How Do You Sell Tickets?
systems, spreadsheets and software
We opened a space. My school, the audaciously named World’s Greatest Improv School, leased a space in a strip mall in Hollywood.
I know, I’ve said it in previous weeks, but this is what’s on my mind these days.
The fun part of opening a space is the tasks. Build a stage. Paint the walls. Clean out a storage room. Install a sound board.
Tasks keep you present. Everyone comes together to get them done. You can argue forever about the best opening for an improv show. But when it comes to hanging a whiteboard in the lobby, there isn’t too much discussion.
There’s so many tangible wins. If you do a comedy show, it’s hard to really know if you did well. Your self-doubt will talk you out of victories. But if you set up a light board and the lights turn on, you did it.
I like systems. I used to be a computer programmer. Though my skills are atrophied (and indeed, may never have been too strong) it’s fun to break them out again. I set up our website from scratch (PHP / MySQL / Javascript like it’s 2003 or something). I got very proud when I was able to set up a page of our performer’s headshots and bios. And even more proud to have a show calender. They formatting is simple, but it works!
The underlying code of my website is insane. Imagine a man who built a car himself out of scraps in a garage. It may run, but it’s also a creative monstrosity. That’s our site. I’m proud of my beast, but I know it’s an infernal creation. Labored breathing, an angry glare from beneath a furrowed brow.
But some stuff we do not have in place. Here’s a big one: selling tickets! I really don’t want to use EventBrite because of the fees. I keep thinking I will write a homegrown system, but I also know that’s probably too big a task.
I ask you, my dear readers: how do you sell tickets? Not how do you convince people to buy them. But how do you do the mechanics and logistics of tracking sales at your box office? Through what mechanism do you collect money? We have some spreadsheets going and a Venmo address, but we need better things.
It’s all fun to think about though.
When I think about the future, I’m immediately overwhelmed. How good will the shows be? Will audiences feel comfortable? Bigger questions emerge. How will we empower the next generation of our performers? Can we be financially transparent? What interpersonal bad behavior will rear its head? Will the city government kick down the door and say we’re not zoned for analogous second beats?
I have to set those aside, to some degree, and just focus on buying a mini-fridge!
Heighten And Explore
Moving onto to just improv mechanics.
“Heighten and Explore” was a phrase I first heard at the UCB Theatre. I don’t think this is a phrase that other theaters were using. Heighten, yes. Raise the stakes, sure. But “Heighten and Explore” — that’s UCB. Maybe?
CORRECTION (EDITED AFTER PUBLICATION TO ADD): Okay apparently “explore and heighten” is a very well known Viola Spolin exercise / maxim! My apologies. My explanation below applies to the way it’s used in UCB classes.
“Heighten” was part of the “game of the scene” mentality. Find a game and heighten it. What’s heighten mean? Make it bigger. Raise the absurdity. Have someone walk in who agrees with the unusual viewpoint. Make a pattern, do it again.
But people get too mechanical. Someone starts a scene where they go into a McDonald’s and orders a filet mignon, and you just a get a line of performers with a bunch of fancy orders. It gets old.
So it became “heighten and explore” to remind people to keep making choices.
“Explore” meant to flesh out the world. Know who you are, why you want the things you want. Have a history with other characters. Look up from your patten. See the world you’re creating.
“Rest the game” is a popular phrase at UCB, but I don’t like advice that simply tells you to STOP doing something. “Explore” is active.
The simplest application: do something, say why you’re doing it, do something again.
“Can I have a filet mignon? Sorry if that’s crazy, I just like the finer things in life. May I have a seat cushion for my booth? I like to pamper myself. I just got a promotion at work, you know. I’m librarian number two now. Pushing for all hardcovers— softcovers are so low class, you know. We deserve better. Maybe I have thicker French fries? Can I see an ingredients list? How are you, by the way? Love your uniform, is it full rayon? Love rayon.”
Something like that?
Plugs, Ongoing
High Functioning - Ian Roberts and I do an hour of improv EVERY SATURDAY 7pm at the UCB Annex. See this video for Ian and I showing you where the UCB Annex is.
Clubhouse Fridays - WGIS’ weekly improv show. Fridays 7pm at The Clubhouse. Free!
The World’s Greatest Improv School: The improv school I run with Jim Woods and Sarah Claspell. We’ve got classes online, in LA and even a few in NYC!
How to Be The Greatest Improviser On Earth - My improv book, available at Amazon. Kindle or print. It’s a hodge-podge of advice I wrote in 2016 about doing improv. If you’re broke and want a free PDF version just email me and I’ll send it over.
Screw It, We’re Just Gonna Talk About Comics - Comic book podcast, hosted by my brother Kevin and I. We are covering a little-known 1985 comic Watchmen (yes, THAT Watchmen). Subscribe for bonus episodes!
Screw It, We’re Just Gonna Talk About The Beatles - monthly deep dive on a little known indie band from Liverpool called The Beatles. Subscribe for access to back episodes!
Highwire is still using Eventbrite. I totally get the fees thing, but since we cater so much to non-improv audiences, that is where so many people find us. I am continually amazed how many people just go to that site, search for fun things to do and end up buying a ticket to see our nonsense. Whatever software you use will vary by city, likely so I wouldn't stress on that if you can reach people somehow.
To track, we have spreadsheets because isn't that why we all started improv theaters? We have tied performer pay increases to audience size so that is the easiest way to track. The things we don't do well are 1) engaging people to get repeat business and 2) tracking and marketing to folks who buy at the door since we use Square or Venmo for that.
I think about the ticket thing all the time. I don't have a better comment than the others other than this: when I was in scotland this summer, something felt different about the ticket platforms. It felt less suffocating than the ticketmaster of it all here. Seems like eventbrite/fourth wall are good options. Can't wait to check out your theatre.