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Hi,

My name is Robert Hazlette. I am from a small Kentucky town known as Paintsville. Where I come from the arts are not all recognized as important. Sports take first priority in the schools and the local region and the arts come somewhere around 5 or 6.

I have always been involved in theatre; thus, making me an outcast. I began working at a local theatre when I was 12, and knew from that moment that my goal in life would be to make arts matter among the people in my town.

My town consists of 5300 people and is one of the most conservative towns I've seen, so it makes it even more difficult because many of the people believe theatre corrupts.

I, along with several others have decided that we want to put up a production that will not only shine for the performing aspects, but will also open the eyes of some of the close-minded individuals in our town. When we were thinking of a show like this, we instantly knew that "Rent" was the best choice.

No, it's not the best choice for a small, conservative town. However, we feel that "Rent" will make people realize that a show may feature "characters"; however, these characters are actual people living among us. We believe that a show like "Rent" could open the eyes and make people understand as well as take a walk in the shoes of some of the characters within the show.

Here our concern... We are not a formal theatre and so we don't receive funding of any sort. We do have the talent and the people who would love to commit to the cause. We are curious as to what kind of budget we will need to pay for royalties, etc. for a decent production. No, we don't expect to make Broadway come alive in a town of 5300, but just a well-rounded production.

We believe we have a space that seats somewhere around 200-250 people. However, we dont believe we will necessarily sale-out; although, that would be wonderful. We are looking to do 5 performances of the show.

If you could, please help us out. We would love the encouragment and advice!

Thanks,

Robert Hazlette

Hi, Robert.  My heart goes out to you in your frustration. It can be exhausting to fight the establishment in the name of art.  My advice to you is to remember that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

When you produce a musical, you have to consider your audience and what they want to see.  If you don't sell tickets, there won't be another Season (of Love) to speak of.  It's because I love your spirit and I hope you succeed that I ask you to consider testing the waters before you dive in.

"Rent" is one of my favorite shows (speaks to generations - no?) Maybe the HS version can be your incentive show (after a year of gaining the love and support of your audience.) Do "Seussical" for "kids of all ages" or if your town loves sports, do "Damn Yankees" and bill it as a "baseball show for jocks".  Both of these shows can be done very inexpensively with a minimal set and costumes. Sell tickets, sell peanuts, make money, gain support, and then produce the art you crave.

Licensing will be your most expensive consideration.  You will pay for the initial materials rental and the right to perform, and then you will pay an additional fee based on the number of seats and the ticket price per performance. It's more cost-effective to sell out 2 shows than to have 5 shows half full.  Apply for your license after you have your theatre space contract in place.  You will need that information to complete your licensing contract.

I wish you all the luck and patience in the world! And, if you need to borrow costumes or props, I'd love to support your effort. Let me know if I can be of any assistance in that way.  cj

Hey, thanks so much for your reply.

If I do produce/direct "Rent", it will be a one time thing. I'm not looking to start a theatre at the moment. I'm still a performer and want to continue working regionally as I have been, I just feel like I need to do this.

I'm currently directing a show called "Pilgrim's Progress" and will finish that in March. From there, I will do a summerstock theatre and then following that, I hope to direct "Rent".

I have directed shows before, some through MTI, but never "Rent". That is what rose my question about budget for the show. I've already got a set design, costume design, etc. As I've said before I have people on board.

My plan isn't to make friends with this production, nor enemies. My plan is to educate people on what this show is and who the characters are. I want people in my town to understand that this show wasn't created to raise controversy; instead, I believe this show opens the eyes of people to know that there is "No day but today". I believe that that message will be the fundamentals needed to make this show a success.

I'm with Christie on this one. I love your sheer grit and determination, but if your town is this closed-minded, you should really test the waters with a more bankable show. I'm usually the last person to suggest such a commerical "money, money, money" approach to theatre, but I think if you're starting from scratch, it's kind of necessary. Start out with a show that everyone will really love, and you can still base it around the talent that you have, then after a couple of shows, move into something a little more riskier. It may be a little while before you have the audience for Rent, but it takes time to get people into the arts.

I know this can't be the greatest thing to hear, but I completely understand your cause. In fact, I'm in the middle of the same thing right now. I'm part of a local theatre company that just started a couple of years ago and we're trying to bring theatre to a very closed-minded town. I, too, would love to do Rent here, but I know that we have to get these people introduced to the concept of theatre first. Believe me, I hate the fact that it's an excruciatingly long, laborious process, especially when there are certain issues you want to address, but if you stick with it you will reach your goal someday and you will get the sataisfaction of opening peoples' eyes to something truly wonderful. If you ever need to vent aobut the process or anything, send me a message here on ShowSpace, I'll totally understand.

Thanks, Sean.

I totally understand where you both are coming from on the subject. I completely see what you're saying and am very much considering your options.

Currently, there are two theatres in my area. One is Community, and one is Professional. Each have done numerous shows...

However, in '08' the professional theatre (which has been in the area since 1965) did "A Chorus Line". The show caused controversy of course, and another example of the area is in 99 they did "Grease" which led to a front page newspaper story entitled "Porn Comes To Prestonsburg". It's ridiculous.

I don't believe there is a show that can make people here understand the arts, so I feel that instead of me trying to open them to theatre first, I need to make them understand people... I believe "Rent" is the only show that can make these hard-headed people understand that if they're so holy and righteous that they can't diss the characters in a show like "Rent". My reason for this belief... Although Angel is just a character in the show, somewhere out in the world there is a real "Angel" on the streets and every time someone disses the character they're dissing that real life version to. That real life version is a child of God, and anyone knows that if you're a Christian, you can't diss God's children.

This is my reasoning for wanting this show so badly... I have never wanted to make a show happen in my town more than I do this one. I'm stubborn and have been through the dirt via people in my town. I'm truly not afraid of the criticism nor the protesting. I just want the financial support. I just wish there was a grant or something out there I could apply for, or some rich donor who supported my cause... =/

Great input from our showspace members for you Robert. Quite obviously you have strong convictions and want to expand visions in a relatively closed community.  I worked in one of those communities for many years and built a stong support network so I could live on the edge many times, but NOT until I gently educated them with shows that are easier to gain support for.  When you HAVE the support, they do not turn back, but it is important to win that first.  If indeed you are ready to go ahead, lets have you talk with the licensing agent for your state as each rental can be specific regarding costs.  They are absolutely wonderful about knowing all the angles you need to know. I love your determination...stick with it and lets get you more info to make your decision!

Robert,

Whatever you do has to be for you - you will go crazy if you think you can somehow educate people who don't want or don't feel they need to be educated. I have talked to people who have described "Rent" as a bunch of bums who should stop whining, get jobs and grow up. I know that is not what your experience from the show is, but I relay this to help you understand that while you can  put your ideas and visions in front of people, you can't make them see things the way you do.

If you hope to ever persuade people that shows can enrich the community, then something like "Music Man" or "Oklahoma" would be more likely to draw people in. Make someone interested in what you are doing, then they may be open to what else you have to say. Try to force something on them and you will wind up poorer and more frustrated than before.

I think Cindy has a good point though - talk to a licensing rep. I think it will put things into perspective a bit.

Hi Robert,

Having been a member of the aforementioned production of A CHORUS LINE in your community, I'd encourage you to talk to Marty about the logistics of producing and his experience with "edgy" material on his audiences.

While I applaud your efforts to incite, inspire, motivate and provide...I think attempting to produce RENT at this time/place in your life may leave you even more frustrated.

Nonetheless, please continue to seek ways to make an impact with the arts. It looks like you've got plenty of support internationally :)

Best,

Tony