, this can be proven untrue, but one area it has struggled with has been with licensed productions or essentially theater versions of other media such as movies.
There have been a few high-profile examples recently such as Back to the Future: The Musical but even this, as is often the case, is based on an older property and is geared towards nostalgia for older fans. This is in part thanks to the long time it can take to get approval for these projects, but if more movie studios could be convinced to work in tandem with stage productions, it could be a boost for both sides.
Social Media Links
If you want to get the word out about any new project or event in the world, social media is now an absolutely essential part of the process. However, it is unfortunately common for many theaters to either neglect their social media accounts or to not use them to their maximum potential.
Generating a lot of hype and chatter on social media channels can make or break a production, and while it isn’t ever a guaranteed success, there are more than a few guides like this one from Superevent that can be used to help. One crucial point is for a theater to employ someone dedicated to social media, as asking other staff members to fill in the role during their spare time is likely not going to be enough for events of any serious size.
In the end, it will likely be a combination of these strategies that carry theater forwards into the coming decades. We’re all just waiting for the next big tech revelation to see what direction it may go in!