Your passion for the performing arts is worth turning into a full-on enterprise. A theater company is your expression of how much you value the art of acting. Your experience in the craft is crucial in building an organization that aims to keep the art alive.

However, your passion is not enough to build a sustainable business model. Without the right guidance, you risk making the wrong decisions that will cost you your dream and even affect your finances and the people involved in your company.

After laying out your vision, you need to know how to get started turning your plan into a tangible concept and, more importantly, into a self-sustaining organization. Here are a few tips you might find helpful.

1.  Know the Kind of Leader You Want to Become

For the most part, the success of any theater company hinges on your capacity to be creative and strategic as a leader. The fact that you’ve won numerous awards, written your own play, and acted in major international productions doesn’t reveal your leadership capacity, which can become demanding over time.

For your company to work in line with your vision, it pays to develop your leadership style. Define the core values you want to instill in your team, whether that’s excellence or an empathetic approach to collaboration. Use these to refine not only the way you direct, but also handle the more administrative functions of your company. 

2. Build and Empower Creative, Technical, and Admin Teams

The most challenging part of running a theater company is workforce management. As if casting isn’t challenging enough, you also need to recruit staging directors, lighting technicians, and costume designers who match the energy of your organization.

You will also need people working behind the scenes to make sure your company is compliant with the regulations set by the Actors’ Equity Association and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Especially if you’re managing a physical venue for your theater productions, you will need to make sure the structure is stable and free of mesothelioma-inducing asbestos, which, according to LawFirm.com, is common in older buildings.

3. Use the Right Software to Make Everything Seamless

Even with the right team by your side, you may still have to deal with complex decisions and tracking every metric that’s relevant to your enterprise. Look to new technology that can help simplify tedious tasks that are prone to human errors.

When it comes to bookkeeping, equip your accounting team with software like QuickBooks. For major productions, tools like Hello Club or EventPro can help with tracking revenue and seat reservations, while more comprehensive software like ArtsVision can manage and schedule dress rehearsals, handle payroll activities, and safekeep contracts and other documents. With the right tools in place, you can streamline your operations and provide more space for your theater company to grow.

4. Keep Networking Within the Industry

As the founder of a theater company, you are part of a larger community consisting of actors, playwrights, creatives, talent managers, and even representatives in the film industry. If growth is your goal for your theater company, then be prepared to connect with others.

Keep in mind that networking goes beyond just exchanging contact information. It’s also about showing support to fellow artists who respect the craft and the hard work that goes into it. You can join recognized associations in the area of performing arts. If that’s not possible yet, start small by connecting with community actors’ guilds and performing arts schools as well as local businesses that support the arts. 

Endnote

Managing a theater company is not for everyone, even if they happen to be experienced in the performing arts. Then again, success can only be attained once you can apply these tips and turn your artistic vision into a legacy brand that fellow creatives look up to.